The Link Between Heart Problems And Your Prostate
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Cancer prevention is top of mind for most people, but once you are diagnosed with heart disease, it might slip to the back of your mind. A new study suggests that men might want to consider their prostates if they have heart issuesbecause they are at greater risk for cancer.
In a large analysis of men participating in a prostate drug trial, researchers at Duke University found a significant link between coronary artery disease and prostate cancer. They believe the two conditions may have shared causes.
If confirmed that heart disease is a risk factor for prostate cancer, the tumor might be combated in part by lifestyle changes such as weight loss, exercise, and a healthy diet all known to prevent heart disease. Maybe natural remedies for the heart will do the prostate good, too!
Coronary artery disease kills more adults in the U.S. than any other cause, accounting for one in four deaths. Risk factors include inactivity, obesity, high blood pressure and cholesterol, cigarette smoking, and diabetes.
Similarly, prostate cancer is a common killer. Its the second-most lethal cancer for U.S. men, behind lung cancer, with about 240,000 new cases diagnosed a year, and 34,000 deaths. Previous studies exploring the relationship between coronary artery disease and prostate cancer risk have found conflicting results.
Signs And Symptoms Of Prostate Cancer
Most prostate cancers are found early, through screening. Early prostate cancer usually causes no symptoms. More advanced prostate cancers can sometimes cause symptoms, such as:
- Problems urinating, including a slow or weak urinary stream or the need to urinate more often, especially at night
- Blood in the urine or semen
- Trouble getting an erection
- Pain in the hips, back , chest , or other areas from cancer that has spread to bones
- Weakness or numbness in the legs or feet, or even loss of bladder or bowel control from cancer pressing on the spinal cord
Most of these problems are more likely to be caused by something other than prostate cancer. For example, trouble urinating is much more often caused by benign prostatic hyperplasia , a non-cancerous growth of the prostate. Still, its important to tell your health care provider if you have any of these symptoms so that the cause can be found and treated, if needed. Some men might need more tests to check for prostate cancer.
What Causes Abdominal Pain And Painful Urination In Women
Causes in females 1 Cystitis. Causes of abdominal pain and painful urination can include cystitis and pelvic inflammatory disease. 2 Interstitial cystitis. 3 Pelvic inflammatory disease Other symptoms may include painful sex, foul-smelling vaginal discharge, or irregular periods. 4 Endometrial cancer.
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How Is Enlarged Prostate Treated
Treatments for enlarged prostate include:
Lifestyle changes: These can include reducing liquid intake, bladder training , abstaining from alcohol and caffeinated beverages and regularly exercising the pelvic muscles.
Medication: A class of medication called Alpha Blockers works to relax muscle fibers in the prostate and bladder. This relaxation allows for increased urine flow and less frequent urination. A second class of medication, called Alpha Reductase Inhibitors, works to block the hormones that cause the prostate to swell. Many patients will take a combination of these two types of medication.
Minimally invasive procedures: Our specialists are trained in two minimally invasive procedures that can help remove or reduce the obstructing prostate tissue:
Surgery: For severe cases of a very enlarged prostate, surgical removal of the prostatecalled transurethral resection of the prostate may be the recommended course of action. Patients will decide with their doctor if aggressive treatment is warranted, depending on the size of the prostate and severity of symptoms.
Can An Enlarged Prostate Cause Epididymitis
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Herein, how do guys get epididymitis?
Gonorrhea and chlamydia are the most common causes of epididymitis in young, sexually active men. Other infections. Bacteria from a urinary tract or prostate infection might spread from the infected site to the epididymis. Also, viral infections, such as the mumps virus, can result in epididymitis.
Additionally, cAN A viruses cause epididymitis? Epididymitis is usually caused by an infection, either bacterial or viral. The most common cause of bacterial epididymitis in sexually active males is gonorrhea and chlamydia. Viruses that can cause this problem include mumps, coxsackie, echovirus and adenovirus.
Also to know, can a catheter cause epididymitis?
For them, epididymitis usually is caused by intestinal bacteria that have spread from the infected site. After surgery, testing or catheterization. Epididymitis may develop after surgery or a diagnostic test that involves the bladder or urethra. Or it may occur after a catheter has been inserted to collect urine.
Does ejaculating hurt epididymitis?
Signs of epididymitisA swollen, red or warm scrotum. Testicle pain and tenderness, usually on one side. A fever. Painful intercourse or ejaculation.
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How Will My Veterinarian Get These Samples
A free-flow urine sample iscollected . Samples of prostatic fluid are obtained by passing a urethral catheter to the level of the prostate and massaging the prostate to milk fluid out of it.
Samples of prostatic cells are obtained by fine needle aspiration or biopsy. If the prostate is greatly enlarged, it may be sampled by through the body wall by FNA or biopsied. FNA involves taking a small needle with a syringe and suctioning a sample of cells directly from the prostate and placing them on a microscope slide. A veterinary pathologist then examines the slide under a microscope. In some cases, results from FNA may not be entirely clear and biopsy may be necessary.
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- The prostate gland is a male reproductive organ that produces fluids to feed and protect sperm cells.
- Many men experience urinary changes as they age. In many cases, these changes do not need specific treatment.
- When urinary changes cause problems, they can be treated successfully by lifestyle changes, medication, surgery or a combination of the three.
- For problems such as blood in the urine, pain on urination, inability to urinate or uncontrollable urine flow, see your doctor promptly.
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Foods To Avoid: Spice
Spicy foods such as curry and chilli are yet another thing you must be aware of if you suffer from an enlarged prostate. These things can irritate the bladder and prostate and may bring on the urinary symptoms associated with BPH such as feeling the need to urinate frequently and urgently.
If you’re a fan of spicy meals, try adding a little less spice or hot sauce than normal and, if you still need extra flavour, add herbs or veg in their place.
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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.
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What Causes Prostate Enlargement
Multiple factors cause prostate enlargement. Documented causes include specific medications, some of which are commonly used for prostate problems, as well dietary issues, disease processes, and hormonal imbalances.
Nutritional and dietary issues are known to be common causes of BPH. A diet heavily laden with animal fat is one of the most significant causes. Foods known to have high levels of animal fat include red meat and dairy products.
Aside from BPH, a diet high in animal fats is also known for causing cardiac problems and diabetes. Increasing epidemiological evidence suggests that these foods significantly increase the risk of developing BPH.
Treating Benign Prostate Enlargement
Treatment for an enlarged prostate is determined by the severity of your symptoms.
If you have mild to moderate symptoms, you won’t receive any immediate medical treatment, but you’ll have regular check-ups to carefully monitor your prostate.
You’ll probably also be advised to make lifestyle changes, such as limiting your caffeine and alcohol intake, and exercising regularly, to see if they improve your symptoms.
As well as lifestyle changes, medication is usually recommended to treat moderate to severe symptoms of benign prostate enlargement. Finasteride and dutasteride are medications that are commonly used. They block the effects of a hormone called dihydrotestosterone on the prostate gland, which can reduce the size of the prostate and improve associated symptoms.
Alpha blockers may also be prescribed. They help to relax your bladder muscles, making it easier to pass urine. Tamsulosin and alfuzosin are two alpha blockers commonly used to treat benign prostate enlargement.
Surgery is usually only recommended for moderate to severe symptoms of benign prostate enlargement that have failed to respond to medication.
Read more about treating benign prostate enlargement
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Providing Your Medical History
At first, the doctor will probably ask you about your medical history. Do you have any chronic illnesses? What illnesses and operations have you had in the past? What medications are you taking, if any? Your doctor is also likely to ask about your psychological well-being and lifestyle: Do you suffer from depression? Are you under a lot of stress? Do you drink alcohol? Smoke? Use illegal drugs? Have you felt a loss of affection for your partner? Have you recently grown interested in a new partner?
As part of this health history, be prepared to tell your doctor specific details about the symptoms that brought you to the office and when they began. Your doctor might want to know how often you had sex before the problem started and if there have been weeks or months in the past when youve had erectile dysfunction. Your doctor may conduct a written or verbal screening test.
If the cause is clear a recent operation for prostate cancer, for example the conversation may move directly to your treatment options. Otherwise, you may need to answer more questions to help the doctor narrow down the possible causes and avoid unnecessary testing.
Symptoms Of Benign Prostate Enlargement
The prostate is a small gland, located in the pelvis, between the penis and bladder.
If the prostate becomes enlarged, it can place pressure on the bladder and the urethra, which is the tube that urine passes through.
This can affect how you pee and may cause:
- difficulty starting to pee
- a frequent need to pee
- difficulty fully emptying your bladder
In some men, the symptoms are mild and do not need treatment. In others, they can be very troublesome.
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Losing Control Of Your Bladder
Urinary incontinence can range from uncontrolled release of a full bladder to slower leakage. Leaking urine can also present in varying ways, from leaking a few drops after coughing, exercising, or bending, to leaking large quantities or leaking during sex. This usually improves over time if its a result of prostate cancer treatment, however, it can be longer-lasting if its from spinal cord compression. The good news is, there are some ways to manage losing control of your bladder, if needed, including:
- Absorbent pads or pants
- Bed protectors
- Urinary sheaths
If urine incontinence continues for longer periods of time, or becomes a serious impairment to quality of life, there are other additional options including:
- Artificial urinary sphincter
- Internal male sling
- Anti-cholinergic medications
All of these options for serious impairment require surgery with the exception of medications. Your doctor will help you determine the side effects and potential benefits for your specific case. Additional lifestyle changes may also be beneficial to help fight urinary incontinence, including eating a well-balanced diet with fiber , exercising , avoiding alcoholic, fizzy, or caffeinated drinks, quitting smoking, and retraining your bladder by creating and maintaining a urination schedule.1-4
Medications For Prostate Enlargement
Typical medications used to treat prostate issues are Finasteride , dutasteride , and tamsulosin . Finasteride and dutasteride are 5-alpha reductase inhibitors that reduce the amount of the 5-alpha reductase enzyme in the blood. This enzyme converts testosterone in the blood into estrogen. High levels of estrogen exacerbate prostate growth and can result in BPH.
Men with high estrogen levels also tend to develop breast enlargement . Any man who spends a lot of time at the gym has probably noticed older men with enlarged breasts due to a high estrogen level. Enlarged male breasts are an outward indicator, but BPH is most likely also present inwardly.
Tamsulosin is an alpha-blocker that works by relaxing the prostate and bladder muscles so that urine flows easier.
Each of these drugs has a profile of severe sexual side effects. Alpha-blockers can lead to difficulty ejaculating, and 5-alpha reductase inhibitors can destroy libido as well as alter the sensation of orgasm or interfere with erections. For example, in several studies, Finasteride has been shown to increase the risk for men with BPH to develop erectile dysfunction.
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Risk Factors For Prostate Cancer
Some risk factors have been linked to prostate cancer. A risk factor is something that can raise your chance of developing a disease. Having one or more risk factors doesnt mean that you will get prostate cancer. It just means that your risk of the disease is greater.
- Age. Men who are 50 or older have a higher risk of prostate cancer.
- Race. African-American men have the highest risk of prostate cancerâthe disease tends to start at younger ages and grows faster than in men of other races. After African-American men, prostate cancer is most common among white men, followed by Hispanic and Native American men. Asian-American men have the lowest rates of prostate cancer.
- Family history. Men whose fathers or brothers have had prostate cancer have a 2 to 3 times higher risk of prostate cancer than men who do not have a family history of the disease. A man who has 3 immediate family members with prostate cancer has about 10 times the risk of a man who does not have a family history of prostate cancer. The younger a mans relatives are when they have prostate cancer, the greater his risk for developing the disease. Prostate cancer risk also appears to be slightly higher for men from families with a history of breast cancer.
- Diet. The risk of prostate cancer may be higher for men who eat high-fat diets.
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How Do Doctors Check For Enlarged Prostate
DiagnosisDigital rectal exam. The doctor inserts a finger into the rectum to check your prostate for enlargement.Urine test. Analyzing a sample of your urine can help rule out an infection or other conditions that can cause similar symptoms.Blood test. Prostate-specific antigen blood test.Apr 13, 2021
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How Is Benign Prostate Enlargement Diagnosed
If your GP suspects that you have an enlarged prostate, you’ll be asked to complete a questionnaire to assess your symptoms.
Each question has five possible answers that carry a score, and your overall score indicates the severity of your symptoms.
Your GP will also want to rule out other conditions that cause similar symptoms to prostate enlargement.
You may have a number of standard tests, such as urine tests, plus some more specific tests, such as a blood test that measures PSA.
Prostatitis And Other Pelvic Problems
The prostate, a small male gland located between the testes and the rectum, can cause a lot of problems, from prostatitis to cancer. Cancer is easy to diagnose but hard to treat prostatitis is elusive because it has such a wide range of symptoms and no known cause. Prostatitis can cause pelvic pain, urologic concerns such as frequent urges to urinate, a weak or interrupted stream, and even blood in the urine. Sexual symptoms may include erectile dysfunction and pain during intercourse. Prostate problems may also cause irritable bowel syndrome , because the irritated prostate may in turn aggravate the nerves that affect the lower digestive tract.
If you are experiencing serious medical symptoms, seek emergency treatment immediately.
- The prostate, a small male gland located between the testes and the rectum, can cause a lot of problems, from prostatitis to cancer.
- Prostatitis can cause pelvic pain, urologic concerns such as frequent urges to urinate, a weak or interrupted stream, and even blood in the urine.
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What Is Acute Prostatitis
The prostate is a walnut-sized gland that sits below the bladder in men. This gland makes fluid that mixes with sperm to form semen. Because the prostate surrounds the urethra , conditions that cause the prostate to swell or enlarge may press on the urethra and cause pain or problems with urination.
Prostatitis is inflammation of the prostate gland. Acute prostatitis is inflammation of the prostate gland that results in sudden onset of symptoms. Acute prostatitis is caused by an infection, usually by bacteria that get into the prostate by traveling up the urethra. Some of these bacteria are the normal germs that live on and inside your body. Other infections are transmitted through sexual contact.
Most men who will develop prostatitis have a normal prostate gland, although the infection may be more common in older men as the gland gets larger with age. There is no known link between prostatitis and prostate cancer.