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Does The Prostate Affect Erectile Function

Its Not Just About Eating Healthy Its About Eating Prostate Healthy

How Radiation Affects The Prostate | Mark Scholz, MD

And just like some food is bad for our general health, a few types of food are absolute killers when it comes to the wellbeing of the prostate receptors.

These are the types of food you must stop eating today.

Once the prostate is back to a healthy size, you can reintroduce these foods in smaller quantities.

But for now, you must eliminate these prostate destroyers from your diet.

Im Grateful I Didnt Chicken Out

Because Scott has since stopped seeing people in person.

He says it takes too much time from his research and writing, and his time is better served there.

Hes the kind of person who is all about effectiveness.

He doesnt like to be in the spotlight, promote himself, or do interviews.

Thats why youre discovering his prostate approach by word of mouth from me, his eternally thankful client.

I want to pay this forward!

Because nobody else has uncovered the real underlying cause of enlarged prostate that Scott identified.

Therefore, nobody else can give you the roadmap to prostate health that he gave me and that I now want to give you.

Enlarged Prostate And Sex Drive

Although we cant say for certain that an enlarged prostate will cause erectile dysfunction or problems ejaculating, there is plenty of evidence that the condition can and does impact the sex lives of those who experience it. BPH can affect your sex drive , because you might feel generally stressed or anxious about your symptoms.

If you feel that your prostate is impacting your sex life, you should talk to your doctor.

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Finding Help For Erectile Dysfunction

Discussing sex-related conditions or prostate health can be uncomfortable, but understanding these conditions and how they affect overall health is critically important for every patient experiencing ED. Once a health care provider knows that the patient has this problem, they can prescribe medicines that often take immediate effect or refer the patient to a specialist for other treatment options.

Even if you choose not to treat the ED with direct therapies, going to the doctor will help you uncover any of these underlying medical problems. Identifying the organic cause and prostate cancer treatment can help relieve the symptom of ED.

Treatments for prostate cancer that may also indirectly improve ED include surgery, radiation therapy, systemic therapy and focal therapy. Detailed information about treatment options is available through Siteman Cancer Center.

Treating Prostate Cancer and ED at Washington University

Washington University Division of Urology and the Washington University cancer specialists at Siteman Cancer Center help treat patients experiencing these related conditions. Washington University offers a multidisciplinary approach, which employs the combined expertise of urologists, interventional radiologists, endocrinologists and psychologists when it comes to making a diagnosis and developing a treatment plan for ED. Siteman has a number of innovative treatment options for prostate cancer.

Stem Cell Transplant Effects On Erections

Prostate Cancer

Stem cell transplant involves getting very high doses of chemotherapy drugs. One complication of a transplant is graft-versus-host disease. Men who have had graft-versus-host disease are more likely to have a long-lasting loss of testosterone. In some cases, these men may need testosterone replacement therapy to regain sexual desire and erections.

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Prostate Cancer And Occurrence Of Sexual Dysfunction

A sudden reduction in sexual function in patients with prostate cancer frequently occurs because of psychological instability caused by the occurrence of the cancer, and, in particular, depression.6,7 The occurrence of prostate cancer also often has a negative effect on the mental status of the female partner, causing a decrease in sexual function in the female partner.8 Because a diagnosis of prostate cancer simultaneously causes fear and anxiety in married couples regarding the effects of prostate cancer on their lives, it also creates an unstable mental status in their sex life, resulting in reduced sexual activity.

Other Diagnostic Tests And Procedures

Other diagnostic tests , such as uroflowmetry and cystourethroscopy, have been used in patients with LUTS. However, their reliability varies considerably, making it difficult to base a diagnosis solely on the results of these techniques. However, they can be used in conjunction with digital rectal examination to estimate prostate volume, although prostate size does not have a significant bearing on the degree of obstruction or symptoms. Postvoid residual volume also has a high degree of intrinsic variability, which limits the value of this test.

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But There Is No Magic Pill For An Enlarged Prostate

Healing my prostate was easy enough, but it still required some action.

At first, I was highly skeptical that Scott could help.

I only agreed because I was desperate.

Traditional medicine had completely failed me.

And spending a lot of money on expensive prostate supplements had taught me the bitter lesson that theyre nothing but useless shams.

I believed diet and lifestyle changes could help. But I had no idea where to start.

So, I decided to take the leap of faith.

How To Find A Specialist

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  • Ask your doctor for a referral. If you trust your doctor, he or she should be able to give you a reliable referral to a specialist you can trust. Possibly even affiliated with your doctors practice.

  • Ask a friend for a recommendation. If you know someone who may be dealing with a similar condition, ask them who they see.

  • Research online and look for reviews.

  • Check out the NAFC Doctor Finder

Beyond simply finding a new doctor, youll also want to take note of their demeanor. When speaking with a specialist, ask yourself these questions:

  • Are they patient with your questions?

  • Do they address your concerns?

  • Are they open to exploring treatment options youve already researched or are interested in?

  • Are they able to explain, in simple terms, your condition and their recommended treatment?

Ensuring youre comfortable with your doctor is an important factor in finding the right fit.

Learn more about common specialists that treat bladder leaks at the links below.

  • Types of urinary leakage and

  • Causes of urinary leakage as well as

  • Stages of urinary leakage.

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Diagnosing An Enlarged Prostate

As with all incontinence conditions, a thorough diagnosis must be developed before action can be taken. You may have heard of some of these exams. And if you havent, now is a good time to familiarize yourself with them. Not only is knowledge power, but it also eliminates surprises.

Because those with BPH can experience symptoms from mild to severe, the treatment options featured here are organized from least invasive to more intense.

Can Anything Be Done For Erectile Dysfunction Caused By Prostate Cancer Treatment

Yes, there are things you can try if you have erectile dysfunction after your prostate cancer treatment. You should keep in mind that the following things will affect your ability to have an erection after your prostate cancer treatment:

  • How good your erections were before your treatment
  • Other medical conditions you have like high blood pressure or diabetes
  • Some types of medicines you may take such as medicines for high blood pressure or antidepressants
  • Things you do in your life such as drinking or smoking
  • The type of prostate cancer treatment you had

It is important that you and your partner speak with your doctor or healthcare team about what you can do. Your doctor or healthcare team will speak with you about what might work best for you if you have erectile dysfunction. It is important that you speak with them since some treatments for erectile dysfunction can affect other medical problems you may have.

Types of treatment for erectile dysfunction include:

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Isnt There Some Natural Supplement I Can Buy That Will Do All The Work For Me

Scott frowned.

Yes, he replied. There are hundreds of overhyped prostate supplements out there.

All of them promise you a prince on a white horse and happily ever after.

And guess what theyre worth less than the cheap plastic bottles they come in.

Yes, there are some good vitamins, minerals, and enzymes that help. You can get them at your local supermarket.

But no one blend of supplements is going to shrink a prostate to a healthy size.

Why Is Rehabilitation Important

Penile Rehabilitation Strategies Among Prostate Cancer Survivors

Whether you are single, or in a relationship, you should have the opportunity to discuss penile rehabilitation with your doctor or specialist nurse. Self pleasuring is important for many people and this can play a part in rehabilitation. This might help to give you confidence and to become aware of the changes that your treatment might have caused.

Ideally, rehabilitation should start soon after your prostate cancer treatment, or in some situations before treatment. For example, you should start rehabilitation within 3 to 6 months of starting hormone therapy or radiotherapy. Or within the first 3 months of surgery to remove the prostate gland.

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Why Is There Increasing Concern At This Time Regarding Erectile Dysfunction Issues Following Radical Prostatectomy

The reality of the recovery process after radical prostatectomy today is that erectile function recovery lags behind functional recovery in other areas. Patients are understandably concerned about this issue and, following months of erectile dysfunction, become skeptical of reassurances that their potency will return.

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Nerve Damage From Surgery

The most common way surgery affects erections is by removing or causing injury to the nerves that help cause an erection. All of the operations listed above can damage these nerves. The nerves surround the back and sides of the prostate gland between the prostate and the rectum, and fan out like a cobweb around the prostate, which makes it easy to damage them during an operation.

When possible, nerve-sparing methods are used in radical prostatectomy, radical cystectomy, AP resection, or TME. In nerve-sparing surgery, doctors carefully try to avoid these nerves. When the size and location of a tumor allow for nerve-sparing surgery, more men recover erections than with other techniques. But even if the surgeon is able to spare these nerves, they might still be injured during the operation and need time to heal.

Even when the nerves are spared, research has shown that the healing process takes up to 2 years for most men. We dont know all the reasons some men regain full erections and others do not. We do know that men are more likely to recover erections when nerves on both the left and right sides of the prostate are spared.

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The Elephant In The Room

Lets get to the point. Yes, BPH can affect your sex life.

It can cause a reduced sexual drive, there can be a reduction in sexual satisfaction, and thirdly, it can cause ED or erectile dysfunction. Erectile dysfunction is defined as the inability to attain and maintain an erection for intercourse at least 25% of the time.

Some drugs used to treat BPH can lead to ED. They can also reduce sperm count, lower sperm movement and sperm volume.

Yes, its complicated.

To continue, specifically, Proscar, an anti-testosterone drug prescribed for BPH has been linked to ED in 3.7% of men using it, with 3.3% having diminished libido, whereas alpha-blockers like Flomax can improve the symptoms of BPH with a lower risk of sexual side effects.

Why Does Prostatectomy Cause Erectile Dysfunction

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On either side of the prostate are bundles of nerves necessary for an erection. These nerves pass close to the prostate gland, and if one or both are removed or damaged during the surgery, it can lead to erectile dysfunction. If possible, doctors will perform a nerve-sparing surgery to preserve the penis erectile function. However, the nerves may need to be removed if the surgeon finds cancer nearby.

If the surgeon leaves one or both nerves in place and undamaged, spontaneous erections remain possible depending on other factors, including age, general health and whether the patient experienced erectile dysfunction before the surgery.

The patient may experience short-term dysfunction if the nerves and blood vessels were damaged during surgery. As swelling recedes and the area heals, spontaneous erections may return on their own.

If loss of function lasts longer than two years, it’s likely long-term erectile dysfunction. ED lasting multiple years is likely permanent and may result from the surgeon removing one or both nerve bundles during surgery.

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And That Something Is Causing Your Prostate To Grow Out Of Hand

Let me explain what that something is.

The prostate receptors are like bouncers in an unruly bar. They need to be in excellent shape to handle the onset of testosterone.

In his 20s the bouncer can handle cheating a little bit on his diet. But if he keeps this up into his 30s and 40s, his belly will grow bigger, and hell get slower and weaker.

And one day, when faced with a stampede, hell be run over.

Similarly, our prostate receptors could manage the things that damage them for decades.

But throughout our lives, they became weaker and less effective.

Until one day, our prostate receptors cant balance the testosterone onset.

At that point, your prostate gets overrun by testosterone.

Like a kid on a sugar rush, the prostate gulps up all the testosterone it can get and balloons in size.

In weeks or months, the prostate becomes two, four, even ten times the size it was before.

You have now developed an enlarged prostate!

The Fundamental Difference Between Men With Enlarged Prostates And Healthy Men

Ill get back to this fundamental difference in a second.

Because Scott didnt stop there

After spending several months in the Amazon, he returned to the US.

Here, he examined hundreds of elderly American men who do not suffer enlarged prostates.

You have probably been told the myth that all men will develop enlarged prostates with age.

Thats simply not true.

Because one in five men never develops an enlarged prostate, no matter how old they become.

Again, the traditional medical system has no explanation of WHY these mens prostates dont grow bigger. Or WHAT these men do to keep their prostates in great shape.

But Scott found out.

Because those prostate-healthy American men confirmed

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How Does The Treatment For Bph Cause Erectile Dysfunction

Alpha-blockers

5-alpha reductase inhibitors

Research has shown that men who take these drugs for an enlarged prostate could be at higher risk for sexual problems, especially erectile dysfunction , low libido, and trouble ejaculating.

5-alpha-reductase inhibitors represent a type of drug that is used to treat both BPH and androgenic alopecia . Two examples of 5-alpha-reductase inhibitors are dutasteride and finasteride. These drugs are considered safe and effective for these two conditions, but they could have sexual side effects.

In a study published in 2016 by the Journal of Sexual Medicine, Chinese researchers analysed seventeen studies on 5-alpha reductase inhibitors and sexual function. The study included almost 17,500 men with an average age of 60 years. About 55% of men were treated with 5-alpha-reductase inhibitors while the rest received placebo.

Another study performed by the researchers from the Boston University School of Medicine showed that ED associated with long term use of finasteride for the treatment of BPH appears to worsen.

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He Put His Prostate Protocol To The Ultimate Test

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He gave the prostate protocol to hundreds of men all over the world.

Then he interviewed them repeatedly on their progress.

He studied what worked and what didnt work for them.

And he adjusted the strategy accordingly.

Until one day, he was confident that his strategy could help everyone.

Fortunately for me, Scott had his strategy fully molded when I met him.

After our initial face-to-face meeting , he handed me an approximately 150-page printout of the prostate protocol.

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Surgical Treatments For Bph

While many doctors claim to treat prostate enlargement with surgery, such claims are almost always related to improving urinary function. Since the prostate surrounds the urethra, symptoms of BPH almost always involve urinary function. If a man has severe urinary issues or blockage, surgery may help.

Some doctors recommend removing the prostate to resolve the urinary issues in severe cases. The prostatectomy will likely resolve the urinary issues, but the surgerys side effects will surely deteriorate the mans quality of life.

Surgery should never be the first choice to relieve problems associated with BPH. Any urologist recommending surgery as a first-line treatment for BPH is not providing patients with the best advice. Every surgery has side effects. Some can be minor and others life-altering. Many solutions can make BPH more tolerable without destroying a mans quality of life.

What Scott Discovered Was

The Tsimane Amerindians had exceptionally effective prostate receptors.

And the same was true for American men in their 60s,70s, and 80s who did not develop enlarged prostates.

Some had high testosterone levels others lower.

Some had low estrogen others higher.

It didnt make any difference.

What mattered was how well their prostate receptors functioned.

For the men who had enlarged prostates, something began to damage their prostate receptors starting in their 30s, 40s, or 50s.

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Radical Prostatectomy And Sexual Function

Radical prostatectomy is the standard treatment method selected for the treatment of local prostate cancer limited to the intraprostate region. As endourological treatments using an endoscope or robot have been used more frequently recently, the frequency of radical prostatectomy has been decreasing. It is, however, still the most important treatment method for local prostate cancer.

Previous studies using animal models reported that cavernosal nerve injury caused increased collagen in the corpus cavernosum, apoptosis in the cavernosal smooth muscle, and cavernosal fibrosis. Additionally, due to increased transforming growth factor-1 and decreased prostaglandin E1 and cyclic adenosine monophosphate in the corpus cavernosum, and the secretion of cytokines and endothelin-1 from injured nerves, veno-occlusive erectile dysfunction may then occur as a result of structural changes in the corpus cavernosum .13 Direct injury of the neurovascular bundle during radical prostatectomy may also cause arterial erectile dysfunction due to injuries to the cavernosal artery.

Pathophysiology of erectile dysfunction following radical prostatectomy. ROS: reactive oxygen species, TGF-: transforming growth factor-beta, ET-1: endothelin-1, PGE1: prostaglandin E1, iNOS: inductible nitric oxide synthase.

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