Categories Sexual Health

Diagnosis and treatment of prostate diseases

Diagnosis and treatment of prostate diseases

The prostate

The prostate is part of the male reproductive system. It is a tiny gland that resembles a walnut in shape and size. This gland is located under the bladder and in front of the rectum, and surrounds the urethra at the site of the bladder. The prostate works to secrete part of the semen in which the sperm are present. Many men suffer from prostate-related health problems. The most common problems are prostate enlargement, prostate cancer, and prostate inflammation.

Diagnosis of prostate diseases

Symptoms of prostate health problems are similar, so the doctor decides the nature of prostate problems through the following procedures:

  • Study the medical and family history of the patient.
  • Clinical examination includes:
    • Digital rectal examination.
    • Examination of fluid leaking from the urethra.
    • Examination of the lymph nodes in the groin area to detect the presence of swelling or shrinkage in them, and lymph nodes are the glands responsible for the fight against inflammation.
    • Check for a tumor or shrinkage in the scrotum.
  • Check urine for infection.
  • Blood tests, including detection of an enemy, prostate specific antigen (PSA), and high PSA may indicate prostate cancer or other problems.
  • A dynamic urine test to detect the effectiveness of the bladder and urethra, and to detect a blockage in the urethra due to enlarged prostate.
  • Examine the bladder using a cystoscope to check for obstruction of the urethra or bladder problems.
  • Prostate examination using ultrasound, this examination can show the shape and size of the prostate.
  • A prostate biopsy is performed; a piece of prostate tissue is taken in order to be examined under a microscope to detect the presence of prostate cancer.

Prostate enlargement

Enlarged prostate increases the size of the gland with elevated levels of testosterone in the body. During puberty, the prostate gland grows and doubles to age 20, and then declines to 40, when men reach 40 years of age, the prostate gland resumes growth.

About half of men suffer from benign prostatic hyperplasia until they reach the age of 65, while about 95% of men suffer from this problem within the age of 85 years. When the size of the gland grows too much, it squeezes the urinary bladder. Over time, this problem becomes so complicated that it may be very difficult to urinate and empty the bladder. Also, it can increase the thickness of the walls of the bladder, which may cause pain.

Symptoms of enlarged prostate

The following symptoms appear when you have prostate enlargement:

  • Pain in the lower abdominal area, pain when urinating.
  • Decreased urine intake, urination in the form of punctuation, and irregular urinary flow.
  • Frequent waking up at night to urinate.
  • Feeling pain in different areas of the back and abdomen.
  • Difficulty starting to urinate.
  • Drops of urine after finishing urination.
  • Feeling not to empty the bladder completely.

Prostate cancer

Prostate Cancer is one of the most common cancers that appear in males. Prostate cancer usually occurs within the prostate gland. Some forms of prostate cancer grow moderately and require little or no treatment. Other types of it can be ferocious and rapidly spread. If prostate cancer is detected in the early stages of the disease, chances of recovery are greater.

Prostate Cancer Symptoms

In the early stages of prostate cancer usually no symptoms, and cancer is detected by routine examination or blood test, when symptoms appear, it will be one of the following symptoms:

  • Frequent urination.
  • Waking up at night to urinate.
  • Having trouble urinating.
  • Urinary exit stops more than once during urination.
  • Blood in urine.
  • Feeling pain during urination.
  • Less common symptoms are pain during ejaculation.

Symptoms of advanced prostate cancer include:

  • Bone pain, pain often occurs in the spine, pelvis, or ribs.
  • Leg weakness (if the cancer has spread to the spine and spinal cord pressure).
  • Incontinence (if the cancer has spread to the spine and spinal cord pressure).
  • Fecal incontinence (if the cancer has spread to the spine and spinal cord pressure).

Causes Of Prostate Cancer

The causes of prostate cancer are often not known. Several factors may collide and lead to infection, and sometimes a mutation in the genetic material (DNA) changes the normal cells and grows in an uncontrolled way. The abnormal or cancerous cells continue to grow and divide until the tumor develops. There are several different factors that are responsible for this development and constitute a key to understanding it. These factors include:

  • Family History: Having a family history of prostate cancer increases the risk of developing the disease.
  • Age: Age is one of the biggest risk factors, because the disease rarely occurs in young people, and most cases are diagnosed in men over the age of 65.
  • Ethnicity: Although there are no understood reasons, race is a risk factor for prostate cancer. According to the American Cancer Society, Asian and Latin men are the least likely to have prostate cancer, while African men are the most vulnerable.
  • Diet: A diet rich in meat, fat, whole-fat dairy products, and poor fruit and vegetables are also risk factors for prostate cancer.
  • Geographical location: According to the American Cancer Society, prostate cancer is more common in North America, the Caribbean, Northwest Europe, and Australia than in Asia, Africa, Central America and South America. Environmental and cultural factors may play a role.
  • Smoking .
  • obesity .
  • Idle .
  • Consumption of large amounts of calcium.

Prostate inflammation

Prostatitis is also an inflammation of the prostate gland due to an infection that causes it to be irritated and swollen, or due to other diseases or disorders. Prostate inflammation is divided into two types:

  • Acute prostate inflammation , Often caused by a bacterial infection, and this type of inflammation occurs suddenly.
  • Chronic prostatitis , Which is less severe than acute inflammation, and may be caused by a bacterial infection or disorder in the pelvic area where inflammation lasts for more than 3 months.

Causes of prostatitis

The causes of prostatitis are varied, including:

  • Infection of bacterial infection in the prostate, urinary tract.
  • Frequent urinary bladder injury.
  • Anal sex.
  • Sex with a sexually transmitted partner without taking precautions.
  • Benign prostatic hyperplasia associated with aging.
  • The presence of congenital malformations in the urinary and reproductive system.
  • Urinary tract infection.

Symptoms of prostatitis

Each type of prostate inflammation has its own symptoms, symptoms may vary from one patient to another. Symptoms can also be similar to those of other diseases. The following are the most common symptoms of acute and chronic prostate inflammation:

  • Symptoms of acute prostatitis include:
    • Frequent urination.
    • Fever.
    • shudder.
    • Feeling of burning or pain during urination.
    • Pain in the genital area, thigh, lower abdomen, or lower back.
    • Frequent night urination during sleep periods.
    • Vomiting and nausea.
    • Inability to empty the bladder completely.
    • Difficult to start urinating
    • Weak or stop urinary flow.
    • Obstruction of urinary tract.
    • Inability to urinate.
  • The symptoms of chronic prostatitis include:
    • Frequent pain may persist for more than three months in one or more of the following areas: between the scrotum, anus, lower middle abdomen, penis, scrotum, or lower back.
    • Pain during or after ejaculation.
    • Pain spreads throughout the pelvic area, or in one or more areas at the same time, the pain may be sudden or gradual.
    • Pain in the penis and urethra during urination or after.
    • Frequent urination due to constriction of the bladder despite the lack of urine.

Complications of prostate diseases

Prostate problems may cause other problems, including:

  • Problems with intercourse.
  • Urinary tract infection.
  • Feeling tense due to chronic pain.
  • Inflammation in areas near the prostate.
  • Bladder stones.
  • Kidney failure.

Treatment of prostate diseases

The treatment of prostate diseases varies according to the type of disease, and includes the following:

  • Bacterial prostatitis is treated using painkillers, antibiotics, diet changes, and excessive drinking of fluids.
  • Treats chronic prostatitis using painkillers, inflammation, physiotherapy, relaxation, and warm baths.
  • Prostate enlargement treats one or more of the following:
    • Change lifestyle, avoid alcohol and caffeine.
    • Medicines: Your doctor may prescribe medications such as Finasteride (Proscar) and Dodasteride (AVODART) to treat prostate enlargement, and these drugs can inhibit prostate growth.
    • Surgery: The doctor may resort to surgery to reduce the size of [prostate treatment].
  • Prostate cancer treats one or more of the following:
    • Surgery.
    • Radiation therapy.
    • Hormonal therapy.