Enlarged Prostate Gland - Isn't it time you got your prostate examined? Ask Your Doctor!

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The prostate is a  walnut-shaped glandular organ located around the neck of the urinary bladder and is only found in males.  It weighs only few grams at birth, but grows significantly during puberty and reaches the adult size of about 20g by age 20. It remains relatively stable in size until the fifth decade of life when another growth spurt begins in most men. Because of this second growth spurt, enlarged prostate is common among men over 45 years  old and increases in frequency thereafter, such that by the eight decade, about 90 percent of men have enlarged prostate. The prostate gland produces about 20% of seminal fluid. It principally stores and secretes a milky alkaline fluid which contains the semen, spermatozoa and seminal fluid. The alkaline nature of the fluid helps neutralize the acidic fluid in the vaginal  tract. 

The prostate also contains smooth muscle. The prostate surrounds the urethra, and an enlarged prostate is the commonest cause of  obstruction to outflow of urine in men. Enlarged prostate can be benign or malignant, and most of  the causes can be treated without adversely affecting sexual function. Prostate enlargement can also be caused by infections, commonly called prostatitis. It is advisable that men who are age 50 and older, should have digital rectal exam and Prostate-Specific Antigen test as part of their annual physical exam, to enable early detection of enlarged prostate gland. This will increase the chances of a possible cure.

Common Causes Of Enlarged Prostate Gland

Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH)

Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia is a medical terminology for a non cancerous enlargement of the prostate gland, which is particularly common in older men.  As men grow older, the prostate also continues to grow and may compress on the surrounding organs such as the bladder and the urethra, thereby impeding the free flow of urine. In fact Benign prostatic hyperplasia is the most common cause to  obstruction of urinary outflow in men .

Cancer Of The Prostate

Prostate cancer is the most common type of malignancy in men in the United States and is also one of the most common causes of cancer related deaths in men over the age of 55 yrs. Even though, there is extensive investigation being carried out, the cause of this cancer has remained unknown. But there are several factors that could play major roles. Most prostate cancers arise from the peripheral zone of the prostate which is felt of rectal examination . This cancer is more common in African Americans than Caucasians.

Prostatitis

Prostatitis describes the inflammation of the prostate gland, generally caused by infections ( either acute or chronic), but such inflammation may also exist without necessarily having a causative organism.. Prostatitis can cause urinary symptoms and impaired ejaculation.

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Complications Of Prostate Problems

Recurrent Urinary Tract Infections
Renal Insufficiency
Urinary Retention
Bladder stones
Prostate Abscess

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