This information is to help understand Prostate Issues and is not meant as a difinative guide or to provide clinical diagnosis, thats the job of your GP or health practioner, the guide is to help you make some informed decisions which just may be life changing for the better!
Prostate Problems, Prostate Cancer.
Right chaps, DO NOT switch away from this post, it MAY SAVE YOUR LIFE!!!
Ladies, make sure your bloke reads this; it will help you help “him” if you read it too.
Traditionally Blokes tend to sway away from visiting their GPs, it’s a man thing!! We think if we ignore things then all will be ok, well it won’t!
All blokes have a Prostate, it’s a very useful little gland down there amongst those nether regions we don’t want to mention, does some good stuff too, but in ALL men, it changes as we get older.
Prostate cancer generally affects men over 50 and is rare in younger men, but it can happen
It’s the most common type of cancer in men.
Around 37,000 men in the UK are diagnosed with prostate cancer each year.
It differs from most other cancers in the body, in that small areas of cancer within the prostate are very common and may stay dormant (inactive) for many years.
It’s thought that about half (50%) of all men over 50 may have cancer cells in their prostate, and 8 out of 10 (80%) men over 80 have a small area of prostate cancer. Most of these cancers grow very slowly and so, particularly in elderly men, are unlikely to cause any problems.
BUT FIRST…
If you want to know what your prostate looks like and where it is click here
In most men (I as your correspondent can vouch for this) it gets bigger as we get older, changes take place in your thirties sometimes, and become noticeable in your 40s onwards. and when it does it can make life a bit difficult, occasionally uncomfortable and with that annoying problem of the “drips”, you know what I mean chaps!
You can do a lot to take care of yourself and give your body what it needs. Still, as you get older, your body changes in ways you can’t always control. For most men, one of those changes is that the prostate gets bigger.
BUT IF YOU ARE WORRIED NOW, ABOUT THIS SUBJECT
IF THINGS DO NOT SEEM RIGHT
GO AND SEE YOUR GP,
DO IT NOW,
MAKE THAT APPOINTMENT.
Ok, if you have to get up in the night more than once to have a pee, and maybe not successfully too,, then usually it is a sign that things are on the move.
But don’t panic, honestly don’t., but it’s a time to maybe think about having a chat with your GP. It might not be a prostate problem, but some other water works issue, but in all probability it isn’t.
An enlarged Prostate does not mean Cancer, it means just that, your Prostate is enlarging and as I said this happens in the majority of men as we get older, the doctors have one of those long-winded names for it and it is this
Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) you can read about that HERE
Benign prostatic hyperplasia is an enlarged prostate gland. Symptoms can include trouble with urination, a weak urine stream, and not feeling empty after urination. Treatment options include lifestyle changes, medicine, and in some cases surgery.
If you pressed the link above to see what a Prostate is like then you will know that your prostate surrounds part of your urethra, the tube that carries urine and semen out of your penis. When you have BPH, your prostate is larger than usual, which squeezes the urethra. This can cause a weak stream when you pee and cause you to wake up a lot at night to go to the bathroom it can go along with other bothersome urinary symptoms.
BPH isn’t prostate cancer and doesn’t make you more likely to get it.
It’s a common condition, especially in older men (usually 50 onwards, but mine started in my 40s), and there are a lot of treatments for it, from lifestyle changes to medication to surgery. Your doctor can help you choose the best care based on your age, health, and how the condition affects you.
As we blokes age, you may notice that you have trouble peeing. You might find it hard to start going, or perhaps the stream starts and stops several times. These are just two possible signs of benign prostatic hyperplasia ( BPH), This is the most common prostate problem in men 50 and older. It’s good to know the symptoms of BPH because you might want to talk with your doctor (in fact you should, but more on that below)
What Should I Watch Out for Again?
Symptoms of BPH fall into 2 categories. Those caused by pressure on your urethra are called obstructive. The others start in your bladder.
Some of the obstructive symptoms include:
- Trouble starting to urinate
- You have to strain or push when you pee
- The stream is weak
- You have to stop and restart several times
- Pee dribbles out at the end
If BPH causes changes in your bladder, it may include these signs:
- You suddenly feel a strong need to urinate. Doctors call this “urgency.”
- You have to pee more than 8 times a day. This is called “frequency.”
- Even after you go, you feel as though your bladder is not empty.
- You wake up often in the night to relieve yourself. This is called “nocturia.”
If you have any of these symptoms’ chaps,
GO AND CONSULT YOUR GP
Before We mention the other two Prostate problems, one being Prostate Cancer we need to address the typical male reaction, which is!
” What go and see a doctor and have a finger stuck up my bum!
and anyway my doctor is a woman”
Sound familiar? Heard it before?
Chaps don’t like going to the doctors, we don’t and that’s puzzling, because if your household boiler leaked, you would call a plumber and get it fixed, same with a problem with the car, so why should the rule not apply to our bodies? If something is not right, go and get it fixed, which brings me back to the statement above.
Just one of several tests to see if your Prostate is enlarged is to feel if it has actually become enlarged and the dreaded doctor’s finger takes seconds, let me explain. The rectal exam the doctor does takes a second, that’s all they need to know if your prostate is enlarged or hard, they’re not reaching to check your tonsils! they use a gloved finger; lie on your side and bingo it’s done before you know it. Embarrassed, of course we are, we are human, but think on this, if your GP is middle-aged and a bloke, he probably has or will have to have it done himself, and besides he has done this exam so many times it is easy peasy, and if it’s a lady, well again it’s probably nothing compared to what the girls have to go through in their lives, so man up, and get it done, be safe and be well, it will be worth it
But having said all of this your doctor or health practitioner will probably organise a simple blood test, you may have heard of it, it is called a PSA test.
PSA Test stands for Prostate Specific Antigen, or PSA for short
Prostate-specific antigen, or PSA, is a protein produced by normal and malignant cells of the prostate gland. The PSA test measures the level of PSA in a man’s blood. … the use of the PSA test is often in conjunction with a digital rectal exam (DRE) , but get your blood test first.
Generally, a PSA level above 4.0 ng/mL is considered suspicious. … 10.0 ng/mL and above is dangerous and should be discussed with your doctor immediately. It is associated with a 50% chance of having prostate cancer
The PSA test is also used to track the effects of prostate cancer treatment such as surgery, radiation, hormone therapy and chemotherapy. When a man has treatment for prostate cancer, his PSA level will drop significantly. Regular screening with PSA is one of the tools the physician will use to measure if the cancer has returned.
When PSA levels rise to a certain threshold after prostate cancer treatment, this is known as biochemical recurrence. This means that some cancer cells have survived and are producing PSA. If this happens, the doctor will order additional tests and make recommendations for additional treatment.
What is a Prostate-Specific Antigen?
PSA is a protein produced by prostate cells, which keeps semen in liquid form so that sperm can swim. A simple blood test can measure how much PSA is present in a man’s bloodstream. When a man has prostate cancer, his PSA level increases, which is why the PSA test is used as a screening tool.
However, the levels of PSA can rise due to several reasons, including cancer. When PSA is elevated, it is a warning sign that you should follow up on with your doctor.
Other Prostate issues
Prostatitis. Unlike most prostate problems, prostatitis — inflammation or an infection of the prostate — occurs more often in young and middle-aged men. Only 5% to 10% of men develop prostatitis in their lifetime.
If your prostate becomes swollen, tender, and inflamed, you have a condition called “prostatitis.” This isn’t cancer, and it’s different from having an “enlarged prostate.”
Here are four types of prostatitis. Each has its own set of symptoms and causes. These include:
Acute bacterial prostatitis. Your urinary tract is made up of your kidneys, bladder, and the tubes that pass between them. If bacteria from here finds its way into your prostate, you can get an infection.
This type of prostatitis comes on quickly. You might suddenly have:
- High fever
- Chills
- Muscle aches
- Joint pain
- Painaround the base of your penis or behind your scrotum
- Lower back pain
- Feeling like you need to have a bowel movement
- Trouble peeing
- Weak urinestream
Acute bacterial prostatitis is a severe condition.
If you notice these symptoms, seek medical care right away.
Consult your GP, no messing around on the internet looking it up, Ok!
Chronic bacterial prostatitis. This is more common in older men. It’s a milder bacterial infection that can linger for several months. Some men get it after they’ve had a urinary tract infection (UTI) or acute bacterial prostatitis.
The symptoms of chronic bacterial prostatitis often come and go. This makes them easy to miss. With this condition, you might sometimes have:
An urgent need to pee, often in the middle of the night
Pain after you ejaculate (release semen at orgasm)
Lower back pain
Rectum pain
A “heavy” feeling behind your scrotum
Blood in your semen
A UTI
Urinary blockage (no urine comes out)
- Again Chaps, no messing around, go and see your GP
Chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CP/CPPS). This is the most common type of prostatitis. It shares many of the same signs as bacterial prostatitis. The difference is that when tests are run, no bacteria are present with this type.
Doctors aren’t sure what causes CP/CPPS. Triggers include stress, nearby nerve damage, and physical injury. Chemicals in your urine or a UTI you had in the past may play a role. CP/CPPS has also been linked to immune disorders like chronic fatigue syndrome and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS
Again Chaps, no messing around, go and see your GP
Prostate Cancer.
Ok, probably the bit no one wants to read about, but if you have read the text above then you will already have a good understanding of what may be needed,
Prostate cancer generally affects men over 50 and is rare in younger men. It’s the most common type of cancer in men. Around 37,000 men in the UK are diagnosed with prostate cancer each year. This figure can be substantially lower if we men went to the doctors sooner, it’s that simple, so if you’re not sure visit your GP and thrash it out with them
Prostate Cancer differs from most other cancers in the body, in that small areas of cancer within the prostate are very common and may stay dormant (inactive) for many years.
It’s thought that about half (50%) of all men over 50 may have cancer cells in their prostate, and 8 out of 10 (80%) men over 80 have a small area of prostate cancer. Most of these cancers grow very slowly and so, particularly in elderly men, are unlikely to cause any problems.
In a small proportion of men, prostate cancer can grow more quickly and, in some cases, may spread to other parts of the body, particularly the bones.
Symptoms of prostate cancer
Cancer of the prostate is often slow-growing and symptoms may not occur for many years.
Men with early prostate cancer are unlikely to have any symptoms, as these only occur when the cancer is large enough to put pressure on the urethra (the tube that drains urine from the bladder). In men over the age of 50, the prostate gland often gets larger due to a non-cancerous condition called benign prostatic hyperplasia or hypertrophy (BPH) we have covered that in the above text.
The symptoms of both benign enlargement of the prostate gland and malignant tumours (cancer) are similar and can include any of the following:
- difficulty passing urine
- passing urine more frequently than usual, especially at night
- pain when passing urine
- blood in the urine (this is not common).
If you have any of these symptoms it’s important to get them checked by your doctor.
But remember, most enlargements of the prostate are not cancer.
So, chaps, as we keep telling you, if you’re not sure consult your GP
The sooner you talk to the Doctor,
the sooner you will get treatment,
and the sooner you can get on with life
Prostate Cancer UK
Prostate information
On these pages, you can read reliable and up-to-date information about prostate cancer and prostate problems. You can also download or order any of our publications for more details. If you have questions or want to talk, our Specialist Nurses are here for you
The link to Prostate Cancer UK is https://prostatecanceruk.org/