Recognizing The Symptoms Of Prostate Problems

Strange as it may appear for years most men knew very little about their prostate gland and it is only in recent years as prostate cancer has become such a prominent issue that men are beginning to ask what the prostate gland is and what it does.

The prostate gland is an important part of the male reproductive system that manufactures a clear fluid that makes up a substantial portion of male seminal fluid. Sperm is taken from the testicles up to the prostate gland where it is mixed with proteins and prostatic fluid to make semen.

A healthy prostate is roughly the size of a walnut, weighs approximately one ounce and is situated just below the bladder and in front of the rectum. It is also often described as being shaped like a donut and partly wraps around the urethra, which carries urine out of the body from the bladder.

Throughout a man's life the prostate gland grows, although from the age of about twenty until the mid-forties this growth is very slow and is more or less undetectable. When a man passes approximately forty-five however it is common for the growth of the prostate to speed up and the vast majority of men will start to experience the symptoms of an enlarged gland in their forties or fifties.

In many cases a growing gland produces little more than some mild discomfort which many men choose to learn to live with. In some cases however the prostate can become sufficiently enlarged so that it squeezes the urethra enough to produce various symptoms which need treatment or persuade a man to seek treatment to ease his discomfort. Growth of the prostate at this point in a man's life is simply a normal part of aging and is called benign prostatic hyperplasia, or BHP.

In all cases however the biggest problem with an enlarged prostate gland is that the problem might be something more than a simple case of enlargement and might be effectively masking the growth of an underlying cancer.

As the prostate starts to grow it also begins to press on the urethra and to narrow this particular tube so that the first prostate symptoms are normally seen when it comes to urinating. Specifically you may experience difficulty in passing water and need to 'push' to start the process. You might also experience a weak flow in your urine and one which has a tendency to stop and start. As time goes on you will also find that you have to visit the bathroom more often, particularly at night, and that you feel as if you need to visit the bathroom even just after you have just done so.

As you can imagine this can become something of an annoyance to say the least but but, nonetheless, many men are happy to merely put it down as one of the difficulties of aging and learn to live with it. There is nothing wrong with this of course but the mistake which all too many men make is to choose not to seek the advice of their doctor at this stage to ensure that the problem is only BPH and that it is not likely to lead to other problems in their particular case.

Apart from the clear risk of the possibility of an underlying cancer, BPH can also cause other difficulties such as kidney disease or bladder infection.

Should you start to experience symptoms that point to developing prostate problems then call in on your doctor so that the problem can be properly diagnosed.