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How To Take Care Of The Prostate

Maintaining Good Nutrition During And After Treatment

Taking care of prostate without surgery… BELL Eazee Flow Tea

Maintaining a healthy diet can help you prepare for and recover after cancer treatment. It may also help to prevent the prostate cancer from coming back.Watching your weight may also reduce your risk of dying from prostate cancer. Recent studies have indicated that the risk of dying from prostate cancer is more than double in obese men diagnosed with the disease compared with men of normal weight at the time of diagnosis. Obese men with local or regional disease have been shown to have nearly four times the risk of their cancer spreading beyond the prostate or metastasizing.

Prostate cancer treatment may affect your appetite, eating habits, and weight, but it is important for you to maintain a healthy weight, get essential nutrients, and remain as physically active as possible.If you have difficulty eating due to side effects from treatment, there are ways to make eating more comfortable. Working with a registered dietitian/nutritionist can help make sure you are getting the nutrition you need.

Unfortunately it is possible for the side effects of surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy to cause you to lose your appetite, eat less and lose weight. On the other hand, some treatments, such as androgen deprivation therapy may cause weight gain for some men.

, Prostate Cancer and Nutrition featuring Margaret Martin, RD, MS, LDN, a nutrition educator from PearlPoint Nutrition Services.

Do Prostate Problems Cause Other Problems

Yes, a prostate problem may cause other problems, such as

  • problems having sex
  • feeling stressed due to chronic pain
  • inflammation in areas near your prostate
  • bladder stones
  • kidney failure

Which problem you may get depends on the type of prostate problem you have. Other problems may vary from man to man for each type of prostate problem.

Other Points To Consider With Enlarged Prostate

Need for repeat procedures: With minimally invasive procedures for an enlarged prostate, there is a chance you will need to have a repeat procedure later on. Having the procedure when you’re young makes that a near certainty. However, that may be a risk you’re willing to take — to avoid surgery in the short term.

Side effects of treatments: Some BPH treatments cause erection problems, although that risk is low. Men who have normal erections before surgery will not likely have trouble afterward. Some treatments cause retrograde ejaculation . Fertility can also be affected, but is still possible with newer assisted reproductive techniques.

Multiple health problems: If you have other health problems, especially if you are on an anticoagulant and cannot stop taking this medication, your treatment options for enlarged prostate may be affected. For example, if you have had surgery for obstructive sleep apnea or pulmonary surgery in the past, having surgery with general anesthesia may be too risky. However, spinal anesthesia may be an option for you. Or you may wish to have a minimally invasive office procedure that doesn’t require anesthesia at all.

Talk to your doctor about your BPH symptom score, your concerns, and about the plan of treatment that works best for you.

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The Test Is Often Not Needed

Most men with high PSAs dont have prostate cancer. Their high PSAs might be due to:

  • An enlarged prostate gland.
  • Recent sexual activity.
  • A recent, long bike ride.

Up to 25% of men with high PSAs may have prostate cancer, depending on age and PSA level. But most of these cancers do not cause problems. It is common for older men to have some cancer cells in their prostate glands. These cancers are usually slow to grow. They are not likely to spread beyond the prostate. They usually dont cause symptoms, or death.

Studies show that routine PSA tests of 1,000 men ages 55 to 69 prevent one prostate cancer death. But the PSA also has risks.

How The Prostate Changes As You Age

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Because the prostate gland tends to grow larger with age, it may squeeze the urethra and cause problems in passing urine. Sometimes men in their 30s and 40s may begin to have these urinary symptoms and need medical attention. For others, symptoms aren’t noticed until much later in life. An infection or a tumor can also make the prostate larger. Be sure to tell your doctor if you have any of the urinary symptoms listed below.

Tell your doctor if you have these urinary symptoms:

  • Are passing urine more during the day
  • Have an urgent need to pass urine
  • Have less urine flow
  • Feel burning when you pass urine
  • Need to get up many times during the night to pass urine

Growing older raises your risk of prostate problems. The three most common prostate problems are inflammation , enlarged prostate , and prostate cancer.

One change does not lead to another. For example, having prostatitis or an enlarged prostate does not increase your risk of prostate cancer. It is also possible for you to have more than one condition at the same time.

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Ways To Stay On Top Of Prostate Health

The nut-sized gland called the prostate lies between the base of your penis and your bladder. This small gland has a mighty job: It must produce the seminal fluid that carries your sperm into a partner and allows you to ejaculate.

When your prostate isnt healthy, you dont feel well, either. Although the most common condition that affects your prostate is benign prostatic hyperplasia , the most deadly is prostate cancer, which kills more than 34,000 men in the United States each year.

Because the prostate sits so near the bladder, if it gets too large it can interfere with your ability to urinate. Although BPH doesnt cause cancer, both BPH and prostate cancer have similar symptoms, including urinary incontinence, dribbling, and failure to void urine.

Prostate cancer is rare. However, BPH is common, with its risk increasing as you age.

Our physicians at Men’s T Clinic® are specialists in mens health. Thats why we encourage you to adopt the following five prostate-healthy lifestyle habits, no matter how old you are. And fortunately, prostate-healthy habits increase your overall health, too.

Screenings Can Lead To High Costs

The cost for a PSA test is fairly lowabout $40.

If your result is abnormal, the costs start adding up. Your doctor will usually refer you to a urologist for a biopsy. Costs may include:

  • A consultation fee .
  • An ultrasound fee .
  • Additional professional fees .
  • Biopsy fees .

If the biopsy causes problems, there are more costs. You might also have hospital costs.

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Diagnosis Of Prostate Disease

Prostate disease is diagnosed using a variety of tests, including:

  • physical examination, including digital rectal examination , where the doctor inserts a gloved finger into your rectum to check the size of your prostate
  • blood test for prostate specific antigen
  • mid-stream urine tests to look for infection or blood in the urine
  • ultrasound scans and urinary flow studies
  • biopsies of the prostate.

Medicines Herbs And Supplements

Taking Care of Enlarged Prostate BPH with Drug and Herbal Supplement Part #1

Your health care provider may have you take a medicine called alpha-1- blocker. Most people find that these drugs help their symptoms. Symptoms often get better soon after starting on the medicine. You must take this medicine every day. There are several medicines in this category, including terazosin , doxazosin , tamsulosin , alfusozin , and silodosin .

  • Common side effects include nasal stuffiness, headaches, lightheadedness when you stand up, and weakness. You may also notice less semen when you ejaculate. This is not a medical problem but some men don’t like how it feels.
  • Ask your provider before taking sildenafil , vardenafil , and tadalafil with alpha-1- blockers because there can sometimes be an interaction.

Other drugs such as finasteride or dutasteride may also be prescribed. These medicines help shrink the prostate over time and help with symptoms.

  • You will need to take these drugs every day for 3 to 6 months before your symptoms begin to improve.
  • Side effects include less interest in sex and less semen when you ejaculate.

Watch out for drugs that may make your symptoms worse:

  • Try NOT to take over-the-counter cold and sinus medicines that contain decongestants or antihistamines. They can make your symptoms worse.
  • Men who are taking water pills or diuretics may want to talk to their provider about reducing the dosage or switching to another type of drug.
  • Other drugs that may worsen symptoms are certain antidepressants and drugs used to treat spasticity.

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Why Is Prostate Afraid Of Cold 6 Ways To Take Care Of Prostate

prostatitisWhy is the prostate afraid of the cold?How do men take care of the prostate in winter?1. Drink plenty of water and urinate more2. Adjust sex life3. Keep taking warm baths4. Keep clean5. Reduce friction6. Adjust the rhythm of lifeTreatments of prostatitischronic prostatitisDiuretic and Anti-inflammatory Pill

When Is A Psa Test Needed

If you are age 50 to 74, you should discuss the PSA test with your doctor. Ask about the possible risks and benefits.

Men under 50 or over 75 rarely need a PSA test, unless they have a high risk for prostate cancer.

  • You are more likely to get prostate cancer if you have a family history of prostate cancer, especially in a close relative such as a parent or sibling.
  • Your risks are higher if your relative got prostate cancer before age 60 or died from it before age 75. These early cancers are more likely to grow faster.
  • If you have these risks, you may want to ask your doctor about getting the PSA test before age 50.

This report is for you to use when talking with your healthcare provider. It is not a substitute for medical advice and treatment. Use of this report is at your own risk.

04/2014

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Side Effects And Nutrition

Cancer treatment often causes side effects, such as nausea, mouth sores, and taste changes that may make it difficult to eat or drink. Follow these tips to help you get the nutrition you need:

  • If water tastes unpleasant to you, take in more liquid though items such as soup, tea, milk or milk substitutes such as almond milk, or a sports drink. Or, flavor your water by adding fresh cut fruit.
  • If food tastes bland, try seasoning it with flavorful spices such as garlic, cayenne, dill, and rosemary.
  • Eat several small meals throughout the day instead of trying to eat large amounts of food at one time.
  • Enhance your protein intake with protein from foods such as fish, egg whites, cheese, beans, or high protein smoothies.
  • Suck on mints, chew on gum, or try fresh citrus fruits if you have a metallic taste in your mouth. Brushing your teeth before eating, using plastic utensils, and cooking in glassware can also help.
  • If you have mouth sores or a gum infection, use a blender to make vegetables and meats smooth. Try juicing or making smoothies.Some side effects are often treated with medication, so talk with your doctor or another member of your health care team for more information.

How To Reduce Prostate Inflammation

Prostate Take Care, New Chapter

An enlarged prostate or Prostatitis is a common condition in men over 40 years of age. This condition, that generates annoying symptoms, must be diagnosed and monitored by a urologist who will determine if it is bacterial prostatitis or of a chronic nature. Changes in diet as well as some changes in lifestyle habits and the intake of certain home remedies can help to shrink the prostate and improve the quality of life of patients. At oneHOWTO we explain in detail how to reduce prostate inflammation and improve your health.

An enlarged prostate is a condition that must be diagnosed and monitored by a urologist as it is necessary to determine the cause of this condition to then find the ideal treatment. In addition to medical recommendations that should be strictly followed there are some changes in lifestyle habits are also important to take to promote a reduction of the prostate.

The first step is to have a diet which is rich in fibre in order to improve the intestinal transit and prevent constipation, a condition that may increase the symptoms and discomfort of patients with an enlarged prostate. Fruits, vegetables and grains are essential to achieve this and should be consumed daily, while avoiding high-fat ingredients that can hinder digestion.

If you want to read similar articles to How to Reduce Prostate Inflammation, we recommend you visit our Family health category.

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Short Term Side Effects

Patients who receive any type of radiation therapy to treat their prostate cancer can have side effects. Short term side effects are ones that start during or shortly after your radiation treatment. Below is a list of possible short term side effects. Treatments can affect each patient differently, and you may not have these particular side effects. Talk with your care team about what you can expect from your treatment

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How Do I Find My Pelvic Floor Muscles

In order to help strengthen you pelvic floor muscles, it is important that you take time to make sure you are exercising the right muscles. It may take you several tries to find your pelvic muscles. So, take your time.

There are several ways that you can find your pelvic floor muscles. One way is to:

  • Try to stop and start your urine stream while you stand at your toilet to urinate . Try to do this two or three times.
  • Another way to find your pelvic floor muscles is to:

  • Imagine that someone walks in to your bathroom while you are urinating and you need to stop your urine flow.
  • Try to stop your urine flow.
  • The muscles you use to stop your urine flow are your pelvic floor muscles. These are the muscles you want to strengthen before and after your prostate cancer treatment.

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    Types Of Prostate Surgery

    There are several ways of removing the prostate keyhole surgery either by hand or robot-assisted, and open surgery.

    Although robot-assisted keyhole surgery is the newest technique, the most recent research suggests all three techniques are as good as each other for treating prostate cancer, as long as the surgeon is experienced. They also have similar rates of side effects.

    The advantages of keyhole surgery, both by hand and robot-assisted, are that you are likely to lose less blood, have less pain, spend less time in hospital, and heal more quickly than with open surgery.

    Keyhole surgery

    Keyhole surgery .

    • Robot-assisted keyhole surgery Your surgeon makes five or six small cuts in your lower abdomen and a slightly bigger cut near your belly button, and removes the prostate using special surgical tools. These include a thin, lighted tube with a small camera on the tip. The image will appear on a screen so the surgeon can see what theyre doing. Your surgeon controls the tools from a console in the operating room via four or five robotic arms. Although its called robot-assisted, its still a surgeon who does the operation. You may hear the equipment called the da Vinci® Robot.
    • Keyhole surgery by hand As with robot-assisted keyhole surgery, the surgeon will make four or five small cuts in your abdomen. But they will hold the surgical tools in their hands, rather than using robotic arms.

    Open surgery

    Limit Red Meat And Dairy

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    Although the research on this topic is not completely clear, studies indicate that eating a lot of red meat or dairy products is not healthy for the prostate. Nor is overeating processed meat such as bologna, salami, sausage, bacon, and hot dogs.

    Research also indicates that too much calcium may negatively impact the prostate. Adequate calcium is important for bone health, so the goal is to get enough but not too much calcium. For most people, 1,000 mg of calcium per day is enough. Aim to limit your milk and dairy intake to two servings or less per day.

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    Tests Used To Check The Prostate

    This first step lets your doctor hear and understand the “story” of your prostate concerns. You’ll be asked whether you have symptoms, how long you’ve had them, and how much they affect your lifestyle. Your personal medical history also includes any risk factors, pain, fever, or trouble passing urine. You may be asked to give a urine sample for testing.

    What Are The Symptoms Of Prostate Problems

    The symptoms of a prostate problem may include problems with urinating and bladder control. Bladder control is how well you can delay, start, or stop urination. These problems can cause you to

    • go to the bathroom frequently
    • feel as if you need to rush to the bathroom, only to find you cant urinate or you urinate only a little
    • leak or dribble urine
    • have a weak urine stream

    Depending on the cause of your prostate problems, you may have other symptoms.

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    Will My Urine Leakage Stop If I Do The Kegel Exercises

    Most men gain control of their urine leakage within nine to 12 months after their surgery. Studies with men show that Kegel exercises help lessen urine leakage. However, each manâs healing time is different.

    Do not become discouraged if you have urine leakage. If you do your Kegel exercises on a daily basis, you can expect to see some results. You may have a great improvement or you may help keep your urine leakage from getting worse. You will need to continue doing your Kegel exercises each day so that your pelvic floor muscles stay strong.

    If you have any questions or concerns about urine leakage , how to do a Kegel exercise, or if you would like to know about other things that may help with urine leakage, please talk to your doctor or your healthcare team.

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