What Should I Do If I Think I May Have Prostate Problems
Regardless of which problem you may think you have, you should see your primary care doctor. To make the diagnosis your doctor will take a complete history, physical exam that includes a digital rectal exam, and other appropriate diagnostic tests, for example, a urinalysis, urine culture, blood tests such as the PSA test, electrolytes, creatinine, and occasionally blood urea nitrogen levels. Your doctor may order other tests, for example, an ultrasound, endoscopy, urine flow rate studies, and biopsy of the prostate gland. Your doctor also may refer you to a specialist called a urologist, especially if you require surgery as part of your treatment.
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.
The Risk Factors For Utis Are More Extensive
They include:
- A suppressed immune system- caused by immunosuppressants or illness
- Catheter use after surgery or to empty bladder completely
- Poor hygiene failure to wash often or urinate after sexual encounters
- Blockages kidney stones, enlarged prostate
- Urinary procedure
- Inability to voluntarily control urination
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What Is Bph And How Does It Affect Me
The prostate gland surrounds the urethra and assists in reproduction. As a man ages, the prostate gets larger and begins to put pressure on the bladder and urethra, causing uncomfortable symptoms. It may be responsible for blocking the flow of urine out of the bladder, and can cause issues in the bladder, urinary tract, or kidneys.
How Do You Get A Uti
Urinary tract infections are one very troublesome complication of an obstructing benign prostatic hyperplasia that can cause patients significant symptoms.
There are two main ways in which BPH cause urinary infections:
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Do Prostatitis And Bph Cause Pain
Both BPH and prostatitis may cause pain. However, if BPH causes pain, it usually occurs with urination .
Prostatitis may cause painful urination, painful ejaculations, and generalized groin/abdominal pain. Prostatitis pain may be more constant and may be due to the inflammation of the prostatic tissue and/or adjacent tissues. Experts point out that often the source of pain from prostatitis is unclear.
How Is Bph Diagnosed And Evaluated
Early diagnosis of BPH is important because if left untreated it can lead to urinary tract infections, bladder or kidney damage, bladder stones and incontinence. Distinguishing BPH from more serious diseases like prostate cancer is important.
Tests vary from patient to patient, but the following are the most common:
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Are The Treatments For Prostatitis And Bph Different
The treatment for an enlarged prostate and prostatitis are very different.
BPH treatment may include an interactive questionnaire to determine the extent of your symptoms. The results of the questionnaire may influence what medications or other treatments you may need. Drugs used to treat BPH include:
- Alpha receptor blockers
- Phosphodiesterase inhibitors
- Anticholinergic agents
Some patients with more severe prostatic enlargement may need surgery. A transurethral resection of the prostate is the usual procedure to reduce pressure on the urethra by reducing the size of the prostate.
Treatment for prostatitis depends on the type.
- Bacteria acute and chronic prostatitis are typically treated and cured with antibiotics like fluoroquinolones or trimethoprim. These infections typically take longer to cure so you may have to take antibiotics for as long as 4-8 weeks. Some infections of the prostate gland are resistant or unresponsive to treatment so antibiotics like gentamicin or doxycycline may need to be injected directly into the gland.
- Type III, chronic bacterial prostatitis and pelvic pain syndrome, is treated similarly with antibiotics, however, alpha-blockers and NSAIDs , for example, aspirin, ibuprofen , naproxen also are used.
- Type IV, asymptomatic inflammatory prostatitis, in most patients requires no treatment. However, some doctors prescribe antibiotics and NSAIDs for this condition.
International Prostate Symptom Score
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 is used to assess the severity of your symptoms.
The checklist includes the following questions.
Over the past month:
- How often have you had the sensation of not completely emptying your bladder after urinating?
- How often have you had to urinate again less than two hours after finishing urinating?
- How often have you found that you stopped and started again when urinating?
- How often have you found it difficult to postpone urination?
- How often have you had a weak stream of urine?
- How often have you had to push or strain to begin urinating during the course of one night?
- How often have you had to get up during the night to urinate?
After your GP has assessed the severity your symptoms, they’ll aim to rule out other conditions with similar symptoms using certain tests.
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What Causes Sharp Pain In Right Kidney Capsule
Kidney infection or pyelonephritis which is common in all age groups, may also lead to this pain. The infection in the right kidney may cause inflammation of the kidney and can lead to stretching of the capsule. Severe injury can result in bleeding within the right kidney, which may cause sharp pain.
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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Diagnosing Benign Prostate Enlargement
To find out whether your prostate gland is enlarged, you’ll need to have a few tests.
Some tests will be carried out by your GP and others will be carried out by a urologist .
First, your GP will ask about your symptoms. If it seems that you have symptoms of benign prostate enlargement, the next stage is to calculate your International Prostate Symptom Score .
When Is A Boy At Risk For An Uti
Boys are at increased risk of UTI if younger than six months, or if younger than 12 months and uncircumcised. Girls are generally at an increased risk of UTI, particularly if younger than one year. 3 Physical examination findings can be nonspecific but may include suprapubic tenderness or costovertebral angle tenderness.
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Causes Of Benign Prostate Enlargement
The exact cause of benign prostate enlargement is unknown, but research suggests that hormones probably play an important role in the condition’s development.
Hormones are powerful chemicals that can have a wide range of effects on the cells of the body.
One theory is that as some men get older, the levels of a type of hormone called dihydrotestosterone increases, which may stimulate the growth of the prostate.
Another theory suggests that two hormones, testosterone and oestrogen, play a role. Younger men produce high levels of testosterone and much smaller levels of oestrogen. But as men get older, their levels of testosterone decrease, which means they then have a higher proportion of oestrogen in their body. It’s been suggested that the relative increase in oestrogen may stimulate prostate growth.
How To Produce More Sperm When Ejaculating
A normal sperm count is between 15 million to more than 200 million sperm in each milliliter of semen. Your doctor will diagnose you with a low sperm count if you have less than 15 million sperm per ml of semen, or you release less than 39 million sperm each time you ejaculate.
Having a low sperm count can reduce your odds of conceiving a child. Here are a few tips to help boost your sperm count.
- Get 7 to 9 hours of quality sleep each night.
- linked to a lower sperm count.
If these methods dont work, a doctor may prescribe medication to help increase your sperm count. A variety of hormonal treatments like clomiphene citrate and follitropin alfa lyophilisate may be used to treat this problem.
However, while many of these treatments are approved for women, use by men is considered off-label. That is, although they may be effective for the treatment of male infertility, these medications arent approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for this use. If your doctor recommends off-label use of one of these medications, its important to take that medication under their supervision. Learn more about off-label medication use.
It can be difficult to talk about sexual problems with your doctor. But only by having this conversation can you get help with ejaculation issues.
See your doctor if:
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How Will Your Doctor Diagnose A Prostate Infection
A prostate infection diagnosis is based on your medical history, a physical exam, and medical tests. Your doctor can also rule out other serious conditions such as prostate cancer during the exam. During a physical exam, your doctor will conduct a digital rectal exam to test your prostate and will look for:
- discharge
- enlarged or tender lymph nodes in the groin
- swollen or tender scrotum
Your doctor may also ask about your symptoms, recent UTIs, and medications or supplements youre taking. Other medical tests that can help your diagnosis and treatment plan include:
- urinalysis or semen analysis, to look for infections
- a prostate biopsy or a blood test for prostate-specific antigen
- urodynamic tests, to see how your bladder and urethra store urine
- cystoscopy, to look inside the urethra and bladder for blockage
Your doctor may also order an ultrasound to get a closer look. The cause will help determine the correct course of treatment.
Can A Kidney Stone Cause Pain In The Lower Abdomen
Kidney stones can cause extreme stomach pain and lower abdominal pain when they move through your urinary tract. Kidney stones are small buildups of mineral deposits that can form in your kidneys. Dr. Melissa Conrad Stöppler on MedicineNet says that kidney stones can cause excruciating pain in the lower abdomen, groin, side or lower back.
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How A Urologist Can Help Avoid A Chronic Uti
Urinary tract infections are most commonly diagnosed in women, but many men over age 50 are at increased risk of developing this infection due to an enlarged prostate gland. Most men will experience symptoms of an enlarged prostate as they age, including effects to the bladder that can cause a chronic UTI. A urologist can help avoid a UTI and the uncomfortable symptoms associated, by treating the underlying issue.
Some of the most common symptoms of an enlarged prostate, or benign prostatic hyperplasia include:
- Difficulty urinating
- Straining to empty the bladder
- Weak stream of urine and/or dribbling after finishing
- Frequent urination, including waking several times at night to urinate
- Difficulty holding urine in, incontinence
The prostate gland is situated close to the urethra, a tube that connects the bladder to the outside of the body. When the prostate gland swells, it can compress or even block the flow of urine through the urethra.
If an enlarged prostate is not treated, these symptoms can get worse over time and cause complications that may include:
- Urinary retention or complete inability to urinate
- Bladder or kidney damage
- Bladder stones
- UTI
What Is The Prostate
The prostate is a walnut-shaped gland that is part of the male reproductive system. The main function of the prostate is to make a fluid that goes into semen. Prostate fluid is essential for a mans fertility. The gland surrounds the urethra at the neck of the bladder. The bladder neck is the area where the urethra joins the bladder. The bladder and urethra are parts of the lower urinary tract. The prostate has two or more lobes, or sections, enclosed by an outer layer of tissue, and it is in front of the rectum, just below the bladder. The urethra is the tube that carries urine from the bladder to the outside of the body. In men, the urethra also carries semen out through the penis.
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Prostate Inflammation : Causes Symptoms And Treatment
Written byDr. Victor MarchionePublished onApril 30, 2017
Prostatitis causes painful urination, and urinary tract infections increase the risk of developing the condition. Prostatitis can be referred to as an infection of the prostate, but inflammation often occurs without a known infection. Roughly five to ten percent of prostatitis cases are caused by a bacterial infection, but luckily, it does not lead to an increased risk of prostate cancer.Although an enlarged prostate commonly affects older men, men of all ages are prone to prostatitis, with 25 percent of hospital visits being accounted for by younger and middle-aged men.
There are three main types of prostatitis: acute bacterial prostatitis, chronic bacterial prostatitis, and chronic nonbacterial prostatitis. Acute bacterial prostatitis is a bacterial infection that causes inflammation that is typically uncommon but comes with severe symptoms. Chronic bacterial prostatitis occurs from recurrent urinary tract infections that enter the prostate gland. Symptoms may be similar to acute bacterial prostatitis but less severe and fluctuating. Lastly, chronic nonbacterial prostatitis is the most common form of prostatitis that presents urinary and pelvic pain for at least three to six months.
What Is The Difference Between Prostatitis And A Uti
This is another situation where symptoms are very similar.
Where cystitis is the inflammation of the bladder, prostatitis is simply the inflammation of the prostate gland. And, like cystitis, the most common cause of this is an infection.
Interestingly, the source of this infection is often a UTI, as the bacteria from the bladder can make their way into the prostate. So, where an enlarged prostate can cause UTIs, prostatitis can be a result of a UTI, and they symptoms of all three can overlap. You can see how they can easily get mixed up!
Prostatitis can have very similar symptoms to both UTIs and an enlarged prostate, including pain when urinating, frequent and urgent urination, using the toilet during the night and difficulty starting. However, a few key differences are that it can also cause general pain in the pelvic area, can affect sexual function and can occur in men of all ages. Its particularly common in men aged between 20 and 40.
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How Can I Tell The Difference Between Prostatitis And Bph
If you do not have any symptoms of BPH or any of the types of prostatitis, which can be the situation for some men, you may not be able to tell if you have either problem. However, a doctor or other health care professional can detect enlargement of the prostate with a digital rectal exam , even if you dont have any symptoms.
If you do have symptoms, they are related to the increase in size of your prostate gland. When the gland enlarges, it can constrict the urethra and produce one or more of these symptoms.
- The need to urinate frequently during the day or night
- The sudden urgent need to urinate
- Difficulty initiating urinary stream
- Feeling like you still need to urinate even though you recently urinated
- Feeling like you need to push or strain to empty your bladder
- A decrease in the force of the urine stream
- Loss of small amounts of urine
The symptoms of prostatitis depend upon the type of prostatitis.
Acute bacterial prostatitis symptoms
Asymptomatic inflammatory prostatitis
Some men may have some of these symptoms with both BPH and prostatitis. If you are over age 50, it is more likely BPH than prostatitis, and if you are under age 35, acute bacterial prostatitis is more likely than BPH. In some patients, prostatitis may be recurrent .
Canine Enlarged Prostate: A Guide To The Causes & Symptoms
A canine enlarged prostate is a very upsetting and actually very common condition found in some older dogs .
The Prostate Gland works in a very similar way in dogs as it does in humans. This gland is utilized by a dog for breeding although as a sex gland it does not produce or manufacture Sperm it does produce a fluid that is ejaculated at the same time as the Sperm during breeding. The Prostate fluid actually makes up a large proportion of the Sperm and is used to keep the Sperm healthy and well nourished.
Because Sperm is only produced in small amounts to make it easier for the Sperm to pass from the dogs Testicles to the females Ovaries the Prostate fluid will bulk up the small amount of Sperm. The journey from the testicles to the female Ovaries is made easier through the female dogs muscle contraction of the Uterus, Cervix and Urethra.
Canine Enlarged Prostate The Facts
As previously mentioned an enlarged Prostate is a very common condition found in older dogs. It is not uncommon for men as they get older to develop Prostate Cancer ! This percentage probability is also the same in dogs .
Although an enlarged prostate in dogs is often directly attributable to old age there are other causes including
1. Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia3. Bacterial infections either through through the blood or urinary tract.
The Symptoms of a Canine Enlarged Prostate
The symptoms of an nlarged prostate gland can include
Cancer
BPH .
Prevention
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