What Are Benign Prostate Conditions
The prostate gland lies underneath the bladder and in front of the rectum deep in the male pelvis. It surrounds the urethra, the tube that transports urine from the bladder. The prostate is normally the size of a walnut and functions to secrete fluid that nourishes sperm. Common benign conditions that can affect the prostate gland are benign prostatic hyperplasia and prostatitis.
When To Contact A Medical Professional
- Less urine than usual
- Back, side, or abdominal pain
- Blood or pus in your urine
Also call if:
- Your bladder does not feel completely empty after you urinate.
- You take medicines that may cause urinary problems, such as diuretics, antihistamines, antidepressants, or sedatives. DO NOT stop or change your medicines without talking to your provider.
- You have tried self-care steps for 2 months and symptoms have not improved.
Causes Of Rectal Discomfort
The causes of vague rectal discomfort may overlap with the causes of itching, pain, burning sensations, and rectal bleeding. In the majority of cases, the causes of rectal discomfort are mild conditions that can be readily treated. Changes in diet and other lifestyle measures may also help in preventing rectal discomfort.
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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.
Can An Enlarged Prostate Cause Testicle Pain
4.1/5causetesticular paincancausedenlarged prostatetesticleread here
Prostatitis is pain and swelling, inflammation, or both of the prostate gland. The cause is sometimes a bacterial infection. Pain can occur in the area between the scrotum and anus or in the lower back, penis, or testes.
Additionally, where do you feel prostate pain? It can cause pain in the lower back, in the groin area, or at the tip of the penis. Men with this problem often have painful ejaculation. They may feel the need to urinate frequently, but pass only a small amount of urine.
Besides, can an enlarged prostate cause pain in the groin?
Prostatitis is swelling and inflammation of the prostate gland, a walnut-sized gland situated directly below the bladder in men. Prostatitis often causes painful or difficult urination. Other symptoms include pain in the groin, pelvic area or genitals and sometimes flu-like symptoms.
Can enlarged prostate cause burning sensation?
Some symptoms of BPH are not as common, and they could signal that your condition is more complicated or advanced. Those signs include: Burning or pain when you pee. Blood in your urine.
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Is It Prostatitis Or Bph
The prostate is part of the male reproductive system. The main job of this walnut-shaped gland is to add fluid to semen. The prostate is just below the urinary bladder, and it surrounds the most upstream portion of the urethra. The urethra is the tube that carries urine from the bladder to the opening at the end of the penis.
Prostatitis refers to inflammation of the prostate. It can be caused by a traumatic injury to the prostate or by bacteria that got into the prostate from urine or during sex.
Prostatitis can be acute or chronic. Acute prostatitis tends to start quickly. Chronic prostatitis tends to last or come and go over a longer period of time.
An inflamed prostate without any symptoms is called asymptomatic prostatitis. This condition is often discovered when diagnosing something else.
BPH causes a person to have an enlarged prostate. This condition becomes more common as men age. As the prostate enlarges, it squeezes and blocks the urethra, making it hard to empty the bladder completely.
More Information About Prostatitis
The following is an English-language resource that may be useful. Please note that THE MANUAL is not responsible for the content of this resource.
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Prostatitis Foundation: This organization provides access to relevant publications , patient testimonials, a list of providers who treat prostatitis in the United States and the United Kingdom, and access to third-party prostatitis-based web sites in French, Swedish, and Italian.
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How Do I Empty My Bladder With An Enlarged Prostate
Go with the FlowKeep yourself active. Lack of physical activity can make you retain urine. Do Kegel exercises. Stand at or sit on the toilet and contract the muscle that allows you to stop and start the flow of pee. Meditate. Nervousness and tension cause some men to urinate more often. Try double voiding.Sep 6, 2019
When To See A Doctor
See your primary care provider if youre having pain, burning, or trouble urinating. They may refer you to a urologist, a doctor who treats urinary health disorders in both men and women. This specialist also treats issues of the male genital system, including prostate problems.
During the exam, the doctor may insert a gloved, lubricated finger into your rectum. This test is called a digital rectal exam . It helps your doctor feel if part of your prostate is swollen or enlarged.
During the DRE, your doctor may massage your prostate to cause fluid from the prostate to be secreted into your urine in order to check for a cause of prostatitis, such as an infection. They may also test your blood, semen, and urine.
Your doctor may order an ultrasound, which is a scan that uses sound waves to create a picture of your prostate. They may also perform urodynamic tests, which measure your ability to empty your bladder.
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What Is Bph And How Does It Affect Me
The prostate gland surrounds the urethra and assists in reproduction. As a man ages, the prostate gets larger and begins to put pressure on the bladder and urethra, causing uncomfortable symptoms. It may be responsible for blocking the flow of urine out of the bladder, and can cause issues in the bladder, urinary tract, or kidneys.
Diagnosis Of An Enlarged Prostate
In order to establish the possible underlying causes for an enlarged prostate, doctors will perform a variety of tests.
Tests which are commonly used to find the cause of an enlarged prostate include:
- A digital rectal exam. A physician or nurse will insert a gloved finger into the patientâs rectum to digitally examine the prostate for swelling and/or enlargement.
- Swab tests for urethral discharge or urine. To determine underlying conditions such as STIs/STDs and urinary tract infections. A swab of discharge or urine is taken and sent to a medical laboratory for culturing, so that any microorganisms are identified.
- Urinalysis. A urine sample is sent to a medical laboratory for analysis and may be tested for urea nitrogen or creatinine, among other things.
- Blood tests. A sample of blood is sent to a medical laboratory for analysis, which may include tests for creatinine or blood urea nitrogen, as well as antibodies and infectious agents.
- Prostate-specific antigen test. A blood sample is sent to a medical laboratory to be tested for prostate-specific antigen , an enzyme produced by cells in the prostate. A change in PSA levels can indicate that there is a problem with the prostate.
If patients are referred to a urologist, they may have further tests, including:
Before referring the patient for tests, the physician may also ask questions in order to determine the possible causes of the discomfort, their severity, and their duration. Such questions may cover:
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Can Prostatitis Cause Back Pain
When you start to understand medicine, you realize that everything isnt always what it seems. We always have patients with uncommon signs and symptoms.
Pain is sometimes reported in areas apparently far from the problem area. This is because nerve terminals are very long and receive signals from a large extent. Organs do not have the same sensitivity as the skin, and it is sometimes challenging to locate the pain. Long nerves can also cause referred pain to an unrelated area.
But is prostatitis like that? Can you feel prostatitis outside of the immediate prostate gland area?
In this article, were exploring the topic of prostatitis symptoms with a particular emphasis on back pain. Is prostatitis a cause of back pain, and why? What medical and natural therapies are there to recover from prostatitis?
Prostate Problems Symptoms And Warning Signs
It’s common for men over the age of 50 to have prostate problems. The prostate gland produces semen. Common conditions that affect the gland are enlarged prostate , acute and chronic bacterial prostatitis, chronic non-bacterial prostatitis, and prostate cancer. Talk to your doctor if you think you may have problems urinating or pain with urination.
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How We Diagnose Prostatitis:
Prostatitis may be a clinical diagnosis, meaning it is presumed to be the causative issue even when no definitive findings are found. Our urologists may order/perform the following to diagnose prostatitis:
- History & Physical Exam
- Digital Rectal Exam: Inserting a gloved, lubricated, finger into the rectum to feel the prostate. The prostate may feel boggy and is usually more tender than normal in men with prostatitis.
- Urinalysis & Culture: Urine will almost always be positive for infection in men with bacterial prostatitis. However, because not all prostatitis is caused by bacteria, the urine may be negative for infection.
- Blood cultures/labs
- Transrectal ultrasound: An ultrasound probe is inserted into the rectum to visualize the prostate.
- Cystoscopy: A look at the prostate and bladder with a small camera inserted through the urethra.
- Urodynamics: A study used to exam the function of the bladder and help determine if there is an outflow obstruction.
How Does The Treatment For Bph Cause Erectile Dysfunction
Alpha-blockers
Alpha-blockers including alfuzosin, doxazosin, tamsulosin and silodosin relax smooth muscles, especially in the bladder neck and prostate which can improve urine flow. However, while they can be helpful in relieving BPH symptoms, in some patients they may also cause unwanted side effects such as impotence , dry orgasm , and a decrease in the production of seminal fluids.
5-alpha reductase inhibitors
Research has shown that men who take these drugs for an enlarged prostate could be at higher risk for sexual problems, especially erectile dysfunction , low libido, and trouble ejaculating.
5-alpha-reductase inhibitors represent a type of drug that is used to treat both BPH and androgenic alopecia . Two examples of 5-alpha-reductase inhibitors are dutasteride and finasteride. These drugs are considered safe and effective for these two conditions, but they could have sexual side effects.
In a study published in 2016 by the Journal of Sexual Medicine, Chinese researchers analysed seventeen studies on 5-alpha reductase inhibitors and sexual function. The study included almost 17,500 men with an average age of 60 years. About 55% of men were treated with 5-alpha-reductase inhibitors while the rest received placebo.
Another study performed by the researchers from the Boston University School of Medicine showed that ED associated with long term use of finasteride for the treatment of BPH appears to worsen.
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When To Seek Medical Care
A person may have urinary symptoms unrelated to prostatitis that are caused by bladder problems, UTIs, or benign prostatic hyperplasia. Symptoms of prostatitis also can signal more serious conditions, including prostate cancer.
Men with symptoms of prostatitis should see a health care provider.
Men with the following symptoms should seek immediate medical care:
- complete inability to urinate
- great discomfort or pain in the lower abdomen and urinary tract
A Chicken And Egg Situation
Sadly, this is a chicken and egg situation. For men facing lower urinary tract symptoms of frequency, urgency, slow flow, and dribbling, the first-line treatment are alpha-blockers. They are known to relax the prostate to ease urine flow.
If medications do not work, doctors will try surgical methods starting with minimally invasive techniques. However, they may sometimes recommend removing the prostate altogether.
This is known as radical prostatectomy. Transurethral resection of the prostate is a surgical procedure that is known to relieve symptoms of BPH.
Men who have this procedure often experience sexual side-effects after surgery. According to the Harvard Medical School, between 50 to 75% of men who underwent TURP experienced retrograde and dry ejaculation.
Most men will experience relief of urinary problems. Some even experience improved blood pressure.
One of the complaints encountered by sufferers is retrograde ejaculation. This is caused by the easing of the prostatic sphincter, resulting in the semen going backward.
The operation to correct the BPH can either be carried out with TURP or laser done by simply coring out a cavity to allow a better flow of urine with minimal resistance.
The adverse effect of retrograde ejaculation is both undeniable and unavoidable. But the degree of compromise on erectile rigidity is still unclear and hotly debated.
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What Aggravates An Enlarged Prostate
Some foods to avoid include: Red meat: Research suggests that going red meat-free may help improve prostate health. In fact, daily meat consumption is believed to triple the risk of prostate enlargement. Dairy: Similarly to meat, regular consumption of dairy has been linked to an increased risk of BPH.
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Surgical Treatment For Enlarged Prostate
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Transurethral resection of the prostate . In this surgery, the inner portion of the prostate is removed. Used 90% of the time, this is the most commonly used surgical procedure for BPH.
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Open prostatectomy .The surgeon makes an incision and removes the enlarged tissue from the prostate.
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Laser surgery Laser surgery uses laser energy to destroy prostate tissue and shrink the prostate.
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Transurethral incision of the prostate .This surgery does not involve removing prostate tissue. A few small cuts are made in the prostate gland to reduce the prostates pressure on the urethra, making urination easier.
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Should I Be Concerned About An Enlarged Prostate
Posted on by Summit Urology Group
Benign prostatic hyperplasia or BPH is what is known as an enlarged prostate. It may sound scary, but should you be concerned about an enlarged prostate? This depends on your age, whether you are symptomatic, and how severe those symptoms are. Heres a bit more detail!
Risk Factors To Consider
There doesnt seem to be one major risk factor for prostate cancer. The single biggest risk factor is age. About 80 percent of cases appear in men over the age of 65. Its about 40 percent more common and about twice as deadly in African-American men compared to white men. Environmental factors such as where a person lives, a high-fat or high-calorie diet, and sedentary lifestyle also increase the risk.
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See Your Doctor If You Have Symptoms
If you cant urinate at all, you should get medical help right away. Sometimes this problem happens suddenly to men after they take certain cold or allergy medicines.
You should see your doctor if you have one or more of these symptoms:
- a weak urine stream
- unable to empty your bladder completely
- urinating eight or more times a day
- urine that has an unusual color or smell
- waking often to urinate when you sleep
Can I Prevent Prostatitis
Prostatitis is a condition that causes your prostate gland to become swollen, tender, and inflamed. It can be quite painful, especially when you pee or ejaculate . The most common locations of pain were the perineum , testes , suprapubic area , and penis
Doctors arenât always sure what causes prostatitis. Common causes vary depending on whether it is acute vs. chronic and/or infectious vs inflammation. Sometimes, an infection in your urinary tract is to blame. Other times, itâs due to an injury or nerve damage. In many cases, doctors never find the cause.
Because of that, treatment for prostatitis can be a challenge. For some men, it can take months or even years to recover.
Thereâs no sure way to prevent getting this condition, but many small lifestyle changes can help keep your prostate gland healthy. They may also help to lower your risk of prostatitis. If you already have problems with your prostate, try these tips to ease your symptoms and keep your issue from getting worse.
Have good hygiene. Keep your penis and the area around it clean to prevent infection.
Stand up when possible. When you sit for long periods, it puts pressure on your prostate gland and inflames it over time. Try to avoid long bike rides and sitting down for too long.
Eat more fruits and veggies. Theyâre high in nutrients that can keep your body healthy and help you fight off infections and inflammation.
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What Questions Should I Ask My Doctor
You may want to ask your healthcare provider:
- What type of prostatitis do I have?
- What is the best treatment for this type of prostatitis?
- What are the treatment risks and side effects?
- How can I avoid getting prostatitis again?
- What type of follow-up care do I need after treatment?
- Should I look out for signs of complications?
A note from Cleveland Clinic
Prostatitis is a common problem that affects many men. Unfortunately, theres a lot of confusion about the disease. People use the word prostatitis to describe four different conditions. There isnt a one-size-fits-all treatment for prostatitis, which is why an accurate diagnosis is so important.