It is crucial to remember that the prostate can have a big impact on a man’s health. It can impact a man’s sex drive and sexual performance, yet there are not many men who truly understand what a prostate actually does. If something goes wrong with the prostate, it can have a serious effect on a man’s health in a variety of ways.
Surveys have shown that more than 70% of men over the age of 45 have no idea what to look for when it comes to prostate cancer symptoms. However, knowing more about this gland will assist men in making the best choices in terms of diagnosis and treatment. While men should be aware of prostate cancer symptoms, there is no need to panic or become overly cautious. Right below the bladder lies the prostate and it is used to help produce a small portion inside of the fluid in a man’s semen which plays a big role in their sex life. This fluid that comes from the prostate is used to protect and nourish the sperm during the act of intercourse and helps to create the mixture for ejaculation.
As men grow older, the prostate tends to enlarge, but two-thirds of men who are over the age of 50 are not affected by this. There are a number of cases in which a swollen prostate can rub against the tube that carries the urine from the bladder which can cause serious problems with the urinary tract.
There are other conditions of the prostate that also include inflammation and infections. This can make it very painful to urinate and also cause the cells to multiply which could lead to prostate cancer down the road.
Cancer in the prostate is a very common type of cancer. It is the second leader of deaths from cancer after lung cancer. Many men who are suffering from prostate cancer do not have any idea they have the disease because no symptoms ever arise. Here are some of the most common signs that you have cancer of the prostate.
- The frequent need to urinate especially during nighttime hours.
- The inability to start to urinate.
- Painful urination or pain during sex.
- Having to strain to urinate or taking several minutes to complete the urination process.
Some men also experience lower back pain and notice some blood in the urine.
There are many men over the age of 70 who have this cancer, and most will never be diagnosed or experience any of these symptoms.
The older that you get, the greater the chances that you will be diagnosed with prostate cancer. The survival rate for prostate cancer has gone up to 80% as opposed to 30% in the 70s. Prostate cancer is hereditary, so if your father or grandfather has been diagnosed, you run a greater risk of being diagnosed. There have been several studies that have shown that eating a lot of red meat and animal fat could increase your chances of developing prostate cancer.
