The prostate is a specific male gland found deep in the pelvis. It is a walnut-sized and located just under the bladder and surrounds urethra (a tube) through which urine runs out when we urinate.

This gland is rich in nerves and muscle, but its function is not clearly understood yet.

1. The prostate is considered a gland of the male reproductive system as it produces 20% of the fluid found in the semen. These substances are not essential for fertility, they only play a secondary role in helping sperm to survive and penetrate easier during the sexual intercourse.
2. In addition, the gland is a source of other hormones and enzymes, but these are also not crucial for men to stay healthy

Normally, this gland is quite small, measuring 3-4 centimeters long by 3-5 centimeters in width. On average the gland weighs about 20 grams.

The problem is that it is common for our prostates to enlarge as get old. By age 70, more than 40% of men will experience its enlargement. Because of where the prostate is located, it may press against the urethra and men may experience problems with weaker or slower urination.

The prostate increasement and a change in urine flow do not necessarily mean you have a serious disease like cancer; Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH), an infection or another urologic condition. It is important to note that BPH is not cancer, nor has it been shown to increase the risk of prostate cancer. However, a man can have both BPH and prostate cancer.

Three common diseases of the prostate are:

• Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH)
• Prostatitis
• Prostate cancer

We’ll discuss later about the above diseases.
Now I think it’s important to know a little more about prevention as many men health experts and institutions state that prostate disease cannot be prevented and that the key is to detect and treat it as early as possible.

Part of experts disagree with this approach. I am not an expert, but reading a lot about this isues, I think that really exist a number a different strategies that can help to prevent the development of prostate problems, including cancer. And they are not only supported by me but supported by published research.

Strategies for prostate diseases prevention.

Let’s begin with the simpliest practices, may be you have never been thought.

• avoid venereal disease,
• avoid urinary tract infections (yes, men get them too!),
• keep your cholesterol low, it dramatically reduces likelihood of experiencing prostate diseases,
• have a good levels of exercise, but avoid long bike rides that iritate the prostate gland,
• consume plenty of fluids to stimulate urine flow,
• prevent kidney infection, and dehydration.

Limited physical examination
Limited physical examination includes check of penis, testicles and examination of prostate gland. The prostate gland exam is called Digital Rectal Exam (DRE) and involves a gloved finger in the rectum for a measurement of the size of the gland and feel for prostate nodule cancer (if they are).

Urine test
A urine specimen that the patient puts into a container then is examined under microscope for evidence of blood or infection chemical test on urine also checks for diabetes, kidney and liver disease.

Uroflow
That means to urinate in to a container measuring how strong the urine stream is. It’s a relevant test for men health.

Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) tests
They are substantially more sensitive for men health than DRE when it comes to detecting prostate cancer. PSA tests detect a large majority of this kind of diseases.

Bladder ultrasound
This is a simple non-invasive office procedure which may easily determine the amount of urine, if any, there is after emtying your bladder.

Prostate ultrasound
If it is ordered by your health care provider, the this test may be used to estimate the volume of the gland by using sophisticated computer software programs to help the physician.

The Intravenous Pyelogram
The Intravenous Pyelogram or IVP, is an X ray test where dye is injected into a vein, and pictures the internal tubes that drain the kidney of urine

Prostatitis

Prostate problems are common in men.
Most of these problems can be successfully treated with a help of urologists. They are specialized in the diagnosis and treatment of conditions involving the prostate gland.

What the prostatitis is?

Prostatitis is an inflammation of the prostate gland. When this part of your body is inflamed, it is red, hot and sore.

Sometimes it is caused by a sexually transmitted organism, such as chlamydia. Most cases have nothing in common with sexual activity, they are caused by infections. These infections can’t be passed on to sexual partners.

Forms of prostatitis

There are four form of this disease:

• Acute prostatitis (bacterial) It is relatively easy to diagnose due to its symptoms that suggest infection. Men developing this disease often have fever, chills, pain in the genital area and lowr back, burning or painful urination, urinary frequency and urgency often at night,
• Chronic bacterial prostatitis If it is relatively poorly penetrated by antibiotics, prostatitis can become chronic. The pain symptoms come to the foreground.
• Chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome It may be inflammatory or noninflammatory. In the inflammatory form, semen, urine, and other fluids from the prostate show no symptom of a known infecting organism. In the noninflammatory form, no sign of inflammation is present. This is a common but quite ununderstood form of the prostatites. It is found in men of any age; symptoms go away and then return without warning.
• Asymptomatic inflammatory prostatitis No pain or discomfort having this disease, but there are white blood cells in the semen. Usually this form of prostatitis is found by doctors when looking for causes of male infertility or testing for prostate cancer.

Who gets prostatitis?

This disease is one of the most common urologic diagnoses, as it is a much broader health problem than was once considered Many men experience this disease excepting children.

Prostatitis is diagnosed checking for possible infection or urinary tract disorders. It may be also diagnosed by DRE (digital rectal examination)

Prostatitis treatment

First of all your doctor may suggest some lifestyle changes as diet, stress management.
Additionally,

• acute and chronic bacterial forms are treated with antibiotics.

Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH)

The prostate has two main periods of growth.
In male early puberty, it doubles in size. Then, around age 25, the prostate begins to grow again and still grows most of a man’s life.

When the gland becomes very enlarged the man gets benign prostatic hyperplasia (BHH). It may compress the urethra which courses through the center of the prostate. In this condition urine goes slow from the bladder through the urethra to the outside. In many cases BHP can cause urine retention (urine accumulation in the bladder) and the cause urge incontinence. When is severe enough, BHP may complete block of the urethra which can damage the kidneys.

At what age is BHP likely?

BPH occurs more often in the West countries compared to Japan and China, and may be more common among blacks. Based on study of a representative sample of men the estimations for the Untied States are:

• Over 30% of men in their 50s- and 46% of men in their 70s experience moderate to severe BPH.
• Over half men who have had their bladder function tested, are unable to fully empty their bladder or urinary flow have diminished.
• More than one in three Caucasian men over the age of 50 may have some symptomatic BPH.

In European men, it has been estimated that 24% aged 50-59 and 40% aged 70-79 have symptoms of BPH.

The symptoms of BPH

The symptoms are the consquences of compressing the tube (urethra) that goes from the bladder to the penis

• difficulty initiating urination, long wait for the stream of urine to begin
• weak, poorly and decreased force of the urinary stream
• straining to urinate
• dribbling after urination has finished
• feeling that the bladder is not quite empty
• retention complete inability to urinate
• urination occurs a second time within two hours of the previous one

How dangerous is BPH?

First of all you must know that BHP is not a type of cancer. There are men with both prostate cancer and BHP.

BPH is extremely common. With an adequate health care any man with BHP can have a long and happy live. If left untreated, it may cause serious injury and even death. Mortality from BPH is most commonly related to kidney failure, infection, and complications of surgery.

Treatment for BPH:

Despite of evidency that half of all men over 50 develop symptoms of BPH, only 10% need medical or surgical intervention. A doctor usually can detect an enlarged prostate by rectal exam. The doctor also may examine the urethra, prostate, and bladder using a cytoscope, an instrument that is inserted through the penis.

Having BHP is very uncomfortable but not a tragedy. There is effective tratment function of your age, overall health, extent of the disease, and medical history. You may have opinions or preferences according to your tolerance for specific medications, procedures, or therapies

Treatment for BPH may include

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