10 Signs That You Have A Healthy Prostate

It’s common for men over 50 to have problems with their prostate. Keeping the prostate healthy, along with regular prostate screenings, can prevent prostate disorders from developing and can help to identify any potential problems in the earliest stages, making treatment more effective.

The prostate is a small organ about the size of a walnut that only men have. It is part of the reproductive system and is right below the bladder, in front of the rectum. The prostate wraps around the urethra, which is the tube that lets urine and sperm leave the body. Its main job is to make the thick, white fluid that is part of the sperm and keeps it safe and healthy. During ejaculation, the muscles of the prostate also help push the sperm out with force.

So is my prostate healthy?

Most of the time, your risk of prostate problems goes up as you get older. They can’t always be stopped, but there are ways to keep your prostate healthy and lower your risk. The best way to know for sure that your prostate is healthy is to have it checked once a year. Here are some other signs that your prostate gland is healthy.

1. Normal body weight – Being overweight or obese or living a sedentary lifestyle can block blood flow and raise the risk of aggressive prostate cancer and problems with getting and keeping an erection.
2. Be Physically Active – Regular exercise is very important for keeping blood flowing well to muscles, including the prostate. Even a few hours of exercise a week can improve the health of the prostate, according to research. Regular exercise may also stop an enlarged prostate from getting worse.
3. Eat the Right Food – Researchers have found that a diet high in zinc (found in shellfish, meat, poultry, and vegetables), selenium (found in shellfish, tuna, wheat germ, liver, and kidney), soy, sulforaphane (found in leafy green vegetables), and lycopene (found in certain fruits and vegetables) contains powerful antioxidants that are important for male reproductive health, especially prostate health, and may lower the risk of developing prostate cancer. People who eat a lot of animal fat have a higher chance of getting prostate cancer.
4. Not smoking cigarettes – Smoking can increase the risk of developing prostate cancer by affecting circulating hormone levels as well as through exposure to carcinogens.
5. Health Sex Life – When a man ejaculates, the muscle that is used is in the prostate gland. There is evidence that ejaculating often can keep the prostate healthy and lower the chance of getting prostate cancer.
6. Normal PSA – Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) is a protein that is made by the prostate gland and is found in the blood. Most men have PSA levels under four (ng/mL), but men with prostate cancer can have high PSA levels in their blood. PSA levels can also be high for other reasons, like an infection.
7. Regular Prostate Screening – Screenings for prostate cancer are the best way to find out if you have prostate cancer, even before you have any symptoms. If prostate cancer is found early, it can often be treated successfully. Men with a family history of certain types of cancer, men over the age of 50, and men of African-American descent are more likely to get prostate cancer.
8. Prostate Feels Normal – Your urologist will usually do a rectal exam when they check your prostate once a year. A healthy prostate should feel firm and not have any hard spots. If hard spots are found, it may be necessary to do more research.
9. Healthy Ultrasound Results – During prostate screenings, the overall health of the prostate may be checked with an ultrasound. With the help of sound waves, a clear picture of the prostate can be made. If there are no obvious problems, it could mean that the prostate gland is healthy.
10. Normal Biopsy – To see if there are cancer cells, a biopsy may be done. This is done by taking a tiny piece of tissue from the prostate gland with a needle to look for any problems. If the biopsy comes back normal, it means that your prostate is healthy.

Visit your doctor at the earliest opportunity if you experience any of the following symptoms, which can be signs of a prostate problem – Here is a short questionnaire to check if you do have lower urinary tract symptoms. (link)