Prostate
Disease: The Basics
Prostate
disease is probably the most common condition among men. The prostate
gland, an organ exclusive to men, tends to give men problems later
in life, after the age of 40. While the prostate gland is part of
a man’s reproductive system, prostate disease triggers symptoms
in the urinary tract. This is due to the location of the prostate
gland, which sits below a man’s bladder and encircles the
exit tube for a man’s urine.
Prostate
disease is, by and large, related to the increasing size of the
prostate gland. While the prostate gland is normally about the size
of a walnut, prostate disease causes the prostate gland to grow
and apply pressure to a man’s urinary tract. There are two
main prostate diseases which affect at least half of the adult male
population—prostatitis and enlarged prostate (BPH).
Prostatitis
is a broad term describing inflammation or bacterial infection of
the prostate gland. Prostatitis is a prostate disease which may
be acute, chronic, or non-bacterial. This prostate disease can occur
in men of all ages and about 50 percent of men will experience prostatitis,
but some may never know the cause of their symptoms. There is no
evidence that this prostate disease leads to prostate cancer.
Enlarged
prostate, or BPH, is a prostate disease that is based in a natural
part of the aging process for men. It is normal for men to experience
a time of prostate gland growth after the age of 40, but when this
prostate growth obstructs the ability for a man to urinate, it is
considered a prostate disease needing treatment. Enlarged prostate
is not, however, a prostate disease related to prostate cancer.
There
are treatments for prostatitis and BPH, but prostate disease can
be difficult to diagnose and control. Prostate disease treatments
include drugs, antibiotics, lasers, microwaves, and surgery to name
a few. Treatment for prostate disease is very important for men
as symptoms can be painful and lead to more serious complications.
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