What Men And Women 35 And Older Must Know About Fertility Infertility And Getting Pregnant
The prostatic fluid mixes with sperm and fluid from the seminal vesicles which makes up the majority of semen and contains various other components, including the fructose that provides the main energy source for sperm outside of the body inside of the urethra.
Changes in the composition or secretion of the prostatic fluid affects the health and function of sperm, impacting male fertility. These changes may arise due to various health issues with the prostate.
Learn More About the Form and Function of the Prostate
What Are Prostate Cancer Treatment Side Effects
Some prostate cancer treatments can affect the bladder, erectile nerves and sphincter muscle, which controls urination. Potential problems include:
- Incontinence: Some men experience urinary incontinence. You may leak urine when you cough or laugh, or you may feel an urgent need to use the bathroom even when your bladder isnt full. This problem can improve over the first six to 12 months without treatment.
- Erectile dysfunction : Surgery, radiation and other treatments can damage the erectile nerves and affect your ability to get or maintain an erection. Some men regain erectile function within a year or two . In the meantime, medications like sildenafil or tadalafil can help by increasing blood flow to the penis.
- Infertility: Treatments can affect your ability to produce or ejaculate sperm, resulting in male infertility. If you think you might want children in the future, you can preserve sperm in a sperm bank before you start treatments. After treatments, you may undergo sperm extraction. This procedure involves removing sperm directly from testicular tissue and implanting it into a womans uterus.
Prostate Milking Vs Male Orgasm
Many people experience an orgasm from prostate milking, especially if they masturbate during it.
A person may not be able to distinguish between prostate fluid and ejaculated semen. Prostate fluid is one component of semen. When a male has an orgasm and ejaculates, sperm, prostate fluid, and other fluids present in the ejaculate.
Not all men ejaculate or have an orgasm during prostate milking. Masturbation and other forms of sexual contact make an ejaculation during the massage more likely.
Don’t Miss: Urinozinc Prostate Plus
What Are The Stages Of Prostate Cancer
Your healthcare provider uses the Gleason score and Grade Groups to stage prostate cancer based on its projected aggressiveness. To get this information, the pathologist:
- Assigns a grade to each type of cell in your sample. Cells are graded on a scale of three to five . Samples that test in the one to two range are considered normal tissue.
- Adds together the two most common grades to get your Gleason score .
- Uses the Gleason score to place you into a Grade Group ranging from one to five. A Gleason score of six puts you in Grade Group 1 . A score of nine or higher puts you in Grade Group five . Samples with a higher portion of more aggressive cells receive a higher Grade Group.
How Is A Turp Performed
The operation is performed under general or local anaesthesia. It is performed through a telescope passed up the pipe of the penis, and therefore there are no external cuts or scars. An electrical loop is used to cut away small parts of the central portion of the gland, until there is a wide cavity with no obstructing tissue. The pieces of the prostate are sent away to the pathologist for examination. When I have finished the operation, I pass a catheter in to the bladder, which drains the urine and helps to wash away any blood. This catheter stays in for 24-48 hours.
You May Like: Flomax Side Effects Ejaculation
Reasons For The Procedure
The goal of radical prostatectomy is to remove all prostate cancer. RP isused when the cancer is believed to be confined to the prostate gland.During the procedure, the prostate gland and some tissue around the gland,including the seminal vesicles, are removed. The seminal vesicles are thetwo sacs that connect to the vas deferens , and secrete semen.Other less common reasons for radical prostatectomy include:
-
Inability to completely empty the bladder
-
Recurrent bleeding from the prostate
-
Bladder stones with prostate enlargement
-
Very slow urination
-
Increased pressure on the ureters and kidneys from urinary retention
There may be other reasons for your doctor to recommend a prostatectomy.
What Does My Prostate Do
It is a small gland that is part of the male reproductive system. It’s supposed to be about the shape and size of a walnut.
It rests below your bladder and in front of your rectum. It surrounds part of the urethra, the tube in your penis that carries pee from your bladder.
The prostate helps make some of the fluid in semen, which carries sperm from your testicles when you ejaculate.
Also Check: Tamsulosin Dry Ejaculation
What Does The Prostate Gland Do And Why Is It Important
The prostate is responsible for producing prostatic fluid, which is full of enzymes, proteins, and minerals that are vital for the proper functioning of sperm.
During climax, smooth muscle fibers of the stroma contract, forcing the prostatic fluid through the ejaculatory ducts and into the urethra.
In the urethra, the prostatic fluid mixes with fluid from the seminal vesicle, sperm from the testes, and secretions from the bulbourethral gland, a pea-sized gland below the prostate.
In all, prostatic fluid makes up 20 to 30 percent of semen .
Aside from producing prostatic fluid, the prostate is responsible for closing up the urethra during ejaculation so that semen doesn’t enter the bladder. During urination, the muscles of the central zone close the prostate’s seminal ducts so that urine cannot enter the prostate.
Latest Men’s Health News
At the start, prostate cancer does not cause symptoms. As the cancer grows, you may have trouble urinating. Some men need to urinate often, especially at night. Others have pain or burning during urination, blood in the urine or semen, pain in the back, hips, or pelvis, and painful ejaculation.
To find out if these symptoms are caused by prostate cancer, your doctor will ask about your past medical problems and your family’s medical history. He or she will perform a physical exam. During the exam, your doctor will put a gloved finger into your rectum to feel your prostate for hard or lumpy areas.
Your doctor may also do a blood test to check the prostate-specific antigen level. PSA levels can be high in men with an enlarged prostate gland or with prostate cancer. You may also need an ultrasound exam that takes computer pictures of the prostate.
If tests show that you might have cancer, your doctor will want to confirm this with a biopsy. He or she will take out tiny pieces of the prostate to look for cancer cells. Your doctor may want to do a biopsy again to re-check the results.
Treatment for prostate cancer depends on whether cancer is in part or all of the prostate or if it has spread to other parts of the body. It also depends on your age and overall health. Talk with your doctor about the best treatment choice for you. You may want to ask another doctor for a second opinion.
Don’t Miss: Cialis For Prostatitis
Medications For Enlarged Prostate
There are two main classes of pharmaceuticals that work to alleviate enlarged prostate symptoms: alpha blockers and alpha reductase inhibitors
-
Alpha Blockers. Alpha blockers relax the smooth muscle around the bladder neck and within the urethra.
-
Inhibitors. Inhibitors stop the conversion of the male hormone testosterone to DHT to reduce the prostate’s size, eliminating blockage.
Dont be surprised if your physician prescribes a combination of the two medications, as they have been shown to work more effectively together than alone. The downside is that combination therapy may increase the likelihood of experiencing side effects from the medications. Be sure to work with your doctor to assess the benefits and costs before starting on combination therapy.
Learn The Function And Location Of The Prostate
The prostate is a gland found only in men. Understanding the location and function of the prostate is key to explaining symptoms of prostate cancer and other non-cancerous conditions that can effect the prostate function. The prostate is located just beneath the bladder, between the penis and rectum, The urethra tube runs out of the bladder, through the center of the prostate, then to the penis, providing the path for urination. In aid of reproduction, prostate muscles help to expel sperm from the body while secreting seminal fluids that protect and nourish the sperm. Incontinence or sexual dysfunction can sometimes be caused by prostate cancer and even treatment for prostate cancer.
The prostate cells produce an enzyme named Prostate Specific Antigen or PSA, found in a man’s blood. PSA is produced exclusively by prostate cells. Elevated levels of the PSA enzyme can be helpful in diagnosing issues with the prostate, like cancer or infection. These elevated levels of PSA can be detected with a simple blood test. For more information, visit our page on PSA.
The prostate cells produce an enzyme named Prostate Specific Antigen or PSA, found in a man’s blood. PSA is produced exclusively by prostate cells. Elevated levels of the PSA enzyme can be helpful in diagnosing issues with the prostate, like cancer or infection. These elevated levels of PSA can be detected with a simple blood test. For more information, visit our page on PSA.
Read Also: Is Cranberry Juice Good For Prostate Infection
Getting Ready For The Operation
If you smoke, try and cut down or preferably stop, as this reduces the risks of heart and chest complications during and after the operation. If you do not exercise regularly, try and do so for at least half an hour per day e.g. brisk walk or swimming.
You will be given a form to have routine pre operative blood tests and a urine test to exclude infection before your surgery if you have lost your a form please contact Dr Nathans rooms.
If you are on medication to thin the blood such as warfarin, aspirin, Plavix, Iscover, Brilinta, Pradaxa, Xarelto or supplements such as fish oils please let Dr Nathan know at least 2 weeks before surgery as these medications may need to be discontinued to prevent excessive bleeding at the time of surgery. You can continue to take your other medications as normal.
Speak to the anaesthetist about your anaesthetic
Home Care After Surgery
Removing extra prostate tissue should help you urinate more easily and less frequently. Still, it may take a few weeks for you to recover fully. Most men who have this surgery are back to their regular activities in six to eight weeks.
While you recover, you may have:
- an urgent need to urinate
- trouble controlling urination
- problems getting and keeping an erection
- small amounts of blood in your urine
These surgery side effects should subside in time. Tell your doctor if youre still having problems several weeks after surgery.
Recommended Reading: Does Enlarged Prostate Affect Ejaculation
With A Massager Strap
If youre playing with sex toys, you can really mix it up by playing with the different vibration settings, as well as pressure and depth.
- Pressure. Controlling pressure when using a toy is easier, especially when youre playing solo. Try pressing the toy against the prostate using more or less pressure till you find your sweet spot.
- Depth. Depth is another area where toys win out since reaching can make it hard to go deep, if thats what you crave. Try different sized anal toys or get a longer one that you can insert as deep as your bottom desires.
- Vibrations. You can buy prostate massagers that offer up multiple speed and pulse settings. Play with the different settings to find your preference. Up the vibes as you get closer to orgasm.
- Sensation. Some prostate massagers have an attached external stimulator to give your perineum some sweet lovin while the other end penetrates. Who doesnt love a hard worker?
Want a little more?
If your partner has a penis, you can kick things up a notch with penis-in-anus penetration. Prostate stimulation for you, penile stimulation for them and a happy ending for you both.
Different positions can make reaching and pleasuring the prostate easier. These positions work for external and internal prostate stimulation, alone and with a partner.
Who Can Do Prostate Milking
Anyone with a prostate may be able to milk it. Some people find the massage painful or unpleasant to perform on themselves. In this case, depending on the goal of the stimulation, a person may ask a partner or a healthcare provider to perform the massage.
The prostate is a walnut-sized organ inside the rectum and just under the bladder. It wraps around the urethra, which is the tube that drains urine from the bladder.
The prostate tends to get larger with age, making it easier to locate.
To find the prostate , a person can insert a lubricated finger into the rectum, then push slightly on the front wall of the rectum. They may feel a slight bulge.
It is also possible to stimulate the prostate less directly by pushing upward on the skin between the testicles and the rectum, an area called the perineum.
Because the prostate is so close to the bladder and urethra, intense prostate stimulation can cause the urge to urinate. Prostatitis and other prostate problems may also lead to more frequent urination.
First, a person should apply plenty of lubricant to a finger. Wearing gloves can make the insertion smoother, and it may also be a good idea because of hygiene concerns.
Gently insert the lubricated finger into the anus, slowly pushing on the front wall of the rectum. For most people, finding the prostate requires inserting the finger at least halfway in. Touching the prostate may produce an unusual or pleasurable sensation.
Read Also: Perineural Spread Of Tumor
Side View Of The Prostate
The prostate is a walnut-sized gland located between the bladder and the penis. The prostate is just in front of the rectum. The urethra runs through the center of the prostate, from the bladder to the penis, letting urine flow out of the body.
The prostate secretes fluid that nourishes and protects sperm. During ejaculation, the prostate squeezes this fluid into the urethra, and itâs expelled with sperm as semen.
The vasa deferentia bring sperm from the testes to the seminal vesicles. The seminal vesicles contribute fluid to semen during ejaculation.
What Is Prostate Cancer
This diagram shows the location of the prostate, in front of the rectum and just below the bladder.
This diagram shows the location of the prostate, in front of the rectum and just below the bladder.
Cancer is a disease in which cells in the body grow out of control. When cancer starts in the prostate, it is called prostate cancer. Not including skin cancer, prostate cancer is the most common cancer in American men.
Recommended Reading: Flomax No Ejaculation
How Do You Know If You Have Prostate Cancer
Because so many men dont experience any symptoms of prostate cancer, its even more important you see your doctor and regularly have your prostate checked.
You cant check your prostate yourself, it must be done by a doctor.
Prostate Cancer UK says you are at increased risk of developing prostate cancer if youre over the age of 50, if you have a family history of prostate cancer or if you are black.
You can use their risk checker online tool here.
How Does The Prostate Play A Role In Male Fertility
The prostate gland is essential for reproduction and male fertility due to the prostatic fluid it produces.
The components of the prostatic fluid ensure that sperm is healthy and is able to fertilize eggs. Prominent components of prostatic fluid include:
- The enzyme prostate-specific antigen , which thins or loosens up semen so that sperm can travel more freely
- Prostatic acid phosphatase, an enzyme that catalyzes the breakdown of energy-rich compounds present in seminal fluid and may also increase sperm’s motility
- Citric acid, which may help maintain osmotic-electrolytic equilibrium in semen
- Zinc, which is important for semen coagulation
- Spermine, which is ultimately responsible for semen’s unique odor and may play a role in sperm motility and helping sperm fertilize eggs, according to an article published in Endocrine Reviews.
- Prostatic inhibin, or prostatic secretory protein, a protein that plays a role in regulating cell growth
Additionally, prostatic fluid is alkaline , and research published in July 2015 in the journal PLoS One suggested that the pH level of sperm can play a role in reproduction, helping maintain the viability of sperm and successful fertilization.
Infertility may develop if there are changes to the composition or secretion of the prostatic fluid.
Don’t Miss: How Does Cialis Work For Bph
Other Surgical Procedures For Prostate Disease
Alternative surgical procedures to TURP include:
- open enucleative prostatectomy this involves making a cut in the abdomen to remove a very enlarged prostate. This is the least common form of surgery. The average hospital stay is seven to 10 days
- laser TURP a laser is used to remove prostate tissue from the middle part of the prostate, which has the advantage of less bleeding and therefore safer for people on anti-coagulation therapy for other problems, including coronary stents, heart valve or vascular disease
- transurethral incision of the prostate similar to TURP except that no prostate tissue is taken out. One to three cuts are made in the prostate near the bladder neck to release the ring of enlarged tissue and make a larger opening around the urinary tract
- UroLift® this technique is useful for men for whom medication has not been successful but their prostates are not so enlarged that they need a TURP. It involves the transurethral insertion of staples to separate the lobes of the prostate. It has minimal side effects and preserves ejaculatory and erectile function.