Tuesday, April 23, 2024

What Does The Fluid Secreted From The Prostate Gland Do

Must read

Diagnosis Of Prostate Disease

What Is The Prostate And What Does It Do?

Prostate disease is diagnosed using a variety of tests, including:

  • physical examination, including digital rectal examination , where the doctor inserts a gloved finger into your rectum to check the size of your prostate
  • blood test for prostate specific antigen
  • mid-stream urine tests to look for infection or blood in the urine
  • ultrasound scans and urinary flow studies
  • biopsies of the prostate.

Prostate Cancer: Risk Factors Symptoms And Treatment

Aside from prostatitis and BPH, another common prostate issue is;prostate cancer.

Excluding;skin cancer, prostate cancer is the most common type of cancer among;American men, according to the American Cancer Society. About 1 in 9 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer during his lifetime.

The risk of developing prostate cancer is higher for men who are over age 65, are African-American, or have a family history of the disease.

Most often, prostate cancer develops slowly, but some men develop an aggressive form of the disease.

Early prostate cancer generally doesnt cause any symptoms. Symptoms generally develop as the disease progresses and include:

  • Urination issues
  • Numbness of the legs and feet
  • Loss of bladder or bowel control

Treatment For Prostate Disease

Treatment for prostatitis may include antibacterial drugs and supportive treatments, depending on the type of prostatitis.Treatment for BPH may include medications to relax the smooth muscle of the gland or to shrink the size of the prostate, and surgery to produce a permanently widened channel in the part of the urethra that passes through the prostate.Treatment for prostate cancer is tailored to suit individual circumstances. The nature of the cancer, other health problems the person may have, and their wishes will all be taken into account.Management approaches for prostate cancer include:

  • active surveillance
  • chemotherapy

Read Also: What Happens To The Prostate Later In Life

Blood And Lymphatic Vessels

The prostate receives blood through the inferior vesical artery, internal pudendal artery, and middle rectal arteries. These vessels enter the prostate on its outer posterior surface where it meets the bladder, and travel forward to the apex of the prostate. Both the inferior vesical and the middle rectal arteries often arise together directly from the internal iliac arteries. On entering the bladder, the inferior vesical artery splits into a urethral branch, supplying the urethral prostate; and a capsular branch, which travels around the capsule and has smaller branches which perforate into the prostate.

The veins of the prostate form a network the prostatic venous plexus, primarily around its front and outer surface. This network also receives blood from the deep dorsal vein of the penis, and is connected via branches to the vesical plexus and internal pudendal veins. Veins drain into the vesical and then internal iliac veins.

The lymphatic drainage of the prostate depends on the positioning of the area. Vessels surrounding the vas deferens, some of the vessels in the seminal vesicle, and a vessel from the posterior surface of the prostate drain into the external iliac lymph nodes. Some of the seminal vesicle vessels, prostatic vessels, and vessels from the anterior prostate drain into internal iliac lymph nodes. Vessels of the prostate itself also drain into the obturator and sacral lymph nodes.

  • Microscopic glands of the prostate

Diagnosis Of Enlarged Prostate Gland And Urinary Problems

The prostate gland  Prostap DCS

If you are troubled by urination problems, see a doctor no matter what your age. If your doctor agrees that your symptoms need further evaluation and treatment, you may need to undergo a few tests.These may include:

  • general examination medical history and review of any health conditions including obesity, diabetes, obstructive sleep apnoea, depression and erectile dysfunction. A rectal examination may be done to check the size and shape of your prostate gland
  • a urine check to ensure the prostate is not infected
  • a flow-rate check to estimate the speed with which you pass urine
  • an ultrasound examination to assess if the bladder is emptying completely and to examine your kidneys
  • urodynamics a series of tests on the bladder to see how your urinary system is functioning may be recommended in some circumstances.

You May Like: Enlarged Prostate Sexuality

Read Also: What Is Perineural Invasion In Prostate Cancer

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.

Read Also: External Prostate Massage For Prostatitis

Why People Do It

The prostate is one of the male erogenous zones. An erogenous zone is a highly sensitive area of the body that may generate a sexual response when stimulated.

Prostate milking may be very pleasurable. Because the prostate plays a role in producing semen, stimulating it may produce a more intense orgasm during ejaculation.

Some people practice prostate milking because of its purported health benefits, rather than for sexual stimulation.

The primary benefit of prostate milking is that it feels good. It may make sex more pleasurable and enhance closeness between partners.

There is also limited evidence that prostate massage may improve prostate health. A 2009 preliminary trial of a home prostate massage device found that men with chronic prostatitis or benign prostatic hyperplasia experienced a reduction in symptoms following home prostate massage.

Prostate milking is not usually dangerous. However, a very aggressive technique could, in theory, cause minor injury to the skin or rectum.

Also, prostate massage, especially when it is intense or forceful, could be painful.

Prostate massage also presents a small risk of prostate infection. If a person massages the prostate with dirty hands, this could introduce bacteria into the area. Similarly, bacteria from the rectum can travel elsewhere if a person does not wash their hands thoroughly after a prostate massage.

Also Check: Perineural Invasion Present

Whats Involved In A Prostate Exam And When Is It Needed

Due to the location of the prostate , it is possible to feel the organ with a finger inserted into the rectum. The tissues of the stroma give the prostate an elastic feel to the touch.

Several prostate health issues may develop as a man ages,;in particular prostatitis , enlarged prostate , and prostate cancer.

A prostate exam, also known as a digital rectal exam, is a common procedure to help diagnose these issues.

For the exam, a doctor will insert a gloved, lubricated finger into your rectum while youâre standing, bending forward at the waist, or lying on your side with knees pulled up .

The doctor will feel your prostate to determine its size and look for bumps, hard spots, or other abnormalities that may be indicative of prostate cancer.

The prostate exam is not typically painful unless thereâs an abnormality within your prostate.

You May Like: Does Cialis Shrink An Enlarged Prostate

Problems With Enlarged Prostate Gland

The prostate gland, seminal vesicles and vas deferens

Benign enlargement of the prostate gland is more common as men get older. It can cause troublesome symptoms, although it doesnt always.

The urethra passes through the prostate gland, so men may have problems urinating if the enlarged gland restricts the flow of urine. If the flow stops completely, a catheter is required to empty the bladder. It is rare for this form of acute urinary retention to cause kidney damage.

An enlarged prostate doesnt always cause urinary problems. Studies indicate that the size of a mans prostate gland has little influence on the type or severity of his urination problems. BPH is just one possible cause of urinary symptoms.;

Another cause of urinary symptoms can be changes to the muscular wall of the bladder, which may cause spasms of the bladder or weaken the bladder, causing problems passing urine.

You May Like: Viagra Bph

Recognizing Symptoms Of Prostate Conditions

Men should not only wait for a digital rectal exam or a checkup at a doctor to be able to recognize the presence of prostate problems. It is important that men know what signs in their daily life could signal an issue with the prostate.

Since there are different conditions, the symptoms may differ. A few symptoms, such as urinary issues, are often shared among different conditions that affect the prostate gland.

Its Another Muscle That Needs Work

The prostate gland contains muscles that help in expelling the semen out of the penis during sexual intercourse. The prostate is a muscle-driven mechanism between urination and ejaculation.

This gland works by expelling the seminal fluid through a contraction. The semen is then forced outside and the ejaculation takes place.

Don’t Miss: Will Prostatitis Go Away On Its Own

What Are The External Male Reproductive Structures

Most of the male reproductive system is located outside of your abdominal cavity or pelvis. The external parts of the male reproductive system include the penis, the scrotum and the testicles.

Penis

The penis is the male organ for sexual intercourse. It has three parts:

  • The root: This is the part of the penis that attaches to the wall of your abdomen.
  • The body or shaft: Shaped like a tube or cylinder, the body of the penis is made up of three internal chambers. Inside these chambers theres a special, sponge-like erectile tissue that contains thousands of large spaces that fill with blood when youre sexually aroused. As the penis fills with blood, it becomes rigid and erect, which allows for penetration during sex. The skin of the penis is loose and elastic, allowing for changes in penis size during an erection.
  • The glans: This is the cone-shaped end of the penis. The glans, which is also called the head of the penis, is covered with a loose layer of skin called foreskin. This skin is sometimes removed in a procedure called circumcision.

The opening of the urethra the tube that transports both semen and urine out of the body is located at the tip of the glans penis. The penis also contains many sensitive nerve endings.

Semen, which contains sperm, is expelled through the end of the penis when a man reaches sexual climax . When the penis is erect, the flow of urine is blocked from the urethra, allowing only semen to be ejaculated at orgasm.

Scrotum

What Is Seminal Fluid

Prostate: Functions, diseases, and tests

Seminal fluid is the fluid emitted from the male reproductive tract. The semen contains sperm cells capable of fertilizing female eggs. It also consists of seminal plasma, i.e., other liquids that maintain the viability of sperm cells.

For centuries, scientists have been exploring seminal fluid to see how it works. The spermatozoa were first observed in ejaculate specimens in the 17th century. Until the discovery of ovum in 1827, the underlying mechanisms of human fertilization werent fully understood.

The interest in the development of technologies for seminal fluid analysis increased significantly in the early 1900s.

Scientists designed the standard methodologies for the seminal fluid analysis in the first half of the 20th century. Before the 1930s, the semen analysis was clinically unavailable. This was due to the lack of tools or methods that would test the characteristics of the sperm.

The development of methodologies offered valuable insight into the seminal fluid. They learned a lot about its functions and its relationship with mens health. Regardless of the available methodologies, the analysis of the seminal fluid is a controversial subject.

For instance, the analysis of the seminal fluid is the gold standard for evaluating sperm production and quality. But, it is a poor predictor of mens reproductive capacity. We will discuss the role of seminal fluid further in this post.

You May Like: External Prostate Massage Prostatitis

So What Does The Prostate Do

The prostate is not an essential organ for life, but its quite crucial for reproduction. It plays an active part in reproduction by secreting the prostatic fluid, which forms part of healthy semen the perfect environment for the transit and survival of sperm. Healthy semen includes the enzyme PSA , together with other substances secreted in the prostate and seminal vesicles, such as citrate, zinc and fructose, which supply sperm with the energy to travel to the egg. There are also various antibodies in semen to protect sperm and the urinary tract from bacteria and different pathogens.

What Are Seminal Vesicles And Prostate Glands

seminal vesiclessemenseminal glandprostate glandSeminal vesiclesemen

. Likewise, people ask, what is the difference between seminal vesicles and prostate gland?

The secretion of Seminal Vesicle is called as Seminal fluid and this constitutes 60% of the semen. The seminal vesicles also act as a transporting medium of the sperms. Prostate gland: It is located below the seminal vesicle round the urethra .

Additionally, what is the purpose of the seminal vesicles? The seminal vesicles are two small glands that store and produce the majority of the fluid that makes up semen. During ejaculation, the fluid from the seminal vesicles is expelled into the ejaculatory duct where it can then move on to mix with sperm and other reproductive fluids.

Just so, what is the role of secretion of seminal vesicles and prostate gland?

The prostate gland is a male reproductive organ whose main function is to secrete prostate fluid, one of the components of semen. Though prostate fluid is slightly acidic, another fluid in semen made by the seminal vesicles leaves semen slightly alkaline, or basic.

What type of cells do the seminal vesicles contain?

Seminal VesiclesThe epithelium is composed of pseudostratified columnar cells in the mouse and a simple columnar epithelium in the rat. The seminal vesicle fluid is a viscous secretion constituting 5080% of the ejaculate.

Don’t Miss: Is Turmeric Good For Prostate

How Does The Male Reproductive System Work

The male reproductive system:

  • releases semen into the reproductive system of the female during sexual intercourse
  • produces sex hormones, which help a boy develop into a sexually mature man during puberty

When a baby boy is born, he has all the parts of his reproductive system in place, but it isnt until puberty that he is able to reproduce. When puberty begins, usually between the ages of 9 and 15, the located near the brain secretes hormones that stimulate the testicles to produce testosterone. The production of testosterone brings about many physical changes.

Although the timing of these changes is different for every guy, the stages of puberty generally follow a set sequence:

  • During the first stage of male puberty, the scrotum and testes grow larger.
  • Next, the penis becomes longer and the seminal vesicles and prostate gland grow.
  • Hair begins to grow in the pubic area and later on the face and underarms. During this time, a boys voice also deepens.
  • Boys also have a growth spurt during puberty as they reach their adult height and weight.

Also Check: Prostate Cancer Ruined My Marriage

What Does The Prostate Gland Do

What Does the Prostate Gland Do – Dr Warren T. Hitt
  • What Does the Prostate Gland Do?
  • The prostate, found only in men, is a tiny, walnut-sized muscular gland in front of the rectum and just below the bladder. It surrounds the urethra, which transports urine to the penis from the bladder, and is essential for the normal functioning of the male genitourinary system. The prostate makes prostatic fluid, which forms a substantial portion of semen. During ejaculation the prostate contracts and closes off the opening between the urethra and bladder, ensuring that prostatic fluid squirts into the urethra and semen is pushed out at speed.

    You May Like: How To Massage A Man’s Prostate

    What Is The Prostate

    The prostate gland develops before birth and grows until puberty. Around puberty, androgens like testosterone stimulate the prostate to grow rapidly, until it is roughly the size of a walnut and weighs about an ounce. Very little prostate growth takes place after puberty until a male is in his mid-twenties. At this time, the prostate can grow at very low rates for the rest of a males life. The majority of prostate cancer cases are adenocarcinomas, meaning that the tissue cells that line the prostate gland itself grow uncontrollably and become cancerous.1-3

    What Happens To A Man When He Has His Prostate Removed

    Prostate is a male reproductory gland located anterior to the rectum and inferior to the bladder surrounding the urethra. It is involved in the secretion of prostate fluid that forms an important constituent of semen. It also works in the propulsion of seminal fluid into the urethra and also blocks the connection between the urethra and the bladder by contracting at the time of ejaculation. The prostatic fluid constitutes about one third of the total seminal fluid containing various enzymes of which PSA is of specific importance, not only in thinning of the seminal fluid and helping proper motility of the sperm, but also in the testing procedure for prostate related diseases, such as BPH .

    The location of prostate is such that, if the patient experiences BPH then it might lead to urethral compression causing difficulty in urination and leading to LUTS . Unfortunately, BPH is a common problem in adult men and the chances of BPH drastically increases after the age of 60 years. A growth in size of prostate is also a sign of prostatic cancer.

    Recommended Reading: What Is The Definition Of Prostate Gland

    Inflammation Of The Prostate Gland

    Bacteria sometimes cause prostatitis . More commonly, the underlying cause is uncertain. Consult your doctor promptly if you experience:

    • fever
    • pain in the groin
    • urgent and frequent urination.;

    Treatment with antibiotics is essential for acute bacterial prostatitis. Admission to hospital is often necessary and, as with chronic bacterial prostatitis, specific antibacterial drugs are required for a long time.;

    What Does Your Semen Say About Your Health

    Prostate Health

    Semen speaks a lot about a mans health, so you shouldnt ignore changes you notice. Healthy ejaculatory fluid is cloudy white or grey with a jelly-like consistency, which you can easily notice in coitus interruptus instances.

    In some men, semen may be yellowish. Normal semen usually has a bleach-like smell due to its pH value. Bear in mind that although its normal for semen to have the off-white appearance, pronounced yellow color may indicate the presence of infection like STD. The same applies to men with green semen.

    Brownish or red appearance of semen points to the burst of a blood vessel, and its not dangerous. You may notice improvements in a day or two. But if the problem persists you may want to consult a doctor.

    Some men may notice their orgasm is dry, i.e.; no semen is expelled at all despite strong sexual arousal. In young men, this is normal, but in older men who have undergone some treatments in the prostate area, it could be a sign of retrograde ejaculation. Problems such as seminal fluid hypersensitivity are very rare among men.

    The quality and function of seminal fluids and the genital tract depend greatly on your lifestyle. Unhealthy lifestyle choices such as junk food and other foods with little to no nutritional value can impair the pH balance of seminal fluid. Besides an unhealthy diet, other factors that deteriorate seminal fluid quality include a sedentary lifestyle, being overweight or obese, smoking, drinking alcohol.

    Read Also: What Is Perineural Invasion In Prostate Cancer

    More articles

    Popular Articles