Prostate Health: Recognizing Early Signs of Enlargement

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The complex human biology that occurs within our bodies remains a mystery to some of us. We might take the availability and reliability of medical care for granted; we might search for a cure in alarming places such as the internet or the pharmacy; we might ignore any latent symptoms; or we might confidently know we are healthy. The reason why knowledge of an enlarged prostate seems important in the context of daily life is that we can easily see if our heart is pumping, if our lungs are breathing, if our stomach is digesting food, and so on, but unlike these other organs, most of us don’t know if our prostate’s all right until the early-warning signs emerge – signs that don’t normally appear until it’s too late.

If you are a male adult, knowing about your prostate health is crucial. Whether or not you have an enlarged prostate, might have prostate cancer, are playing contact sports, or simply trying to get through the day, the condition of your prostate can significantly impact your daily life. This piece aims to help readers understand the prostate gland, the causes and implications of an enlarged prostate, and an enlarged prostate’s early-warning signs. Our goal is to provide readers with knowledge to evaluate if their prostate is enlarged, a task left at the sole discretion and, if necessary, under the guidance of a medical professional.

Purpose of the Guide

These issues should be openly discussed with your health professional to work them through. Allow time for discussing them fully and for performing any necessary tests. Encouraging related persons in your life to key in and promote your quest for well-being is also highly recommended. The ultimate goal is to have you feel good, alleviate some bothersome symptoms and potentially expand your knowledge about your condition. Many techniques can be readily applied that may help alleviate your discomfort or pain. The key is obtaining the information and then determining a pathway for dealing with your specific symptoms. There are many ways that persons can help themselves feel better, and that begins with knowledge and understanding.

This guide serves to inform you about prostate enlargement, the symptoms, and what could be done to help alleviate these symptoms. The intent is to provide a quicker method of asking a few questions, matching your symptoms with likely causes, and gaining some leads in solving them. A few questions are sequenced to help identify the cause of the problems and to consider a variety of steps you could take to alleviate your discomfort. If an area of concern appears to be highlighted, then a more focused visit to your health professional will be advantageous.

Understanding Prostate Enlargement

Prostate enlargement is a common, often benign condition that can lead to bothersome symptoms. Also known as benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), it occurs when the prostate grows in size. The prostate’s location can then cause the urethra to narrow, constricting the flow of urine from the bladder. This usually results in a weak urinary system, an urgent need to urinate, and a feeling that the bladder isn’t completely empty. The development of prostate enlargement is believed to be primarily related to aging, although the exact reasons aren’t completely understood. However, the role of the male hormone testosterone and its conversion to another hormone, dihydrotestosterone (DHT), may be involved. DHT appears to stimulate cells to grow, leading to prostate enlargement.

The prostate is part of the male reproductive system. It’s a small gland about the size of a chestnut that sits just below the bladder and surrounds the urethra. This special location gives the prostate an important role in the body’s urinary function. When a man urinates, the bladder sends urine down the urethra and a small valve inside the bladder opens to allow urine to pass. Behind the valve, the urethra moves urine down the penis. The prostate’s task is to secrete some seminal fluid, which nourishes and protects the sperm. This mixture of seminal fluid and sperm represents the sperm ejaculate. When ejaculation occurs, the prostate and other glands close to the urethra release this fluid, which then mixes with sperm in the urethra. The combined fluid is then expelled from the body through a process called ejaculation.

Definition and Causes

Prostate enlargement is the most common non-cancerous prostate problem, occurring in most men as they get older. It is majorly common in men over 40 years. The prostate, also known as the ‘second heart’ of a man, has an important role in the daily life of men. It is a gland located under the bladder and in front of the rectum. The urethra, which is the urinary canal that allows urine to be removed from the body, ultimately crosses the prostate gland. With the development of the prostate, some men may experience symptoms such as obstruction of urine output, but the patient can also not have any such complaints. Many patients with prostate enlargement may develop complaints due to the development of bothersome symptoms mentioned below. Some of these symptoms are: the increased bladder neck resistance causes more effort at the time of urination because the internal urethral orifice is narrowed. The bladder muscle begins to exert more effort in order to overcome this increased resistance and empties the bladder appropriately.

Also known as the ‘second heart’ of men, the prostate is a gland located under the bladder and in front of the rectum. It has an important role in the daily life of men. When the urinary system of a healthy adult male develops, it may show signs of prostate enlargement at a rate of 8% in the 0-40 age group, 31% in the 50 age group, 50% in the 70 age group, and 89-90% in those aged 80-90 and over. In general, the age of occurrence of bothersome symptoms expressed by our patients varies between 50 and 60 years. It was observed that some patients with prostate enlargement do not have complaints whereas some patients develop complaints due to the development of bothersome symptoms. These complaints include obstructive and irritative symptoms.

Risk Factors

In both benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and prostate cancer, risk factors include advancing age and family history. However, in this guide, we only focus on the age-related and other common risk factors for BPH, more specifically, age and prostate-specific antigen (PSA), lower urinary tract symptoms, and tests. Age is one of the main risk factors for BPH, an enlarged prostate. Find out more about the links between prostate enlargement and aging. A person with late-stage prostate cancer may not show any signs or symptoms. Moderately elevated levels of PSA can be an early sign of an enlarged prostate. An additional common risk factor for prostate enlargement is family history. Learn about the role of family history in the development of an enlarged prostate here.

How does having an enlarged prostate affect PSA levels? What are the risk factors for prostate size? The prostate glands tend to increase in size with age. Affecting 40-50% of men by age 50-60, and more than 80% by age 80, an enlarged prostate is relatively common in men. Most doctors advise regular PSA tests from around 40-50 years of age. If risk factors are causing symptoms of discomfort or distress, treatment may be necessary when a PSA test indicates a moderate increase in prostatitis levels. Symptoms indicating shared risk factors of benign prostatic hyperplasia and prostate cancer include incomplete emptying of the bladder, frequent urination, a weak or intermittent urine stream, frequent nighttime urination, and a sudden urgent need to empty the bladder. Prostate growth is common in the late stage and is not usually linked with any adverse symptoms. High levels of testosterone are another common risk factor for prostate enlargement. However, most men do not seek help for their symptoms or treatment options.

Common Symptoms

Weak urine flow and frequent urination are the first classic symptoms that are too often interpreted as the result of aging, thus preventing the early diagnosis of a benign condition. Although these symptoms interfere with the patient’s quality of life and interaction with the environment, they are often undervalued. If they occur more and more often, you can be sure that a benign prostate disorder is at work: it compresses both the urethra, hindering the flow to the penis, and the opposite portion distending the bladder, which then in response sends unexpected urges signaling premature evacuation. Especially intense and sudden urine urges lead to anxiety and behavioral discomfort during intimate encounters and relationships with the family and friends. These symptoms are internalized, and the patient becomes silent. After these initial signs, there can be phases of remission, which last until the next stimulation, which is usually represented by a hormonal effect. Over time, they manifest more frequently and become more intense because the prostate is getting bigger. After the prostate has undergone a period of adjustment, the patient experiences the gradual return of the frequency of signals and symptoms.

The gradual, yet progressive, prostate enlargement affects most men—up to 90% by the age of 85. It isn’t urgent until reaching a certain size. However, even mildly enlarged prostates trigger the need for more frequent visits to the men’s room. And even before this, the early symptoms of a growing prostate start. While the symptoms are often weak at first, they can become more severe and, as they worsen, they can compromise prostate health and quality of life. This phase, in the context of the hip movements during the sleep cycle, can cause secondary sleep disturbances – night waking deprives of quality sleep, undermining your overall health and well-being. If the first, indirect, symptoms go unnoticed, you do a disservice to your body. Because once the symptoms become strong, the condition often requires more compelling techniques to restore quality of life. This handy guide provides comprehensive information about signs both direct and indirect. Knowing about them is the first step to acting in the wake of early symptoms.

Urinary Symptoms

These symptoms can refer to other diseases of the urogenital system, so in case of their appearance, you cannot tie them to the enlargement of the gland. To establish the exact diagnosis, you need to visit your doctor who will perform a full examination and deliver test results. They will help determine what causes these symptoms.

– Difficulty starting to urinate

– Urinary dribbling or leakage

– More frequent urge to urinate

– Incontinence or urge incontinence

– Reduction of maximum normal urine flow

– The trail after urine flow

– Fragmentation of urine flow

– Frequent awakenings to urinate

– Feeling that the bladder is full or cannot be fully emptied
– Straining to urinate or excreting

One of the possible signs of prostate enlargement is the appearance of urinary dysfunction. This commonly occurs in BPH (benign prostatic hyperplasia). The normal enlargement of the gland leads to an increase in prostate pressure on the urethra. When this pressure becomes high enough, it stops the process of urine flow through the urethra. Finally, this blockage leads to the appearance of several lower urinary tract symptoms. The most common of them are:

Sexual Symptoms

The third symptom on the list of sexual symptoms is ejaculation dysfunction, where the number of estimated cases only covers 28.8 percent of men experiencing such problems. Since these fine muscles are part of the musculoskeletal ejaculation mechanism, it is logical to assume that any disorder could cause an aberration of the normal sequence of contractions. During untreated benign prostate enlargement, the bladder neck is enlarged and sags, which makes it temporarily more difficult to pass through. This change will lead to doubling of the lower urinary tract symptoms observed in up to 20% of patients and will lead to reduced semen pressure, retrograde ejaculation, or clamping down, but not to changes in the prostate. Unlike sexual symptoms, overall sexual health is largely in the hands of the majority. However, it takes a lot of courage to talk about the sexual issues we encounter. Therefore, if any symptoms are diagnosed, three signs seem to be clues suggesting benign prostate enlargement. From the symptoms described, benign prostate enlargement can inevitably affect sexual system functions, so we ask that you consult your urologist there.

Another linking factor between benign prostate enlargement and erectile dysfunction is age, although the other modifiable risks for the development of erectile dysfunction are the same as in the case of benign prostate enlargement. Psychosomatic factors, systematically lower testosterone levels, glucose disorders, cholesterol disorders, cardiovascular disorders, lack of physical exercise, dietary disorders, increased body weight, as well as the presence of diabetes, long-term cardiovascular diseases, and hypersensitive counts are known risks for vasculogenic erectile dysfunction. Prostate cancer may also have a negative effect on the sexual well-being of men, although the treatment of benign prostate enlargement may reduce the risk of missing signs and symptoms of prostate cancer. To prevent deterioration of both sexual and urinary symptoms in the future, it is important to motivate patients to be attentive to both sexual and prostate health by highlighting the link between the two.

In addition to the aforementioned lower urinary tract symptoms, men with benign prostate enlargement may also suffer from sexual symptoms. The three sexual symptoms linked to such conditions are: reduced sexual desire, erectile dysfunction, and ejaculation dysfunction. At present, experts attribute these symptoms to various factors that may influence the coupling between the sympathetic and parasympathetic systems and the balance between prostatic and antierectile smooth muscles. These factors could contribute to ejaculation dysfunction, vasculogenic erectile dysfunction, or damage to the cavernous nerves that control penile erection. Scientists are not sure what to expect in terms of further complications related to the damage of the prostatic smooth muscle, which could explain the deterioration of the previously improved urinary state. This deterioration can be attributed to fibrosis of the prostate.

Diagnosis and Screening

The diagnosis of BPH can be simple, based on a patient’s medical history and physical examination, or a bit more complicated, with the inclusion of a digital rectal examination, prostate-specific antigen testing, and additional tests. This approach is generally followed by urologists. Accurate diagnosis is essential because the leading symptoms of BPH, such as decreased urinary flow and urgency to urinate, could be a result of other prostate-related disorders such as prostate cancer. Potentially accompanying prostate cancer is a much more serious disease and requires a different plan of treatment. The initial diagnosis is usually sufficient for those presenting with only moderate symptoms, those without an overly high post-void residual volume, or those not displaying any significant abnormalities after tests such as a DRE or PSA are performed. Should any of these be present, a further workup is applicable.

Initial Diagnosis

Effective screening of BPH is especially crucial because its main symptom, prostate enlargement, affects a great number of men, with some studies indicating that all men will experience BPH in some form by the age of 70. Its most reliable early signs and symptoms, when monitored and acknowledged, could signal its onset. If these are accurately identified, treatment and management, as will be discussed in the next segment, could be initiated at an earlier, and possibly more effective, stage.

Preventive Measures

Pay attention to well-being: intense stress raises the risk of BPH; consequently, regular relaxation would be beneficial. Evacuate the bladder as soon as possible: holding the bladder for a prolonged period of time can damage the bladder or have a negative impact on the prostate. Not drinking any more liquids would not help the situation, so drink liquids a couple of hours before going to bed. Cottonseed extracts: the radioactive effect could be reduced by the natural herbal extract of cottonseed. Hashimoto treatment can be used as an adjunctive treatment for prostatism. Choose the correct dietary supplement: some dietary supplements have beneficial results, like palm extracts and lactim. However, it is always important to seek medical attention with the aid of qualified doctors to administer the right dosage properly.

– Increase the ratio of vegetables and fruits: they are rich in vitamins, antioxidants, and fiber that contribute to the improvement of health and the enhancement of immune effect.

– More fish and less meat: freshwater fish and seafood contain Omega-3 fatty acids that lower the incidence of benign prostatic hyperplasia. On the contrary, red meat often causes an increase in the amount of estrogen, thereby increasing the risk of BPH.

– Drink more green tea: regular green tea consumption lowers the rate of BPH.

– Exercise regularly: a sedentary lifestyle is one of the factors that contribute to the development of an enlarged prostate. Regular physical exercises lower the incidence and mortality rate of BPH, LUTS, and lower urinary tract infections.

A healthy diet contributes to the prevention of diseases. For instance, excessive consumption of meat or high protein substances in general will facilitate the development of an enlarged prostate. A healthy diet improves the body’s resistance to disease and strengthens health. Some vital principles of a healthy diet are:

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