Fertility After Prostate Cancer Treatment
It is nearly impossible for a man to retain his ability to father children through sexual intercourse after initial treatment. During prostatectomy, both the prostate and the nearby seminal vesicles are removed. Seminal vesicles and the prostate provide semen that carries the sperm down the urethra and out the penis during ejaculation. The loss of semen following surgery makes ejaculation impossible, so the sperm cannot physically leave the body. Radiation therapy nearly always impairs fertility. Radiated prostate cells and seminal vesicles tend to produce semen that cannot transport the sperm well. Sperm can also be damaged, though this occurs far less frequently with more accurate dose planning.
Treatment Of Enlarged Prostate And Ed
While an enlarged prostate can cause ED, there are treatment options available to you to facilitate normal sexual function. Luckily many forms of enlarged prostate-associated erectile dysfunction are treatable, and by tackling the underlying problem of an enlarged prostate, many men can restore or greatly improve their sexual performance.
Its Complicated: Enlarged Prostate And Sex
BPH and sexual function
Prostate enlargement, also known as benign prostatic hyperplasia , and erectile dysfunction are separate problems. Both increase with age, but one causes problems in the bathroom and the other in the bedroom. However, the two are somewhat linked.
BPH happens when your prostate becomes enlarged, but cancer isnt the cause. A mans prostate continues growing throughout most of his adult life. This is why many older men are affected by the condition.
ED is the inability to get or maintain an erection. It can be caused by physical conditions such as:
It can also be caused by psychological issues.
These two conditions dont necessarily seem linked, but certain treatments that relieve BPH can cause ED and other sexual side effects. On the other hand, treating ED can improve enlarged prostate symptoms.
- inability to empty the bladder
- a weak urine stream
A surgery called transurethral resection of the prostate can help relieve these symptoms. Men who have this procedure often experience sexual side effects after surgery.
Between 50 and 75 percent of men experience retrograde ejaculation after TURP, according to Harvard Medical School. This means that semen released during orgasm enters the bladder rather than exiting the penis. Retrograde ejaculation is sometimes called dry orgasm. Its not harmful but can affect male fertility.
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Understanding The Anatomy Of The Prostate
Despite its importance, the prostate gland in an adult man is only about the size and shape of a walnut and weighs less than 1 ounce .
It is located below the bladder, above the pelvic floor muscles, and in front of the rectum.
The prostate reaches its mature size during puberty and will keep its walnut size until the man is in his late forties or early fifties. After this age, it slowly begins to enlarge.
The prostate, which surrounds the urethra, is made up of glandular, stromal tissue, and smooth muscles fused within a capsule.
Though the prostate gland is often referenced as a singular entity, it is actually made up of a number of tubular or saclike glands that secrete fluids into the urethra through the ejaculatory ducts.
The prostate is divided into three histologically and anatomically separate glandular areas: The transition zone, the central zone, and the peripheral zone.
Transition Zone This surrounds the part of the urethra that passes through the prostate . This zone only represents about 5 percent of the gland, but is the primary origination of benign prostatic hyperplasia, or enlarged prostate. That is, the transition zone is the region of the prostate that grows as men age.
Central Zone Making up quarter of the prostate, this area surrounds the transition zone, as well as the ejaculatory ducts that stretch from the seminal vesicles which produces the majority of the fluid of semen to the prostatic region of the urethra.
Talk With Dr Steven Gange
With all of these conflicting and complicated circumstances, it is always best to consult with your doctor if you are experiencing BPH especially with sexual side effects.
Trust Dr. Gange to determine which treatment will be best for all of the symptoms you are experiencing. Call 993-1800, or request an appointment online, to schedule a visit.
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Treating Zinc Deficiency And Low Testosterone For Prostate Health
Supplemental zinc usage for six weeks has been shown to improve the level of testosterone in men dealing with Low T. Adults should restrict their dosage of supplemental zinc to under 40 milligrams each day. The recommended daily allowance for men is between 10 and 12 mg per day.
One small, 19-person study on zinc deficiency and prostate enlargement by Dr. Irving Bush, at the Center for Study of Genitourinary Disease in West Dundee IL, found that 14 of the men experienced prostate shrinkage after taking 150 milligrams of zinc sulfate every day for two months. Their dosage was subsequently lowered to between 50 and 100 milligrams every day for maintenance. This level of treatment should be used under the supervision of a doctor.
Ultimately, the best way to raise zinc levels is through dietary changes. The following food sources are high in zinc:
- Pumpkin seeds, raw the number one option consume one to four ounces each day
- Brown rice
- Beans
- Green tea
It is crucial to monitor zinc levels because too much can depress immune system functions. Any form of enlarged prostate zinc treatment should be supervised by a specialist. Many men turn to hormone replacement therapy doctors at this time to explore the need for testosterone replacement treatment in addition to working to increase their zinc levels either through diet or supplementation.
Aim For Regularity For The Prostates Sake
The first step to relieving constipation is to improve your diet. Ideally, avoid processed foods high in sugar, salt, saturated or trans fats, and basically any foods that are difficult to digest or eliminate.
Drink a lot of water and avoid coffee and soft drinks.
Adopt a fibre-rich diet:
- Green vegetables , especially broccoli, kale, spinach and leek
- Dried fruits, including prunes, raisins, figs, mangoes and dates
- Prune juice
- Whole grains: in bread, breakfast cereals and pasta. Plain oatmeal is an excellent choice for breakfast. Wheat, which is ubiquitous, can be replaced by quinoa or millet to good effect.
- Choose whole-grain rice instead of white rice.
- Flax seed doesnt look like much, but when taken with water, its mucilage content helps clear the intestines. It also comes in the form of a laxative supplement.
- Beets ahoy! Delicious, rich in fibre and vitamins, beets help relieve constipation.
Be good to your intestinal flora. Because it plays a vital role in the digestive process, it is important to foster the growth of the good intestinal bacteria that make up the flora to prevent and relieve constipation. Prebiotic foods like onions, Jerusalem artichokes, asparagus, chicory, garlic and bananas nourish these good bacteria. Theres nothing too exotic about it. Using Molkosan whey extract is another way to create an environment whose pH fosters the growth of good bacteria. Thats how Molkosan promotes regularity.
Reference:
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The Link Between Bph And Sexual Problems
Men with BPH have an enlarged prostate the gland that surrounds the tube that carries urine. Symptoms include:
- Often feeling like you need to urinate
- Trouble starting and stopping urination
- Weak stream of urine
The symptoms may wake you up at night.
Having an enlarged prostate can complicate your sex life in many ways. And instead of curing them,
the conventional ways of treating prostate disease like surgery and drugs make your sexual problems worse.
Before you seek medical treatment for your enlarged prostate, be aware of the following six potential
side effects on your sexual health.
Scientists arent sure why, but they agree that the worse your BPH symptoms are, the more likely youll
have sexual issues such as: 6 Different Ways Enlarged Prostate Affect Your Sex Life
How Can An Enlarged Prostate Be Treated
Medical treatment for BPH focuses on addressing both its urinary and sexual manifestations. Alleviating or eliminating the urinary symptoms in men with mild to moderate BPH might be accomplished through the use of various medications. However, in those with more severe presentations producing potentially dangerous symptoms like urinary retention, a surgical procedure known as Transurethral Resection Of The Prostate may be recommended.
The use of medications to reduce the sexual manifestations associated with BPH have met with mixed results. Drugs commonly used to treat erectile dysfunction have been prescribed to men diagnosed with BPH. Studies involving some of these well-known preparations have been conducted and concluded that some men with BPH experienced an improvement in sexual performance. However, it is important to note that these investigations only examined the effects of these medications over short periods. Therefore, the effectiveness of these drugs over the long haul are not known.
Medications specifically prescribed to address BPH have been found to produce sexually counterproductive symptoms like erectile dysfunction, decreased ejaculation and problems with sperm count, strength and motility . TURP has produced retrograde ejaculation in anywhere from one-half to three-quarters of the men who have undergone the procedure.
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What Are The Symptomatic Effects Of Enlarged Prostate
An enlarged prostate pushes against both the bladder and urethra. This complication often might precipitate several urinary tract symptoms such as frequent urination, an uneasy feeling of always having to urinate, an inconsistent, unsteady stream of urine flow, urination difficulties, a painful or burning sensation while urinating, blood in the urine and frequent nighttime urination. In addition, men stricken with BPH may be at greater risk of developing urinary tract infections, urinary incontinence and bladder or kidney damage. Arguably the most uncomfortable and potentially life-altering problems associated with BPH are the sexual side effects. Such manifestations include:
Diagnosing Benign Prostate Enlargement
To find out whether your prostate gland is enlarged, you’ll need to have a few tests.
Some tests will be carried out by your GP and others will be carried out by a urologist .
First, your GP will ask about your symptoms. If it seems that you have symptoms of benign prostate enlargement, the next stage is to calculate your International Prostate Symptom Score .
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Prostate Specific Antigen Testing
Prostate Specific Antigen is a protein made by the cells in your prostate. Your PSA levels can be measured using a blood test and give an indication of your prostate health.
A PSA test isnt a test for cancer. Higher levels of PSA might indicate prostate cancer, but a high reading could also be caused by other conditions. It is also possible to have low level readings and have prostate cancer. This means that a PSA test isnt enough to definitively diagnose or rule out prostate cancer. Your PSA levels can vary, so your doctor might run this test a few times to compare your results and help determine your risk of prostate cancer.
What The Research Says
Steps to reduce cancer risk often include a lot of things you shouldnt do. So, it may be welcoming news to learn that something many men find pleasurable may help reduce your risk of prostate cancer.
Researchers dont understand exactly why frequent ejaculation might provide protection against prostate cancer. One theory is that ejaculation rids the prostate gland of cancer-causing materials, infection, and matter that can cause inflammation.
Despite strong evidence in favor of frequent ejaculation, the theory remains controversial. And there are . The greatest controversy regarding these studies is about the age when ejaculation occurs.
A 2008 determined that men were more likely to develop prostate cancer if they were very sexually active in their twenties and thirties. The study also found no conclusive evidence that masturbation provide greater risk than intercourse.
Prostate cancer is the second most common kind of cancer men get. Skin cancer is the most common cancer. In the United States, one in seven men will get prostate cancer at some point in their life.
The following factors affect your risk of getting prostate cancer:
You may also have an increased risk if youve had sex with 30 or more women or if youve had a sexually transmitted disease. This may be because of your sexual habits. Alternately, it could be that you have a stronger sex drive due to higher levels of male hormones, which can be a risk factor.
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What Is Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia
As you get older, your body suffers some changes, one of them being the prostate enlargement. The prostate is a walnut-sized gland located between the bladder and the penis. It surrounds part of the urethra, the tube that carries urine and semen out of your penis. The prostate secretes a fluid that nourishes and protects sperm. During ejaculation, the prostate squeezes this fluid into the urethra and its expelled with sperm as semen.
The enlargement of the prostate represents a natural part of ageing, but in some points, it can lead to a condition called BPH. BPH is a non-malignant disease. This means that it is not cancer and it does not cause nor lead to cancer.
What Is Your Prostate And What Does It Do
Your prostate is a small gland that lives inside your body, just below your bladder. It sits around the urethra, which is the tube that carries pee from your bladder through your penis. Only men have a prostate.
Your prostate produces some of the fluids contained in your semen, the liquid that transports sperm. This liquid contains special enzymes and hormones that help your sperm cells function properly, which means the prostate plays a key part in your fertility. The muscles in your prostate also help push semen through your urethra when you ejaculate.
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Coping With Infertility After Prostate Surgery
The prostate is one of the only organs in a males body that never stops growing. This growth is slow and continual throughout your life and many doctors dont fully understand why it happens. In some instances, the prostate grows larger than your body can accommodate, and the result is benign prostatic hyperplasia or enlarged prostate. While this isnt life threatening, it can lead to an array of uncomfortable symptoms. There are treatment options for benign prostatic hyperplasia, with the most invasive being surgery. Some men will also develop prostate cancer during their lives. While prostate cancer has one of the highest curability rates, it needs to be diagnosed early so that surgery can eradicate the cancer completely. Regardless of why you need prostate surgery, certain instances can lead to problems such as infertility. In this article, well explore everything you need to know about the prostate and how to cope with infertility after prostate surgery.
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What Are The 5 Early Warning Signs Of Prostate Cancer
The following are some early symptoms of prostate cancer:
- During urination, there is a burning sensation or discomfort.
- Urination difficulty, or difficulty starting and stopping while urinating.
- Urge to urinate more often at night.
- Inability to contain ones bladder.
- The flow or velocity of the urine stream has decreased.
- Urine with blood
- Semen with blood.
Could A Low Sperm Count Mean More Than Fertility Problems
Libby Mitchell
What does a decrease in sperm count mean for men? Thats the question many are asking after a recent study found that sperm counts appear to have dropped by more than half in the past 40 years in the western world. I dont think its the end of the human race, said James Hotaling, MD, a reproductive urologist with University of Utah Health. Even with a lower sperm count, a man can still be fertile. Its not like flipping a switch.
While decreased fertility is the first health concern people may associate with dropping sperm counts, it is not the only one. A decrease in sperm count could be associated with a number of different conditions including testicular cancer, prostate cancer, and some forms of leukemia. A low sperm count has also been linked to coronary artery disease in men, said Hotaling.
While the link between heart health and sperm count is well documented, it still is not clear what exactly causes it. It could be that men who are in overall poor health are more likely to have heart problems and decreased sperm counts. There could be environmental factors at play that are impacting both the cardiovascular and reproductive systems. Genetics could also be at play.
If a man has a familial history of heart disease he may be more at risk, said Hotaling. Same thing for decreased sperm count.
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