How Checking Your Psa Levels On Time Can Save Your Life

By Author: Pete Jameson
Total Articles: 16
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Medicine may have evolved tremendously in the last decade but the number and intensity of diseases has also evolved, giving people more reasons to be worried and anxious about their health. It is good practice to continuously check your blood and undergo basic tests to ensure that everything is fine with your health. Many patients do not show symptoms at an early stage and therefore, conducting tests is a good way to catch the illness before it starts spreading.

What is PSA?

The Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) is a protein that is produced by the prostate gland. The level of this substance is crucial in determining whether a person is suffering from prostate cancer. The PSA level is normal when it is under four. Any amount above that is considered dangerous and requires immediate attention. Many times, before the symptoms of prostate cancer start showing, this PSA test helps in diagnosing cancer in the early stages.

If the PSA levels are between 4 and 10, there is a 25% chance of the patient having prostate cancer whereas when the level goes beyond 10, the chances soar as high as 67%. Elevated PSA can cause ...
... quite a lot of problems in health and therefore, taking the test as early as possible is recommended by all doctors.

Points to consider before taking a PSA test

- The test is crucial in diagnosing prostate cancer even before there are any symptoms. However, if the cancer is small, it probably wouldn’t develop enough to show any symptoms in the body.

- If the PSA test result is low, it is completely assuring to the patient.

- If you get a high PSA level in the test, you need not panic. There are other reasons too that can cause the high PSA. It may not necessarily be prostate cancer.

- If your results are high, you might have to go through a biopsy, which is a painful procedure and it may have side effects like blood in urine, semen or stool. It can also cause an infection to the prostate gland, which may be quite tough to treat.

How is the PSA test conducted?

The PSA test is a blood test that is conducted in a lab where your blood is drawn and it is diagnosed to check the level of PSA.

Visit your doctor and conduct a PSA test to be sure that you are healthy, fit and fine. Prevention is surely better than cure.

Are you aware of PSA and how it can save your life? If not, then read this article to know about PSA and PSA test. For more details, visit kcurology.com