The prostate is a critical part of a man's reproductive system which produces a clear fluid which makes up a significant portion of a man's seminal fluid. Sperm is carried from the testes to the prostate where it is mixed with proteins and prostatic fluid to make semen.
A healthy prostate is about the size of a walnut, weighs in at about one ounce and lies just below the bladder and in front of the rectum. It is also regularly described as being donut shaped and is partially wrapped around the urethra, which is the tube that carries urine out of the body from the bladder.
Through a man's life the prostate continues to grow, although from the early twenties until the mid-forties growth is extremely slow and is all but undetectable. Once a man passes approximately forty-five however it is extremely common for the growth of the prostate to accelerate and the vast majority of men will begin to experience the symptoms of an enlarging prostate during their forties or fifties.
In many cases an enlarging prostate produces little more than some mild discomfort which a lot of men simply learn to live with. In other cases however the gland may become so enlarged that it restricts the urethra enough to cause a variety of symptoms which need treatment or persuade a man to seek treatment to relieve his discomfort. Growth of the prostate at this point in a man's life is a normal part of the aging process and is called benign prostatic hyperplasia, or BHP.
In all cases however the biggest problem with an enlarged prostate is that this could be something more than a simple case of enlargement and can be effectively masking an underlying cancer.
As the prostate starts to grow it also starts to press on the urethra and to narrow this particular tube so that the first signs of a problem are generally seen when it comes to urinating. In particular you may experience difficulty in urinating and experience the need to 'push' to start the process. You could also experience a weak urine flow and a flow which has a tendency to stop and start. As time goes on you will also notice that you have to visit the bathroom more often, particularly during the night, and that you feel that 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, nevertheless, a lot of men are content to simply view it as one of the difficulties of aging and learn to live with it. The is nothing wrong with this of course but the mistake which far too man men make is to choose not to talk to their doctor at this stage to ensure that the problem is merely BPH and that it is not likely to cause other problems in their particular case.
Apart from the risk of their being an underlying cancer, BPH can also result in other difficulties such as bladder infections and kidney disease.
When you start to encounter signs and symptoms which point to a prostate problem then talk to your doctor so that the problem can be diagnosed.
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ProstateProblemCenter.com provides information on various prostate problems and also provides advice on having a digital rectal exam
