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Prostate disease may be among the most common problems that men of all
ages experience, but a recent poll taken among American men revealed that
11 percent of those who responded had no idea what a prostate was, or if
they had one! Over half the men could not name a single symptom they
might experience if they had a prostate problem.
For younger men, perhaps the most common prostate problem is prostatitis...which
simply means inflammation of the prostate gland. It may be very uncomfortable,
but prostatitis is not life-threatening and it does not mean that the sufferer
has -- or ever will have -- prostate cancer.
The prostate gland is about the size of a walnut and wraps around the
urethra, the tube that carries urine from the bladder. When inflammation
and swelling occurs, a man may feel the need to urinate more frequently
or a sense of urgency to urinate. Urination may be painful, and the
urine stream may be weak or interrupted. He may experience pain in
the groin area as well as low back pain. If the inflammation is caused
by bacteria, symptoms may come on quite suddenly and might also include
chills, fever, and blood in the urine.
There are several different kinds of prostatitis, including nonbacterial
prostatitis -- the most common form -- pros-tatodynia, and chronic and
acute bacterial prostatitis. Each variety may have similar symptoms,
but is unique in its characteris-tics and calls for a physician's
diagnosis.
A urinalysis is probably the first test the doctor will perform to determine
if bacteria is the culprit. The doctor may also perform a digital
rectal exam to feel the size, shape and consistency of the prostate.
Depending upon the results of these tests, antibiotics may be prescribed.
Since this condition can be particularly stubborn, it is important that
the full course of medication be taken. If non-bacterial prostatitis
is diagnosed, antibiotics will not help, but an anti-inflammatory drug
may be substituted.
One of the frustrating things about prostatitis is that it can become
chronic, reoccurring over and over again without warning. In some
cases caused by bacteria, infection is simply exchanged back and forth
between sexual partners. Nonbacterial prostatitis can be triggered
by stopping or decreasing your frequency of sexual activity, because ejaculation
empties the fluid that builds up in the prostate gland. Some doctors
recommend increasing the frequency of sexual activity to relieve the symptoms.
In most cases, prostatitis will subside in time. The prostate
may become so swollen, however, that it closes off the urethra entirely,
making urination impossible. If this happens, the patient may have
to be hospitalized so he can be catheterized to drain the urine, and heavy-duty
antibiotics can be administered by injection to kill the bacteria causing
the infection.
As men age, the risk of prostatitis and other prostate disorders increases.
The normal aging process by itself may bring about urgency, frequency of
urination and visits to the bathroom in the middle of the night.
Seek medical attention at the first sign of symptoms and, after age 45,
go on the defensive. Have an annual physical which includes a PSA test
and digital rectal exam. When detected early, virtually all prostate
disease can be effectively treated. |
