Enlarged prostate is a cause for concern, yet prostatic hyperplasia is a benign process, and adenoma cells do not have the characteristics of a malignant tumor. The changes depend on the hormonal changes that take place in the body of an aging man. What are the symptoms of an enlarged prostate?

Enlarged prostateor prostate adenoma, i.e.benign prostatic hyperplasia , called by doctorsBPH(benign prostatic hyperplasia) is a problem for many men. Under the influence of hormonal changes around the age of 45, the prostate gland begins to enlarge.

Prostate enlargementis a slow process. Over the years, the expanding prostate grows more and more tightly around the urethra, and trouble urinating begins. As the condition worsens, it becomes more and more difficult to start urinating, and at the end of the voiding, the urine stream stops. The man feels that despite the effort his bladder has not completely emptied.

Enlarged prostate - benign growth or cancer?

Most often, prostate enlargement is associated with the growth of normal cells (benign hyperplasia), but it can also be the result of the multiplication of cancerous cells. Prostate cancer may be related to being overweight, eating large amounts of red meat, dairy products, alcohol abuse, and smoking. It is also known that it runs in family.

That is why men whose relatives suffered from prostate cancer should start examining themselves after forty, while the rest - around fifty. Any observed irregularity in urination should prompt you to see a urologist.

When the prostate gland grows significantly and your urine retains complete urine, you will experience severe pain. Urinary tract infection and kidney failure may occur.

Benign prostatic hyperplasia - effects

The word "benign" when referring to an enlarged prostate should be understood in terms of oncology - it is not cancer. However, the disease itself, if left untreated, is not all that mild. And half of the fifty-year-olds suffer from it. The number of patients increases rapidly with age. BPH is often relatively mild, but it can also present a significant he alth risk.

Blocking the outflow of urine increasedthe prostate causes complications in different levels of the urinary tract. At the lowest level, it can cause recurrent urethral and bladder infections. Its consequence is a thickening of the bladder walls and an overgrowth of the detrusor muscle, which makes it difficult to urinate and promotes its stagnation. The consequence of this phenomenon is the formation of stones in the bladder.

The disease also takes its toll on the upper urinary tract. It can cause urinary stagnation, which promotes infections, kidney stones, and kidney failure. The most serious complication is urosepsis, which is a massive infection of the whole organism, the source of which is urine in the bladder due to the enlargement of the prostate gland.

The worst immediate complication of BPH is sudden urinary retention, which requires urgent medical intervention - insertion of a bladder catheter and implementation of antibiotic therapy.

Benign prostatic hyperplasia is not just a personal matter for a man. The effects of this disease are also felt by the environment. A man causes suffering to his partner, to whom he transmits urinary tract infections through sexual intercourse.

By getting up at night, it interrupts the sleep of the household members. His work efficiency drops because he is sleepy and tired. For this reason, he is sometimes irritable and nervous, which adversely affects relations with family members and colleagues.

Symptoms of prostate cancer

Enlarged prostate and sex

What does BPH have to do with sex? It turns out a lot. Men with benign prostatic hyperplasia have decreased libido, erectile dysfunction, ejaculation as well as decreased sexual satisfaction.

The main reason is the deterioration of the quality of life. Insufficient sleep, fatigue, urinary tract ailments weaken the desire for sex, but the enlargement of the prostate itself also plays a role - it can, for example, cause erectile dysfunction.

Enlarged prostate - symptoms

The symptoms of benign prostatic hyperplasiado not appear suddenly and are initially so little bothersome that men often underestimate them. Over time, however, they can become really bothersome. That is why it is so important to consult a doctor quickly. What should make you do this?

  • the need to urinate more often (up to 3-4 times), also at night;
  • feeling of constant pressure on the bladder;
  • longer time to start emptying the bladder;
  • low force of urine flow;
  • having to strain to empty the bladder completely;
  • even trace amounts of blood in urine;
  • voiding stops completely.

Enlarged prostate - examinations

The doctor will conducthistory, and then perform a digital examination of the prostate through the anus (see box). It usually also orders basic blood and urine tests. The blood test is to determine the level of PSA - a protein produced by the epithelial cells of the prostate gland.

It is important to wait 48 hours, because all manipulations in the area of ​​the gland (including urinary retention, inflammation, insertion of a catheter) increase the result.

The correct PSA concentration should generally not exceed 4 ng / ml. But one in four men with normal levels of this protein have prostate cancer, and more than half with elevated PSA levels have a he althy prostate gland. Cancer diagnosis can only be made after a biopsy has been performed.

Enlarged Prostate - Symptom Relief & Treatment

Benign gland hyperplasia can be treated pharmacologically or surgically. At the first symptoms, medications are taken that reduce the tension of the smooth muscles of the urinary tract, reduce the swelling and congestion of the bladder neck, improve the elasticity of the prostate gland and improve the patency of the bladder (e.g. with small flowering willowherb extract, common nettle or pumpkin seed oil).

The urologist may also recommend taking drugs to reduce the volume of prostate adenoma and alpha-blockers to improve urine flow. The decision to operate is made when the adenoma is large, urine remains in the bladder, urinary tract infections often occur, or when the doctor has additionally diagnosed bladder stones.

It is usually performed by coil electroresection, the so-called TUR. The surgeon goes through the urethra to the prostate and removes part of the gland to allow urine to drain freely. If the adenoma is very large, it is reached through the abdominal wall and the urinary bladder. This procedure is performed under full anesthesia.

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Source: youtube.com/ Simply Saying

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