Ninety Percent Of Men Will Develop An Enlarged Prostate

Health problems inevitably begin to occur as we get older and one problem that you are very unlikely to escape if you live long enough is an enlarged prostate gland.

Commonly this problem is first seen in men once they have passed the age of 45, though it can occasionally be seen at earlier ages, and you have about a 50 percent chance of developing an enlarged prostate by the time you get to the age of 60.

Once passed 60 the chances of developing the problem increase significantly and, by the time you get to 80, your chances of suffering from a swollen prostate gland will be a staggering 90 percent.

The prostate, which sits just below the bladder and is a part of the male reproductive system, grows quickly during puberty and by the time a man reaches maturity it weighs roughly one ounce and is roughly the same size as a walnut. What is often not realized however is that it does not stop growing at this point and that the prostate goes on growing very slowly throughout the remainder of a man's life.

In middle age however cell growth characteristically begins to accelerate in one section of the prostate gland that partially surrounds the urethra, which carries urine from the bladder out of the body.

Initially this accelerated growth of cells, which are not cancerous, is reasonably slow and most men will experience no symptoms at all from it, or any symptoms will be so mild that they will be dismissed as simply a case of 'getting older'.

However, in time, as the prostate gland continues to enlarge, it will begin to squeeze the urethra interrupting the flow of urine from the bladder and symptoms will begin to appear. To start the symptoms will not be painful, or even particularly uncomfortable, but they will become more and more annoying as you start to experience difficulty in passing water, waking frequently in the night to go to the bathroom and possibly the upsetting tendency to continue to dribble urine even after you have visited the bathroom.

When you reach this point you ought to consult your physician not simply to get enlarged prostate gland treatment but also so that you can be screened for any underlying and developing signs of prostate cancer.