The prostate is a muscular gland that is part of the male reproductive system. It is located below the bladder and surrounds the urethra on all sides. It is responsible for producing the majority of the fluid that is seen in your sperm.
The prostate is prone to growth, particularly as a man ages, and this enlargement can lead men to experience a variety of unpleasant urinary symptoms. The term “benign prostatic hyperplasia” (BPH) refers to this disease, which effectively translates to “harmless” or “noncancerous” swelling of the prostate.
Benign prostatic hyperplasia, often known as an enlarged prostate, typically takes place when the cells that make up the prostate gland start to multiply, which causes the organ to get larger as a result. Due to the fact that the gland surrounds the urethra, an expansion of the gland can prevent urine from being expelled normally from the bladder.
An enlarged prostate can lead to complications in the urinary tract, the kidneys, and the bladder if it is not properly treated and recognized. It is essential to keep in mind that benign prostatic hyperplasia is in no way connected to the development of prostate cancer and does not necessarily raise the risk of cancer in any way. On the other hand, it can have a detrimental effect on a man’s quality of life and lead to pain in both his physical and social environments.
What Causes Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia?
The enlargement of the prostate typically begins to manifest itself throughout the middle years of a man’s life and continues to progress as the man ages. The natural enlargement of a man’s prostate is something that doctors regard to be a part of the aging process for men. However, in order to ease the uncomfortable symptoms of BPH, surgery may be necessary for some men.
The ability of a guy to urinate is adversely affected when his prostate is swollen. Several of these consequences include the following:
- A frequent need to urinate
- Weak urine stream
- Urinary incontinence
- Problems in starting or stopping urination
- Intense and sudden urges to urinate
How an Enlarged Prostate Is Diagnosed
Urologists have a variety of diagnostic tools at their disposal to determine whether or not a patient has an enlarged prostate. The following are examples of a few of these examinations:
Urinalysis
A urinalysis requires that you provide the laboratory a sample of your urine so that they may look for any infections or other conditions that might be present. The doctor will then go over the lab results and eliminate other potential causes of the patient’s symptoms, such as a bladder infection or cancer, both of which can produce symptoms that are very similar to those of an enlarged prostate.
PSA Testing
This test is intended to monitor the patient’s blood for the presence of prostate-specific antigen (PSA), which is typically measured to determine whether or not the patient has prostate cancer. On the other hand, the level of PSA in a man’s blood can also be an indicator of an enlarged prostate. The diagnosis of BPH will be based on a combination of the results of this test and those of other tests performed by the physician.
Urodynamics Testing
These diagnostic procedures are carried out in order to evaluate the functionality of the urinary tract as well as the status of the bladder and urethra. In order to examine issues such as issues with pee control, it monitors the urinary flow as well as the pressure in the bladder.
The enlargement of the prostate can be diagnosed with the assistance of this particular diagnostic test. In addition to this, it may be a reliable indicator of the intensity of the symptoms, which in turn may have an effect on the treatment that the urologist advises patients to undergo.
If you are looking for a complete evaluation and effective treatment of prostate issues or other men’s health conditions, make an appointment with Your Urologist.
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