Providing Your Medical History
At first, the doctor will probably ask you about your medical history. Do you have any chronic illnesses? What illnesses and operations have you had in the past? What medications are you taking, if any? Your doctor is also likely to ask about your psychological well-being and lifestyle: Do you suffer from depression? Are you under a lot of stress? Do you drink alcohol? Smoke? Use illegal drugs? Have you felt a loss of affection for your partner? Have you recently grown interested in a new partner?
As part of this health history, be prepared to tell your doctor specific details about the symptoms that brought you to the office and when they began. Your doctor might want to know how often you had sex before the problem started and if there have been weeks or months in the past when youve had erectile dysfunction. Your doctor may conduct a written or verbal screening test.
If the cause is clear a recent operation for prostate cancer, for example the conversation may move directly to your treatment options. Otherwise, you may need to answer more questions to help the doctor narrow down the possible causes and avoid unnecessary testing.
Questions To Ask Your Doctor Or Nurse
- How could my prostate cancer treatment affect my sex life?
- How soon after treatment can I masturbate or have sex?
- Which treatments for erection problems would be best for me? Can I get them on the NHS?
- Is there anything I can do to prepare myself before I start my prostate cancer treatment?
- What happens if the treatment doesnât work? Are there others I could try?
- What other support is available to me?
- Can my partner also get support?
Should I Avoid Having Sex If I Have Prostatitis
Prostatitis is an extremely common condition affecting men. While it is more common in older men, it can occur at any age.
Essentially, it is an inflammation of the male prostate gland that may be the result of a bacterial or fungal infection. It can also occur without any infection simply from the result of mechanical irritation.
According to some experts, prostatitis is the symptom-producing condition of the genitourinary tract for which men most often seek medical help. Roughly 40 percent of visits by men to urologists are for prostatitis.
In a healthy man, prostatitis can be brought about by irritation to the gland from external stimuli, such as bike or motorcycle riding, excessive exercise, sexual activity, or even lack of sufficient sexual activity. The term prostatitis is used by many medical professionals for almost all cases of prostate inflammation, even when there is no readily apparent cause.
The purpose of the male prostate gland is to generate fluids for lubrication and transporting sperm containing semen outside the male body during sexual intercourse. This seminal fluid contains enzymes, some minerals, and, most importantly, sperm cells for propagating the species.
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Enlarged Prostate Vs Sexual Activity
If viagra is an excellent way to soothe the symptoms of an enlarged prostate, does it help to enhance the erection as well? you may wonder. The answer is not that easy. First of all, severe symptoms of prostate enlargement cause permanent discomfort and, as a result, decrease the sex drive and sexual performance. Viagra may improve the erection, but some other medications that you take at the same time may cause problems with it. The issue with being sexually active is even more complicated in case of surgery, which may be needed in some situations. So, if you have prostate problems, it might be necessary to avoid sex for some time.
What Are The Most Common Prostate Problems
For such a little gland, the prostate seems to cause a lot of concern. Like a troubled, war-torn country, its in the news all the time and something always seems to be going wrong there, but you dont really know where it is or why its important.
All men are at risk for prostate problems. Thats because all men have a prostate. Take a look at this overview of prostate problems to assess your risk for trouble with your prostate.
Benign prostatic hyperplasia .BPH, also known as an enlarged prostate, is growth of the prostate gland to an unhealthy size. A mans chances of having BPH go up with age:
- Age 31-40: one in 12
- Age 51-60: about one in two
- Over age 80: more than eight in 10
However, only about half of men ever have BPH symptoms that need treatment. BPH does not lead to prostate cancer, although both are common in older men.
Prostate Cancer. Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men . About one man in six will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime. Lets keep these numbers in perspective, though. Because prostate cancer is usually slow growing, only about one in 35 men will die of prostate cancer.
Like BPH, the risk for prostate cancer increases with age. About two out of every three men with prostate cancer are over age 65. No one knows exactly what causes prostate cancer, but risk factors associated with it include:
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Frequent Sex May Be Protective
Hence, not until very recently, the mainstream hypothesis had been too much sex might provoke the development of prostate cancer but a recently published research study thinks the direct opposite, postulating that frequent sex may be a protective factor in prostate cancer.
The findings, published in the April 7 issue of The Journal of the American Medical Association and reviewed on webmd.com, are based on data collected from nearly 30,000 predominately white men aged 46 to 81.
At the start of the study, men provided information on ejaculation frequency in their 20s, 40s, and in the previous year . Ejaculation frequency included sexual intercourse, masturbation, and nighttime ejaculations that can occur during sleep. The men were then monitored for eight years.
Ordinarily, researchers found most categories of ejaculation frequency were unrelated to prostate cancer risk. But when they looked at men in the highest category of ejaculation frequency , they found evidence of a protective effect.
According to Michael Leitzmann, MD, an investigator at the National Cancer Institute in Bethesda, USA, who conducted the research during a post-doctoral fellowship at Harvard University, when you look at the data in a little bit more detail, you do see that not only is there not an increased risk, but there is potentially even the possibility of a slight decrease in risk with high ejaculation frequency.
Does An Enlarged Prostate Affect A Man Sexually
The quick and easy answer is that an enlarged prostate can definitely impact men and their sexual health. If that’s all you were looking for, you can go on with your day, but the ways in which an enlarged prostate can affect a man’s sexual health is quite interesting and worth a read.
The prostate is a uniquely male structure in the human body that works in a unique way. Because the urethra is dual purpose and is the common pathway for semen and urine, the prostate acts as the traffic controller, ensuring that both are routed correctly and do not occur simultaneously. Additionally, the prostate is a crucial component in the creation of seminal fluid.
To fully answer the question as to how an enlarged prostate can impact a man sexually, it is important to compare the different dimensions surrounding sexual health and how an enlarged prostate affects these components of sexual functioning. Below is a deeper look into an enlarged prostate and its effect on male sexual health.
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Assessment Of A History Of Sexually Transmitted Infections Prostatitis And Frequency Of Ejaculation
On the 1992 questionnaire, participants were asked whether they had ever had a diagnosis of syphilis, gonorrhea, or neither whether they had ever had prostatitis or prostatic infection how long their symptoms had persisted whether they had ever been treated for prostatitis and at what age they were first treated . Participants were further asked how many ejaculations they had on average per month at ages 2029 and 4049 years and during the past year . We categorized gonorrhea and syphilis separately, as no, yes, or missing , and prostatitis as no, young-onset prostatitis , other prostatitis , and missing. Ejaculation frequency from ages 2029 years was used to describe early life sexual activity. We combined the lower two ejaculation frequency categories because of small numbers and included a missing category. Ejaculation frequencies from ages 4049 years and in the year prior to completion of the 1992 questionnaire were categorized in the same manner.
Does Sexual Activity Improve Prostate Health
Regular ejaculation enhances the immune systems response to the presence of cancer cells.
According to a report published in JAMA, men who reported having more than 20 ejaculations per month were 33% less likely to develop prostate cancer.
These measured ejaculations included sexual intercourse, nocturnal emissions, and masturbation. Researchers evaluated nearly 30,000 patients, of whom 1,449 developed prostate cancer.
Assuming the men answered the survey questions honestly, the results indicated that active sex life is not associated with higher cancer risk in most men.
An Australian study of 2,338 men also came to a similar conclusion. This study found that men who averaged 4.6 to seven ejaculations a week were 36% less likely to be diagnosed with prostate cancer before the age of 70 compared to men who ejaculated less than 2.3 times a week on average.
The study found no connection between prostate cancer and the number of sex partners.
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A Guide To Prostate Massage
Caitilin Kelly, MD, is a clinical physician at Indiana University Health Bloomington Hospital and is board-certified in internal medicine.
Prostate massage is a procedure in which a finger is inserted into the rectum to stimulate the prostate gland. The goal is to release excess seminal fluidthe fluid that mixes with sperm to create semenfrom the ducts of the prostate gland.
Alternative medical practitioners claim that prostate massage can ease prostate inflammation while alleviating pressure on the urinary tract. Among the conditions prostate massage is said to treat are:
- Benign prostatic hyperplasia : enlargement of the prostate
- Prostatitis: inflammation of the prostate
- Urinary hesitancy: difficulty urinating
- Erectile dysfunction: difficulty getting or keeping an erection
Prostate massage is also used for sexual stimulation to help achieve arousal, enhance an erection, or relax the rectum in advance of anal sex.
This article will discuss the medical and sexual purposes of prostate massage. It also covers how the procedure is done, along with the risks and side effects that may come with it.
Does Masturbation Help Prevent Prostate Enlargement
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The Link Between Bph And Sexual Problems
Men with BPH have an enlarged prostate — the gland that surrounds the tube that carries urine. Symptoms include:
- Often feeling like you need to urinate
- Trouble starting and stopping urination
- Weak stream of urine
The symptoms may wake you up at night.
Scientists aren’t sure why, but they agree that the worse your BPH symptoms are, the more likely you’ll have sexual issues such as:
- Trouble keeping an erection
- Less sexual satisfaction
It may have something to do with genetics or age. It’s also possible that the sleeplessness or anxiety that can come from an enlarged prostate makes sexual problems worse.
Is A Prostate Massage The Same Thing As Trying For A Prostate Orgasm
Yes. If you massage the prostate in a way that feels good, youre probably going to have an orgasm if you keep at it.
Some doctors recommend prostate massage therapy to help relieve the symptoms of certain conditions, such as painful ejaculation prostatitis.
Yep! Though evidence on the efficacy of prostate massage for certain conditions is somewhat limited, it does appear to have some benefits.
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Talk With Cleveland Urology Associates
With all of these conflicting and complicated circumstances, it is always best to consult with your doctor if you are experiencing BPH especially with sexual side effects.
Trust Cleveland Urology Associates to determine which treatment will be best for all of the symptoms you are experiencing.
As always, if you have any further questions or would like to schedule an appointment, please call or request an appointment online today.
Can I Have An Orgasm Without An Erection
Yes. An erection is not necessary for orgasm or ejaculation. Even if a man cannot have an erection or can only get or keep a partial erection, with the right sexual stimulation you can experience an orgasm. Your orgasm has little to do with your prostate gland. As long as you have normal skin sensation, you can have an orgasm.
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Simple Steps Back To Full Prostate Health
So a disclaimer: Im not some health wizard or medical genius who discovered a secret remedy for BPH. Im an ordinary Joe who has driven abus for the last 35 years.
But as my prostate problems slowly worsened I grew increasingly scared of where it would all end.
I started visiting online health forums to see if there was any other way of reliably tackling this condition.
And it turns out there is.
I stumbled on a conversation with some ex-BPH sufferers whod taken a completely natural path out of their prostate misery.
Theyd got shot of BPH by following a simple set of instructions that ignored BPH symptoms and, instead, tackled the condition at its very source.
I was skeptical. Im actually a big believer in doctors, not alternatives.But despite my doctors best efforts I was still ill. And likely to stay that way.
Whereas these people had become well again. Which is something I wanted more than anything else. So I decided to do what they did.
They followed a program called The Prostate Protocol. It was created by ahighly-respected alternative health practitioner called Scott Davis.
I got my copy that day. The result?
I no longer have BPH either. Its gone. Let me tell you exactly how that happens.
How Do You Find It
Youll need to head south along the back road to find it in a magical place called the anal region.
Although entering through the anus is the most direct way, you can also stimulate the prostate indirectly through the perineum, or taint.
This is the skin that runs underneath the scrotum to the anus.
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Ejaculation Frequency And Prostate Cancer
Despite the importance of prostate cancer, its causes remain unknown. Scientists do know that genetics plays a strong role, and they have sound evidence that diet and other lifestyle factors are also important.
Since the prostate is a reproductive organ that produces fluid for the ejaculate, researchers have long wondered if sexual factors influence a mans risk of prostate cancer, but a Harvard study provides good news for sexually active men.
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Leaking Urine During Arousal Or Orgasm
Prostate surgery causes some men to leak urine during arousal or at the point of orgasm. This might become less of a problem as a man recovers from his surgery. But it could be a long term problem for some.
Understandably men can find this embarrassing. It might to help to talk things through with your partner if you have one. Discussing it with a new partner may be particularly difficult. But it could be a relief to consider ways of adjusting to this. It might help to pass urine before you have sex, or to use a condom.
- By Patrick J. Skerrett, Former Executive Editor, Harvard Health
When it comes to prostate trouble, the lions share of attention goes to prostate cancer and an enlarged prostate. A third condition, prostatitis, flies under the radar even though it affects up to one in six men at some point in their lifetimes. It triggers more than two million visits to doctors and untold agony each year.
Prostatitis, which means inflammation of the prostate gland, is an equal opportunity disorder. Unlike prostate cancer and benign prostatic hyperplasia , which predominantly affect older men, prostatitis affects men of all ages.
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Masturbation And Prostate Cancer Risk
Masturbation Frequency Linked to Prostate Risk in 20s, Protection in 50s
Jan. 27, 2009 — Frequent masturbation in young men is linked to higher risk of early prostate cancer, but it lowers prostate cancer risk for men in their 50s, a study shows.
High levels of male sex hormones, or androgens, may increase a man’s risk of prostate cancer. But different studies of this question, done in different ways, have reached different conclusions.
To look at the question in a new way, a team of researchers at England’s University of Nottingham looked at whether men with more intense sex drives were at higher risk of prostate cancer.
Polyxeni Dimitropoulou, PhD Rosalind Eeles, PhD, FRCP and Kenneth R. Muir, PhD, obtained detailed sexual histories from 840 men. About half the men got prostate cancer by age 60, and about half did not have cancer.
The findings were surprising. Sexual intercourse did not affect prostate cancer risk. But frequent masturbation did — in different ways, at different times of life.
“Frequent masturbation during men’s 20s and 30s increased their risk of prostate cancer,” Dimitropoulou tells WebMD. “But men in their 50s who masturbated frequently had decreased risk.”
Of course, masturbation frequency is relative.
For men in their 50s, “frequent masturbation” was one or more times per week. Compared to same-age men who reported never masturbating, 50-something frequent masturbators had a 70% lower risk of prostate cancer.