Is Surgery For Me
With the guidance of your physician, only you can make the final decision on whether to go through with surgery. You must weigh the risks versus the rewards and try to envision your life after surgery. Look past the short-term pain associated with the procedure and try to imagine the impact on your lifestyle. Once you review the pros and cons with your physician and understand the procedure to the best of your ability, only then can you make the decision right for you.
Risk Factors You Can Control
Diet seems to play a role in the development of prostate cancer, which is much more common in countries where meat and high-fat dairy are mainstays. The reason for this link is unclear. Dietary fat, particularly animal fat from red meat, may boost male hormone levels. And this may fuel the growth of cancerous prostate cells. A diet too low in fruits and vegetables may also play a role.
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Symptoms Of An Enlarged Prostate
Because the prostate is positioned so close to the bladder, penis and rectum, most disorders which cause enlargement of the prostate share several basic symptoms. These include:
- An urgent, at times uncontrollable, need to urinate, which may lead to incontinence if the person canât make it to the bathroom in time
- Trouble urinating
- Sexual problems and loss of sex drive
- Postcoital pain
In the case of prostate cancer there may be no immediate symptoms, or there may be urinary symptoms like those listed above. In addition, there may be symptoms such as:
- Hematuria or blood in semen
- New onset of erectile dysfunction
- Back, especially lower back, hip or pelvic pain
- Unexplained weight loss
Good to know: A lot of the urinary symptoms above could also be caused by diabetes or may be related to the use of certain medications. If any of these symptoms are detected, it is of paramount importance that a physician is consulted and the cause diagnosed, so that appropriate next steps can be taken.
Worried you may have an enlarged prostate? Start your free symptom assessment in the Ada app.
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Symptoms Of Prostate Cancer
- Frequent urge to pass urine, especially at night
- Weak or interrupted urine stream
- Pain or burning when passing urine
- Blood in the urine or semen
- Painful ejaculation
- Nagging pain in the back, hips, or pelvis
Prostate cancer can spread to the lymph nodes of the pelvis. Or it may spread throughout the body. It tends to spread to the bones. So bone pain, especially in the back, can be a symptom of advanced prostate cancer.
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How Is Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia Diagnosed
Your doctor will look at your medical history and give you a complete physical examination.
Your doctor will perform a digital rectal examination by inserting a gloved, lubricated finger into your rectum to feel the prostate, estimate its size and detect any hard areas that could be cancer.
Several studies may be performed to help diagnose your condition:
- A survey to evaluate how severe your symptoms are.
- A flow study may be conducted to measure how slow the urinary stream is compared with normal urine flow.
- A study to detect how much urine is left in the bladder after you finish urinating.
- A cystoscopy to look into the bladder.
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Wednesday 4 October 2017
Hey guys, we know that talking about your prostate can be a little uncomfortable. You might not know where or what it is, or you might have only heard about it in stories about older men having difficulty peeing or the doctor sticking their finger up you know where to check on it.
Below, weve got all the details about what your prostate is, where it is and what it does. Well also discuss how it might change as you age, and any changes or symptoms you should keep an eye on and tell your doctor about.
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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When To Contact A Medical Professional
- Less urine than usual
- Back, side, or abdominal pain
- Blood or pus in your urine
Also call if:
- Your bladder does not feel completely empty after you urinate.
- You take medicines that may cause urinary problems, such as diuretics, antihistamines, antidepressants, or sedatives. DO NOT stop or change your medicines without talking to your provider.
- You have tried self-care steps for 2 months and symptoms have not improved.
Gleason Score Vs Grade Groups
The International Society of Urological Pathology released a revised prostate cancer grading system in 2014. The grade group system seeks to simplify Gleason scores and give a more accurate diagnosis.
One of the major problems with the Gleason score is that some scores can be made up in different ways. For example, a score of 7 can mean:
- 3 + 4. The 3 pattern is the most common in the biopsy and 4 is the second most common. This pattern is considered favorable intermediate risk.
- 4 + 3. The 4 pattern is the most common in the biopsy and 3 is the second most common. This pattern is considered unfavorable and may mean local or metastatic spread.
So, although both situations give a Gleason score of 7, they actually have very different prognoses.
Heres an overview of how the two grading systems compare:
| Cancer grade | |
|---|---|
| grade group 5 | 910 |
Not all hospitals have switched to the grade group system. Many hospitals give both grade group and Gleason scores to avoid confusion until grade groups become more widely used.
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Prostate Cancer: Coping With Erectile Dysfunction
Erectile dysfunction is a very common side effect of most prostate cancer treatments. In some men, especially those under age 70, improved erectile function may occur within about 2 years after surgery. Additionally, the patient may benefit from various ED medications and therapies, including several types of devices specific for men with ED. Men with ED should discuss the various options with their doctor and partner to determine the best individual treatment method.
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Coping With Erectile Dysfunction
Erectile dysfunction is a common side effect of prostate cancer treatments. Generally, erectile function improves within two years after surgery. Improvement may be better for younger men than for those over age 70. You also may benefit from ED medications. Other treatments, such as injection therapy and vacuum devices, may help.
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How The Prostate Changes As You Age
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.
How Do I Keep My Prostate Healthy
There are five measures to improved prostate health.
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But This Sp Is Very Different From Most That Are Available In The Us For 3 Reasons
REASON #1: A meta-analysis shows that it is effective for treating LUTS – Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms such as:
-
Hesitancy
-
The feeling of incomplete bladder emptying
-
Dribbling
-
Urgency
-
Incontinence
In fact, it performed as well as one of the popular prescription options. Except in this case, men didnt experience the negative effects on bedroom performance!
REASON #2) A lot of the SP on the market is actually counterfeit or adulterated.
We tested over 70 popular SP products and 50% came back having bad SP. What weve found is that companies will add Palm oil and/or buy their SP from China and India. This is interesting because it cant even be successfully grown there
REASON #3) Even if they are using legit SP oil, most companies do not possess the technology to extract the nutrients and micronutrients needed to get men the best results.
As I mentioned, genuine SP oil with precise amounts of micronutrients that help with BPH is prescribed by urologists in Europe…
Thats great for European men, but last I checked Permixon isnt available in the US
Or is it??
Get this:
We connected with some of the top doctors, biochemists, and botanical extraction experts in the US.
These guys have figured out how to produce a SP that is nearly identical in composition and micronutrients to whats used in Europe, without using the harsh chemicals they use there.
Naturally, we said, Hey, men in the US need this too!
Heres the scoop:
The feedback were getting from men is fantastic.
Transrectal Ultrasound Guided Prostate Biopsy
A transrectal ultrasound creates an image of organs in the patients pelvis. It is typically used to evaluate the prostate gland in men with elevated prostate specific antigen , or as further exploration when the Urologist detects prostatic nodules by digital rectal exam. The ultrasound images may reveal prostate cancer, benign enlarged prostate or prostatitis. Ultrasound can also help guide a biopsy of the prostate.
A transrectal ultrasound is typically performed in an outpatient setting. The Urologist will collect between six to twelve tissue samples with a small needle. While patients often report physical discomfort , the procedure usually only lasts about a half hour.
Following the procedure, complications include blood in the urine for several days, some bleeding in the stool for a few days, and blood in the ejaculate for a few weeks.
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What Is Your Prostate And What Does It Do
Your prostate is a small gland that lives inside your body, just below your bladder. It sits around the urethra, which is the tube that carries pee from your bladder through your penis. Only men have a prostate.
Your prostate produces some of the fluids contained in your semen, the liquid that transports sperm. This liquid contains special enzymes and hormones that help your sperm cells function properly, which means the prostate plays a key part in your fertility. The muscles in your prostate also help push semen through your urethra when you ejaculate.
Prostate Cancer Diagnoses And Treatment
All cancer is complex, but prostate cancer testing and treatment is particularly complicated.
In some men with prostate cancer, the cancer will grow very slowly, and wont significantly affect them during their lifetime. Other mens prostate cancer can grow and spread very quickly. At the moment, there is no test that can tell what type of prostate cancer a man has when he is diagnosed.
Because some treatments for prostate cancer can cause side effects which might impact on quality of life, its important for men to discuss with their doctor all their options for testing and treatment, and to discuss these with their partners and families. These might include watchful waiting, which means waiting to see what the cancer does over time, radiation, surgery or taking medications.
You can read more about what kinds of questions to ask your doctors about prostate cancer testing and treatment on the Cancer Council website.
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What Causes Prostatitis Vs Bph
The cause of BPH or enlarged prostate is by benign growth that enlarges the prostate gland. Researchers do not know exactly what causes the gland to enlarge, but they have speculated that it might be related to hormonal changes as men age.
In men under the age of 35, the most common type of prostatitis is acute bacterial prostatitis, while in older patients non-bacterial prostatitis is the most common type. There are four types or syndromes of prostatitis.
- Type I – Acute bacterial prostatitis
- Type II – Chronic bacterial prostatitis
- Type III Chronic prostatitis and chronic pelvic pain syndrome
- Type IV is asymptomatic inflammatory prostatitis.
The cause of acute bacterial prostatitis is by bacteria that may be present in the urethra and then infect the prostate gland. Chronic bacterial prostatitis occurs because of inadequate treatment or because of a structural/functional problem in the urinary tract. Researchers and doctors do not completely understand the cause of chronic prostatitis, but it is speculated that the cause may be initiated by neurological injury and/or related to infection.
What Are The Signs And Symptoms Of An Enlarged Prostate
An enlarged prostate is the most common cause of urinary problems in men as they get older. Possible symptoms include:
- a weak flow when you urinate
- a feeling that your bladder hasnt emptied properly
- difficulty starting to urinate
- dribbling urine after you finish urinating
- needing to urinate more often, especially at night
- a sudden urge to urinate you may sometimes leak before you get to the toilet.
You may not get all of these symptoms, and some men with an enlarged prostate dont get any symptoms at all. These symptoms can also be caused by other things, such as cold weather, anxiety, other health problems, lifestyle factors, and some medicines. Blood in your urine may be a symptom of an enlarged prostate. But this is rare and is usually caused by something else.
If you have any of the symptoms above, you should visit your GP to find out what may be causing them.
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What Does Prostate Cancer Look Like And Which Are The Alarming Symptoms Of Having One
Learn what does prostate cancer look like and see which the symptoms that alarm you have one are. Men older than 40 years should know this!
Just as women have to face some types of cancer, men must face or prevent prostate cancer. The worst of all is that their symptoms usually do not appear in the first stage.
This is somewhat complicated for your treatment, since it would be easier to treat if it is detected in its early state. This way, it will increase your chance for survival. That is why men must perform preventive check-ups to rule out any type of problem.
But, prostate cancer shows several symptoms that you cannot ignore. See what does prostate cancer look like really and how to recognize the symptoms the sooner the better!
What Exams Tests And Procedures Diagnose Bph
A physical exam is required to see if other medical problems may be causing your BPH symptoms. The healthcare provider will order a digital rectal exam to examine the prostate gland. The healthcare provider may feel the prostate by inserting a gloved, lubricated finger into the rectum. The rectal exam allows your doctor to roughly estimate the size and consistency of the prostate. Most importantly, it allows the doctor to feel for lumps or hard areas that could indicate the presence of prostate cancer. Your doctor may check your urine for blood or signs of infection. Your blood may be tested for kidney problems , for PSA levels , a screening test for enlarged prostate, prostate cancer, prostatitis, and urinary tract infections
Some men are referred to a specialist for further tests. Urologists specialize in diseases of the male and female urinary tracts and of the male genital tract. Before you are treated for BPH. It is important for the doctor to rule out other possible causes of an enlarged prostate, such as prostate cancer, which is benign or non-cancerous.
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What Are The Signs And Symptoms Of Bph
- Urinating 8 or more times each day
- A feeling of not fully emptying your bladder when you urinate
- An urgent need to urinate that you could not put off, or urinating again within 2 hours
- Being woken from sleep because you needed to urinate
- Trouble starting your urine flow, or a need to push or strain to get it to start
- Urine that stops and starts several times when you urinate
- A weak urine stream, or dribbling after you urinate
How Is Bph Diagnosed
- A digital rectal exam is used to check the size of your prostate. Your healthcare provider will insert a gloved finger into your rectum. The provider will be able to feel your prostate. The size of your prostate may be checked with ultrasound pictures.
- Urine tests may show infection, or strength and amount of urine flow. You may need to record how often and how much you urinate for 24 hours.
- Blood tests may show kidney problems or your PSA level. PSA is a substance produced by your prostate. PSA levels increase when you have BPH.
- A postvoid residual volume test is used to measure the amount of urine left in your bladder after you urinate.
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