What An Enlarged Prostate Feels Like

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.

Locating The Prostate Externally

Once youre feeling frisky, press deeply in the area between the testicles and the anus, and try to find a lump thats about the size of a walnut but feels softer.

If you cant find it, no worries not everyone can feel it externally. Its still possible to stimulate the prostate with pressure on the perineum, although there are no guarantees that it will lead to an orgasm.

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Home Remedies For Swollen Prostate

Home remedies are also available for swelling of the prostate. These include:

• Saw palmetto extract This is an herbal preparation used to reduce the size of the prostate and prevent swelling for normal individuals. Saw palmetto also reduces symptoms associated with swollen prostate.
• Pygeum This is also an herbal preparation extracted from Prunus Africana bark.
• Others Other herbal preparations for swollen prostate include hypoxis rooperi, pumpkin seed, rye grass and stinging nettle. These herbal medications may control symptoms and do not have potential side-effects.

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What Other Problems Might An Enlarged Prostate Cause

A small number of men may find it difficult to empty their bladder properly this is called urine retention. If youve been diagnosed with an enlarged prostate, your doctor will look at your test results to see if youre at risk of urine retention. You may be more likely to get urine retention if:

• youre aged 70 or over
• your prostate is very large
• you have a raised prostate specific antigen level
• you have severe urinary symptoms and a very slow flow.

Chronic urine retention

This is where you cant empty your bladder fully, but can still urinate a little. It usually develops slowly over time. Chronic means long-lasting. The first signs often include a weak flow when you urinate, or leaking urine at night. You may feel that your abdomen is swollen, or that youre not emptying your bladder fully.

Chronic urine retention is usually painless. But the pressure of the urine can slowly stretch your bladder muscle and make it weaker. This can cause urine to be left behind in the bladder when you urinate. If you dont empty your bladder fully, you might get a urine infection, need to urinate more often, leak urine at night, or get painful bladder stones. You might also see some blood in your urine. Chronic urine retention can damage your bladder and kidneys if it isnt treated.

There are treatments for chronic urine retention, including:

• passing a thin, flexible tube called a catheter to drain urine from your bladder
• surgery to widen the urethra.

Acute urine retention

Are Prostatitis And Bph The Same Prostate Gland Problem

The answer to this question is yes and no, because both may have some similar health symptoms , but each prostate problem have different causes. Yes, BPH is by definition an enlarged prostate, and no, because the cause is not an infection/inflammation like prostatitis. However, not all enlarged prostates are due to BPH. An enlarged prostate may be caused by BPH, prostatitis, and prostate cancer.

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Is An Enlarged Prostate A Serious Medical Condition

Frequent urination, feeling you always have to go, weak stream, dribbling, and waking up in the middle of the night are all symptoms of an enlarged prostate. Benign prostatic hyperplasia , or enlarged prostate, is more common than most men realize. And without treatment, it could lead to a more permanent condition. Urologist Dr. Stephen Summers talks about what BPH symptoms to look out for and why treatment is so important.

Interviewer: Frequent urination, the feeling that you always need to go to the bathroom, a weak stream dribbling, waking up in the night to go to the bathroom could all be the symptoms of an enlarged prostate. It’s called benign prostatic hyperplasia, or an enlarged prostate, and it’s more common than a lot of men realize.

Dr. Stephen Summers is a urologist at University of Utah Health and he’s going to give us the information we need to help you if you’re suffering from any of those symptoms.

So the first question that I do want to ask has nothing to do with the symptoms, but it has to do with a kind of a misconception. Is an enlarged prostate and prostate cancer the same?

Dr. Summers: No, they’re not. It’s interesting because I get this question frequently and a lot of men come to me with concern for possible prostate cancer with some of those urinary symptoms you were just talking about.

Interviewer: Wow, that is a reason to get that thing looked at, isn’t it?

Dr. Summers: That’s certainly true.

Dr. Summers: It does.

How Is Bph Diagnosed And Evaluated

Early diagnosis of BPH is important because if left untreated it can lead to urinary tract infections, bladder or kidney damage, bladder stones and incontinence. Distinguishing BPH from more serious diseases like prostate cancer is important.

Tests vary from patient to patient, but the following are the most common:

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Can Hemorrhoids Affect Your Prostatitis

The blood vessels, nerves and lymph vessels of the prostate and anorectum are linked. Prostate and anorectal arteries are branches of the inferior rectal artery. Prostate vein clump and hemorrhoid venous plexus are consistent with each other, and then feed into the superior rectal vein. Not only that, the lymphatic vessels and nerve of the prostate and anorectum are connected with each other. Therefore, the incidence, etiology, pathogenesis, pathological process and clinical symptoms are very similar. Prostatitis patients also have the symptoms of urinary frequency, urgency, and often accompanied by the anus mouth discomfort, tingling, tenesmus and endless defecate or bleeding symptoms. Although the possibility is not big for man, all these may become the reason that hemorrhoids may causes prostatitis.

Both of hemorrhoids and prostatitis bloods are supplied by the rectal artery, and go into the same note inferior rectal veins. Thus, hemorrhoids and prostatitis might influence each other. Pathogens may spread through the blood and lymph vessels because of the interaction between nerve. Thats why hemorrhoids might cause prostatitis. For the prostatitis, patients can take diuretic and anti-inflammatory pill, which is a kind of pure natural medicine, and has no side effect. By the way, please pay attention that if the hemorrhoids are blooding, please do not eat this pill, for it has the function of activating blood circulation.

What Are The Signs And Symptoms Of An Enlarged Prostate

An enlarged prostate is the most common cause of urinary problems in men as they get older. Possible symptoms include:

• a weak flow when you urinate
• a feeling that your bladder hasnt emptied properly
• difficulty starting to urinate
• dribbling urine after you finish urinating
• needing to urinate more often, especially at night
• a sudden urge to urinate you may sometimes leak before you get to the toilet.

You may not get all of these symptoms, and some men with an enlarged prostate dont get any symptoms at all. These symptoms can also be caused by other things, such as cold weather, anxiety, other health problems, lifestyle factors, and some medicines. Blood in your urine may be a symptom of an enlarged prostate. But this is rare and is usually caused by something else.

If you have any of the symptoms above, you should visit your GP to find out what may be causing them.

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Surgical Treatment For Enlarged Prostate

• 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.

• Open prostatectomy .The surgeon makes an incision and removes the enlarged tissue from the prostate.

• Laser surgery –Laser surgery uses laser energy to destroy prostate tissue and shrink the prostate.

• 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 prostate’s pressure on the urethra, making urination easier.

What Does Rectal Exam Feel Like

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. In this regard, what do you feel during rectal exam?

To start the exam, the doctor will gently insert a lubricated, gloved finger into your rectum. The doctor will then determine the size of the prostate and feel for bumps, soft or hard spots, or other abnormalities. The doctor will also examine the wall of the lower colon/rectum. For women.

Subsequently, question is, what does a rectal exam consist of? The digital rectal exam is a physical examination of the rectum, the last few inches of the bowel, just above the anus. The doctor uses a gloved and lubricated finger to check for abnormalities of the anus and rectum.

In this way, is a rectal exam painful?

Men may feel some discomfort or pain during a digital rectal exam . The examination may be painful if the prostate gland is swollen or irritated. Most women do not find a DRE painful. You may feel some pressure or discomfort when your doctor presses on your belly to feel the internal organs.

What does a prostate exam feel like?

Your health care provider will insert a gloved finger into the rectum and feel the prostate for hard, lumpy, or abnormal areas. The test takes only a few minutes to complete. You may feel slight, momentary discomfort during the test. The procedure does not cause significant pain or any damage to the prostate.

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How Can I Tell The Difference Between Prostatitis And Bph

If you do not have any symptoms of BPH or any of the types of prostatitis, which can be the situation for some men, you may not be able to tell if you have either problem. However, a doctor or other health care professional can detect enlargement of the prostate with a digital rectal exam , even if you dont have any symptoms.

If you do have symptoms, they are related to the increase in size of your prostate gland. When the gland enlarges, it can constrict the urethra and produce one or more of these symptoms.

• The need to urinate frequently during the day or night
• The sudden urgent need to urinate
• Difficulty initiating urinary stream
• Feeling like you still need to urinate even though you recently urinated
• Feeling like you need to push or strain to empty your bladder
• A decrease in the force of the urine stream
• Loss of small amounts of urine

The symptoms of prostatitis depend upon the type of prostatitis.

Acute bacterial prostatitis symptoms

• Erectile dysfunction

Asymptomatic inflammatory prostatitis

Some men may have some of these symptoms with both BPH and prostatitis. If you are over age 50, it is more likely BPH than prostatitis, and if you are under age 35, acute bacterial prostatitis is more likely than BPH. In some patients, prostatitis may be recurrent .

Personal And Family Medical History

Taking a personal and family medical history is one of the first things a health care provider may do to help diagnose benign prostatic hyperplasia. A health care provider may ask a man

• what symptoms are present
• when the symptoms began and how often they occur
• whether he has a history of recurrent UTIs
• what medications he takes, both prescription and over the counter
• how much liquid he typically drinks each day
• whether he consumes caffeine and alcohol
• about his general medical history, including any significant illnesses or surgeries

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Causes Of Swollen Prostate

There are vast causes of swelling of the prostate. These include:

• Benign prostatic hypertrophy or hyperplasia As discussed earlier, the occurrence of BPH is a significant cause of swelling of the prostate. The increase in size and the increase in cells usually mimic swelling of the prostate. Benign prostatic hyperplasia results from an increase in the dihydrotestosterone levels, a metabolite of testosterone. The presence of high levels of dihydrotestosterone acts in the stromal cells of the prostate leading to activation of growth factors that causes increase in the size of the prostate. Men with high testosterone levels, for example, hairy men, may experience BPH when they get old.
• Prostatitis Prostatitis is the inflammation of the prostate gland that results from possible infection. Presence of unmanaged urinary tract infection may spread in the prostate and cause infection in the area. The swelling that results from the infection also causes similar affectation of the urinary tract.
• Exogenous testosterone therapy Similar to the mechanism of BPH, exogenous testosterone leads to increased circulating dihydrotestosterone as a metabolite.

How To Check Your Prostate

This article was co-authored by Robert Dhir, MD. Dr. Robert Dhir is a board certified Urologist, Urological Surgeon, and the Founder of HTX Urology in Houston, Texas. With over 10 years of experience, Dr. Dhirs expertise includes minimally-invasive treatments for enlarged prostate , kidney stone disease, surgical management of urological cancers, and mens health . His practice has been named a Center of Excellence for the UroLift procedure, and is a pioneer in non-surgical procedures for ED using his patented Wave Therapy. He earned his undergraduate and medical degrees from Georgetown University and was awarded honors in pre-medical studies, urology, orthopedics, and ophthalmology. Dr. Dhir served as chief resident during his urological surgical residency at University of Texas at Houston / MD Anderson Cancer Center in addition to completing his internship in general surgery. Dr. Dhir was voted Top Doctor in Urology for 2018 to 2019, one of the top three Best Rated Urologists in 2019 & 2020 for Houston Texas, and Texas Monthly has named him to the 2019 & 2020 Texas Super Doctors Rising Stars list.wikiHow marks an article as reader-approved once it receives enough positive feedback. This article has 11 testimonials from our readers, earning it our reader-approved status. This article has been viewed 1,038,621 times.

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How The Prostate Changes As You Age

Because the prostate gland tends to grow larger with age, it may squeeze the urethra and cause problems in passing urine. Sometimes men in their 30s and 40s may begin to have these urinary symptoms and need medical attention. For others, symptoms aren’t noticed until much later in life. An infection or a tumor can also make the prostate larger. Be sure to tell your doctor if you have any of the urinary symptoms listed below.

Tell your doctor if you have these urinary symptoms:

• Are passing urine more during the day
• Have an urgent need to pass urine
• Have less urine flow
• Feel burning when you pass urine
• Need to get up many times during the night to pass urine

Growing older raises your risk of prostate problems. The three most common prostate problems are inflammation , enlarged prostate , and prostate cancer.

One change does not lead to another. For example, having prostatitis or an enlarged prostate does not increase your risk of prostate cancer. It is also possible for you to have more than one condition at the same time.

What Causes Prostatitis

The causes of prostatitis differ depending on the type.

Chronic prostatitis or chronic pelvic pain syndrome. The exact cause of chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome is unknown. Researchers believe a microorganism, though not a bacterial infection, may cause the condition. This type of prostatitis may relate to chemicals in the urine, the immune systems response to a previous urinary tract infection , or nerve damage in the pelvic area.

Acute and chronic bacterial prostatitis. A bacterial infection of the prostate causes bacterial prostatitis. The acute type happens suddenly and lasts a short time, while the chronic type develops slowly and lasts a long time, often years. The infection may occur when bacteria travel from the urethra into the prostate.

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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.

What Causes Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia

The cause of benign prostatic hyperplasia is not well understood however, it occurs mainly in older men. Benign prostatic hyperplasia does not develop in men whose testicles were removed before puberty. For this reason, some researchers believe factors related to aging and the testicles may cause benign prostatic hyperplasia.

Throughout their lives, men produce testosterone, a male hormone, and small amounts of estrogen, a female hormone. As men age, the amount of active testosterone in their blood decreases, which leaves a higher proportion of estrogen. Scientific studies have suggested that benign prostatic hyperplasia may occur because the higher proportion of estrogen within the prostate increases the activity of substances that promote prostate cell growth.

Another theory focuses on dihydrotestosterone , a male hormone that plays a role in prostate development and growth. Some research has indicated that even with a drop in blood testosterone levels, older men continue to produce and accumulate high levels of DHT in the prostate. This accumulation of DHT may encourage prostate cells to continue to grow. Scientists have noted that men who do not produce DHT do not develop benign prostatic hyperplasia.

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