Did you know that prostate enlargement affects half of all men up to 60? Know the signs of prostate enlargement and how it can increase your risk of cancer.
The prostate is a walnut-shaped gland located at the base of the bladder surrounding the urinary passageway (urethra) and is present only in men. The prostate is an important part of the male reproductive system, and its main function is the formation of semen. With age, the size usually expands after 50 years. According to Harvard Medical School, half of all men experience prostate enlargement by the age of 60, and more than 90% have experienced it by age 90. The exact cause of prostate enlargement is unknown, but includes hormones, genetics, family, diet, and geographical factors.
What causes prostate enlargement?
Prostate enlargement can occur in three conditions:
- Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH): Non-cancerous prostate enlargement occurs due to cell overgrowth.
- Prostatitis: Inflammation or infection in your prostate that causes pain in your genitals, leads to urinary problems, causes abdominal pain, and leads to fever or chills.
- Prostate cancer: Increased size due to cancerous growth of the prostate.
Read again: How early detection is beneficial for treating prostate cancer in men
What are the signs of prostate enlargement?
The enlargement of the prostate gland causes pressure to apply to the urethra due to its location around the passage of urine. The most common signs and symptoms of prostate enlargement include:
- Reduced urinary flow: Patients with enlarged prostate glands have difficulty starting to urinate and may sometimes be ineffective.
- Urinary frequency: Bladder pressure increases when the bladder tries to empty the urine against the enlarged prostate, which causes symptoms such as frequent urination, urgency, and leakage such as urinary leakage due to obstruction of the urinary flow due to enlarged prostate gland.
- dawn: Frequent urination at night is one of the earliest and most common signs of prostate enlargement.
- Painful urination It can cause painful urination in patients with inflamed or infected prostates.
- Imperfect voice sensation: Posturinary dribbling after urinary compressed bladder does not empty, and residual urine may remain in the bladder.
- Intermittent or hesitant voice: Urine flow was interrupted due to compression by the prostate
- Blood in the urine: Hematuria can occur if the prostate is inflamed or if there are stones associated with the bladder due to chronic prostatic enlargement
- Urine maintenance: When the enlarged prostate fully compresses the passage of urine, retention of the urine can occur, and Foley catheter measurements and surgery may be required.
Patients with these symptoms should immediately consult their urologist to further evaluate the prostate.
Diagnosis of prostate enlargement
The assessment begins with the history of the symptoms, such as severity and duration. A scoring system has been developed for these prostate symptoms, and patients are classified as having mild, moderate, or severe LUTs. If the urologist performs a finger examination of the prostate (digital rectal examination) to confirm its size and consistency, the physical examination will be performed later. The stiff or prenodular prostate is suspected for cancer and requires further evaluation.
Clinical tests such as urine tests and serum creatinine are performed to look for signs of infection within the urinary tract and assess renal function. Serum PSA (prostate-specific antigen) is a blood test performed for screening for prostate cancer. PSA is a protein produced by the prostate gland and it is normal to have PSA in the blood. PSA is prostate-specific and not cancer-specific, meaning that its levels can be elevated with prostate diseases such as BPH, prostatitis, and other prostate diseases. Patients who have developed PSAs should be further evaluated with tests such as MRI prostate, PET scans, and prostate biopsies to confirm the diagnosis of prostate cancer.
Abdominal ultrasound scans are reliable and easily available tests to diagnose prostate enlargement. Ultrasound searches for the size of the prostate and the condition of the bladder and kidneys. A scan is performed after the void and allows patients to look for residual urine in the bladder after the void. The regular prostate is approximately 15-20 cc (cubic centimeters) and is graded from 1-4 depending on the size of the scan.
Urine flow tests (Uroflometry) can be performed at special urological centres. This test involves passing urine to a machine that measures the velocity of the urine flow. If you are passing urine slowly, it may mean that your prostate is pushing the urethra significantly.
Other tests such as urologists may be required are performed in special circumstances, such as urinary mechanics and cystoscopy.
Treatment and prevention
Treatment of enlarged prostates depends on the severity of the symptoms.
If the patient has only mild symptoms, immediate treatment is not required. You can prevent this by making lifestyle changes such as:
- Less alcohol, caffeine, and carbonated drinks
- Limit your intake of artificial sweeteners
- Exercise regularly
- There will be less liquid in the evening
For medications with moderate to severe symptoms, it is recommended to reduce the size of the prostate and relax the bladder outlet.
Surgery is usually recommended only for moderate to severe symptoms that are not responding to medical or prostate enlargement that causes severe complications such as urine maintenance, recurrent urinary infections, bladder stones, and renal failure.
In conclusion, enlarged prostate is one of the most common diseases affecting older men. It is part of physiological aging. If you have any warning symptoms or signs, consulting a professional urologist is crucial for early detection and rapid treatment.
