Prostate
Health: Important Information for Men
Chances
are, at some point in a man’s lifetime, he will experience
prostate health problems. Knowing this, you might wonder, “What
is the prostate, and which prostate health problems might a man
experience?” The prostate is a gland only found in males.
This gland, which is about the shape and size of a walnut, is located
in front of a man’s rectum. The prostate gland surrounds the
tube that carries urine from a man’s body, which explains
why problems with prostate health often affect a man’s ability
to urinate.
Prostate
health can be compromised in three major ways: enlargement of the
prostate gland, inflammation or infection of the prostate gland,
and cancer of the prostate gland. Enlargement of the prostate gland
is also called benign prostatic hyperplasia, or BPH. BPH is the
most common prostate health problem among men over the age of 50.
In BPH, the prostate gland becomes enlarged and puts pressure on
the urinary tract, leading to male urinary problems. Symptoms of
BPH include the urge to urinate frequently, breaks in the urine
stream, and weak urine flow.
The
next common prostate health problem, inflammation or infection of
the prostate gland, is called prostatitis. Prostatitis can affect
prostate health in several ways, from an acute bacterial infection
to painful swelling. Bacterial prostatitis is the least common type
of prostatitis, but it is the easiest to identify and treat. Other
forms of prostatitis are not well understood at this time, especially
nonbacterial prostatitis which causes pain without any apparent
infection.
The
various types of prostate health problems can have quite similar
symptoms. Urgent urination, frequent nighttime urination, and pain
may be present in BPH or prostatitis. Some prostate health concerns
have no symptoms at all. For a man, monitoring prostate health is
essential throughout his lifetime.
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