Men Sometimes Wary Of Bringing Up Problems
Lets be honest: men often dont want to talk about some things and that includes prostate health. That is why I am addressing this column to not only men, but women, too, so they are aware of issues the men in their lives may be dealing with and perhaps encourage them to seek medical attention.
The prostate is a walnut-sized gland that is a part of the male reproductive system and sits below the bladder. Prostate gland enlargement is a common condition men face as they get older. An enlarged prostate gland causes uncomfortable urinary symptoms, such as blocking the flow of urine out of the bladder, and problems with the bladder, urinary tract or kidneys. Common symptoms include more frequent or urgent need to urinate, increased frequency of needing to use the bathroom at night, difficulty starting urination and weak urine stream or a stream that starts and stops. Symptoms worsen over time. Anyone with these symptoms should talk them over with his doctor. Left untreated, an enlarged prostate can lead to a sudden inability to urinate, cause urinary tract infections and bladder or kidney damage.
If a patient has an enlarged prostate, medication is normally the first treatment option. Several different types of medication either relax the bladder neck muscles and muscle fibers in the prostate or that shrink the size of the prostate. If a patient has severe symptoms or medication is not working, minimally invasive surgery options are available.
How Is An Enlarged Prostate Treated
The treatment plan for an enlarged prostate depends on several factors unique to you. At Alate Health, Dr. Doe considers your age, medical history and overall health, the size of your prostate, and the severity of your symptoms.
Based on your unique condition, he may begin treatment with medication for mild or moderate BPH cases. If your BPH is more severe, Dr. Doe may recommend prostate artery embolization .
PAE is a minimally invasive, cutting-edge modality that uses X-ray technology to treat BPH. During the procedure, youre given a catheter, and Dr. Doe makes a small incision in your groin or wrist to access your blood vessels.
X-ray dye is then injected to allow Dr. Doe to create a map, or arteriogram, of the blood vessels supplying your prostate gland. Once these vessels are mapped, Dr. Doe injects microspheres, or microscopic plastic beads, to slow the supply of blood reaching the prostate.
The catheter is then removed, and the process is repeated on the other side of the prostate gland. When the procedure is complete, your prostate begins to shrink over the following weeks since its blood supply is limited. As it shrinks, your symptoms improve.
Ready to learn more about the dangers of an enlarged prostate and how the team at Alate Health can help? Contact our Houston office or schedule an appointment by calling 713-893-0650 today!
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What Are The Most Common Prostate Problems
For such a little gland, the prostate seems to cause a lot of concern. Like a troubled, war-torn country, its in the news all the time and something always seems to be going wrong there, but you dont really know where it is or why its important.
All men are at risk for prostate problems. Thats because all men have a prostate. Take a look at this overview of prostate problems to assess your risk for trouble with your prostate.
Benign prostatic hyperplasia .BPH, also known as an enlarged prostate, is growth of the prostate gland to an unhealthy size. A mans chances of having BPH go up with age:
- Age 31-40: one in 12
- Age 51-60: about one in two
- Over age 80: more than eight in 10
However, only about half of men ever have BPH symptoms that need treatment. BPH does not lead to prostate cancer, although both are common in older men.
Prostate Cancer. Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men . About one man in six will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime. Lets keep these numbers in perspective, though. Because prostate cancer is usually slow growing, only about one in 35 men will die of prostate cancer.
Like BPH, the risk for prostate cancer increases with age. About two out of every three men with prostate cancer are over age 65. No one knows exactly what causes prostate cancer, but risk factors associated with it include:
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Using Medication To Reduce Symptoms
What Is A Prostate Nodule
The prostate nodule is defined as a lump or area of hardness under the surface of a mans prostate.
In some instances, a patient can have prostate stone under the surface of the skin, and although it may seem like a nodule, its not the same thing as nodules are more like tissue masses.
While prostate stone is harmless, even though its uncomfortable, nodule represents an abnormal growth of cells, which may or may not be cancerous in nature.
Understanding there is a lump on the prostate is a primary source for concern among men, but you shouldnt panic. Instead, schedule an appointment to see your doctor who will perform specific diagnostic tests to see whats going on.
The best way to stay on top of everything is to go to regular checkups even if you have the normal prostate.
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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.
About Dr Dan Sperling
Dan Sperling, MD, DABR, is a board certified radiologist who is globally recognized as a leader in multiparametric MRI for the detection and diagnosis of a range of disease conditions. As Medical Director of the Sperling Prostate Center, Sperling Medical Group and Sperling Neurosurgery Associates, he and his team are on the leading edge of significant change in medical practice. He is the co-author of the new patient book Redefining Prostate Cancer, and is a contributing author on over 25 published studies. For more information, contact the Sperling Prostate Center.
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Ejaculation Is A Potential Cause Of Mildly Elevated Psa
“Ejaculation can cause a mild elevation of your PSA level, and so can having a digital rectal exam,” says Milner. “These types of PSA elevations are usually not enough to make a significant difference unless your PSA is borderline. PSA should return to normal in two to three days.”
To avoid this type of elevation, doctors will usually draw blood for a person’s PSA level before doing a rectal exam. Ask your doctor if you should avoid ejaculation for a few days before a PSA test.
Positive Psa Score Association With Other Conditions
The amount of PSA in your blood test may increase with other prostate conditions such prostatitis, enlarged prostate , or within two days after ejaculation.
Rest assured, even though your results may be high, it doesnt necessarily mean you have prostate cancer. Just a greater risk of developing it.
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Ajcc Tnm Staging System
This is one of the most widely accepted staging systems to assess individual cases of prostate cancer. The system is proposed by AJCC . The mortality and morbidity rate of prostate cancer is dependent largely on the stage of prostate cancer and size of tumor. Staging of prostate cancer through TNM systems follows this basic criteria:
- T: Identifying the extent of tumor
- N: the extent of lymph nodes involved in the cancer
- M: to check if the disease has metastasized or not
- Determination of PSA level at the time of diagnosis
- Gleason score
Does Sexual Activity Improve Prostate Health
Regular ejaculation enhances the immune systems response to the presence of cancer cells.
According to a report published in JAMA, men who reported having more than 20 ejaculations per month were 33% less likely to develop prostate cancer.
These measured ejaculations included sexual intercourse, nocturnal emissions, and masturbation. Researchers evaluated nearly 30,000 patients, of whom 1,449 developed prostate cancer.
Assuming the men answered the survey questions honestly, the results indicated that active sex life is not associated with higher cancer risk in most men.
An Australian study of 2,338 men also came to a similar conclusion. This study found that men who averaged 4.6 to seven ejaculations a week were 36% less likely to be diagnosed with prostate cancer before the age of 70 compared to men who ejaculated less than 2.3 times a week on average.
The study found no connection between prostate cancer and the number of sex partners.
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Is It Dangerous To Have An Enlarged Prostate
Many people know that prostate enlargement usually comes with age, and about half of men age 75 years and older have this condition. Prostate gland enlargement or its medical term, benign prostatic hyperplasia involves the growth of prostate gland cells or tissue. Because the urethra is structurally in between the prostate glands, enlargement of the prostate may lead to problems with urination.
So, the question is, Is BPH dangerous?. Read furthermore to know the answer.
Male Sexual Development
According to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases of the US Department of Health and Human Services, there are two phases of prostate gland growth. It doubles in size during early puberty for the first phase and the second phase starts at the age of 25. The prostate gland naturally increases its size as a man advances with age.
With that being said, prostate gland enlargement or BPH is not necessarily dangerous. However, if it starts causing problems, then it needs prompt attention. A lot of men with prostate gland enlargement have no signs and symptoms, while others show signs of lower urinary tract symptoms.
Signs and Symptoms of BPH
According to UC San Diego Health, enlarged prostate blocks or squeezes the urethra, and the signs and symptoms can be annoying. BPH can disrupt activities of daily living and hinders men from pursuing their passion, hobbies, and a successful career.
Here are the signs and symptoms of BPH:
Prostate Cancer Vs Prostate Nodule
People tend to use terms nodule and tumor or cancer interchangeably, but theyre not the same. Knowing the difference can help you stay calm until your doctor diagnoses the problem.
Essentially, a nodule is any lump or mass of cells, while the tumor is a larger growth. In most cases, doctors use a term tumor to describe cancerous growth on the prostate.
Feel free to ask the doctor to explain if youre not sure whether he or she is talking about nodule or tumor.
Prostate nodules can be benign or harmless and malignant or cancerous.
Cancerous nodules are the masses of abnormal cells that can spread to surrounding tissues and lymph nodes. Timely diagnosis is vital for successful management and recovery.
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Are There Treatments For An Enlarged Prostate
We review your age, medical history and overall health, the size of your prostate, and the severity of your symptoms before creating a customized treatment plan designed to offer you the best help possible.
Treatment may begin with medication for mild or moderate symptoms of an enlarged prostate. If your BPH symptoms are more severe and affecting your quality of life, we may recommend a surgical intervention called the UroLift® System.
The UroLift System is a revolutionary treatment that addresses the primary issue associated with an enlarged prostate: the restriction BPH places on your urethra. The UroLift System solves this problem by holding back excess prostate tissue to keep the urethra open.
We perform this minimally invasive procedure using specially designed implants. We insert a small device through your urethra and then place implants in your prostate and lift the excess tissue away from the urethra.
The UroLift System doesnt require any cutting or removal of prostate tissue, and it only requires a local anesthetic. This means youre treated as an outpatient in about an hour or less.
The UroLift System offers several benefits compared to other BPH treatments, including less severe side effects than other surgical interventions for BPH and a faster recovery time than the surgical alternatives.
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What Is Prostate Intraepithelial Neoplasia Or Atypical Or Suspicious Cells On Biopsy
In about 10% of prostate needle biopsy reports, the pathologist will tell us that the final diagnosis is neither benign nor malignant. They describe this condition as
- High Grade Intraepithelial Neoplasia
- A premalignant condition
- Biopsy should be repeated soon
- 25% risk of cancer on repeat biopsy
- Low Grade Intraepithelial Neoplasia
- Repeat biopsy is not indicated unless there is a rise in PSA
- Atypia
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What Is Enlarged Prostate
Enlarged prostate refers to the state in which the prostate is enlarged but not cancerous.
Hormonal changes and cell growth resulting from the aging process may cause the prostate to swell, often impinging upon and compressing the urethra. This causes the bladder walls to become thicker and can prevent the bladder from emptying completely.
It Feels Really Freaking Good
The male G-spot is packed with thousands of nerve endings, which means that when you stimulate it, it feels really, really good. In fact, some men report being able to reach orgasm from prostate stimulation alone.
While there is not enough research to suggest that prostate orgasms specifically can lower your risk of prostate cancer, generally speaking, having more orgasms is a good thing for your prostate health: according to one Australian study, men who had five or more orgasms per week were 34% less likely to develop prostate cancer than men who had fewer than one orgasm per week.
Ready to go on the hunt for the male G-spot? Check out our tips for how to get started. Make sure to start slow and use plenty of lube, and happy hunting.
And if youre looking for some prostate massager recommendations, look no further. Weve listed a few of our favorite sex toys below.
The Vector is C-shaped because it doesnt just massage your prostate, it also stimulates your perineum, which is the space between your anus and scrotum. The perineum is a highly erogenous zone, yet its often ignored. No one really thinks to stimulate it during oral, manual, or penetrative sex. Read our full review of the Vector here.
LoveHoneys inflatable butt plug is insane, obviously. That said, it really fills up your insides. Read our full review of the inflatable butt plug here.
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Side Effects Of Conventional Prostate Bph Treatments And Enlarged Prostate Surgery
If you are very lucky you may well have an improved urinary function and few side effects after enlarged prostate surgery. Unfortunately, that is not the case overall.
If you think that BPH operations are harmless, think again. In my experience, side effects are not fully explained and are minimized. Why? Because doctors:
- think they are providing the best treatment based on what they know and what they have available to offer,
- often directly benefit financially from the procedures, and
- are unaware of any other options.
If they do know of alternative options, they could risk losing their medical license by offering those alternative treatments.
All of the conventional treatment options I mention on this page have consequences of:
- major discomfort to pain
- possible incontinence
- impotence and sexual difficulties
- retrograde ejaculation
- and often the treatment will need to be repeated at a future date with scarring occurring with each attempt, which makes each procedure less successful and exacerbates the side effects.
Enlarged Prostate Surgical Procedures
Here is a list of enlarged prostate surgery procedures:
- TUIP widens the urethra by making a few small cuts in the bladder neck, where the urethra joins the bladder, and in the prostate gland itself.
- TURP surgery is the procedure used for 90% of all prostate surgeries for BPHit is the standard operation.
With TURP, an instrument called a resectoscope is inserted through the penis to remove the excess tissue. It is less traumatic than open forms of surgery.
It has a high risk of retrograde ejaculation, which is when semen works its way back into the bladder instead of coming out the tip of the penis when you come.
Other risks: impotence, incontinence, blood loss, and urinary tract infection. This procedure is now available using lasers.
- Simple or Partial Prostatectomy is the removal of the inner portion of the prostate through an incision in the lower abdomen. This is an invasive surgery used for very large prostate glands to remove the enlarged part of the prostate.
This BPH surgery procedure is open surgery performed while the patient is under general anesthesia.
Read more about BPH and medical procedures here:
Read these industry-funded sites that explain all the different procedures in greater depth. Buyer beware as despite the claims to being superior, many of these private state of the art procedures have not been proven over time to be superior to the standard TURP:
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