What Is The Prostate And What Are The Signs Of Prostate Problems?

By Author: Donald Saunders
Total Articles: 84
Comment this article

It may seem strange but for years most men knew little if anything about their prostate gland and it is only in recent years as prostate cancer has gained in prominence that men are beginning to ask just what the prostate gland is and what it does.

The prostate gland is a very important part of the male reproductive system which produces the clear liquid which makes up a substantial portion of male seminal fluid. Sperm is taken from the testes up to the prostate gland where it is mixed with prostatic fluid and proteins to form semen.

A normal prostate gland is about the size of a walnut, weighs about one ounce and sits just under 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 is the tube that carries urine out of the body from the bladder.

The prostate gland grows throughout a man's life, although from about the age of twenty until the mid-forties this growth is extremely slow and is more or less undetectable. Once a man gets to approximately forty-five however it is common for the growth of the prostate gland to ...
... speed up and most men will begin to experience the symptoms of an enlarging gland in their forties or fifties.

In many cases an enlarging gland simply leads to some mild discomfort which many men choose to learn to live with. In some cases however the prostate can become so enlarged that it pinches the urethra enough to produce various symptoms which need treatment or persuade a man to ask for treatment to ease his discomfort. Simple growth of the prostate gland at this stage of a man's life is simply a normal part of aging and is known as benign prostatic hyperplasia, or BHP.

However, the biggest danger with an enlarged prostate gland is that the problem may be more than a simple case of enlargement and could be masking an underlying cancer.

As the prostate gland starts to grow it also starts to press on the urethra and to narrow this particular tube so that the first signs of a developing problem are generally seen when it comes to urinating. Specifically you may experience a difficulty in passing water and experience the need to 'strain' in order to start the process. You may also suffer from a weak flow of urine and a flow which tends to stop and start. As the prostate gland continues to grow you will also notice that you have to visit the bathroom more frequently, particularly during the night, and that you feel as though you have to visit the bathroom even just after you have just done so.

As you can imagine this could become something of a nuisance to say the least but but, nonetheless, many men are content to simply view it as one of the problems of aging and learn to live with it. There is nothing wrong with such a decision but the mistake which far too man men make is to choose not to consult their doctor at this stage to establish that the problem is just 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 present, BPH can also result in other problems like kidney disease or bladder infection.

When you start to suffer from signs and symptoms which suggest a developing prostate problem then consult your doctor so that the problem can be properly and treated.