Enlarged Prostate

Enlarged Prostate

The prostate gland is like the size of a walnut. It is only present among men as part of their reproductive system. Prostate gland is responsible in the secretion of clear basic fluid found in semen during ejaculation. This exocrine gland is facing health threats as man ages.

One of the health problems is the enlargement of the prostate. This enlarged prostate is medically referred as benign prostatic hyperplasia or benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH). It is very common among men who are 50 years old and above.

An enlarge prostate is naturally occurring. In fact the prostate undergoes enlargement twice. The first instance is during male's puberty stage wherein the prostate will double in size. When a man is 25 years old his prostate will begin to grow for the second time, which generally results when the man is already 50 years old or older where he can already feel discomfort in urination, which is one of the most common symptoms.

The tissue surrounding the enlarged prostate does not enlarge together with it. Instead the tissue will keep it from expanding therefore pressing the prostate and thus affecting the urethra canal, which can only hold so much urine. When the bladder contracts, small amount of urine can trigger urination thus the likelihood of frequent visits to the toilet is expected.

The cause of an enlarged prostate has not been fully understood yet, in spite of the many studies conducted to determine its probable causes. Even the risk factors are not yet identified. However medical experts can only pinpoint aging process and the testes as the only link to the occurrence of an enlarged prostate.

Studies conducted on animals showed that the decrease of the level of testosterone can leave an increase of the level of estrogen in the prostate gland, which can trigger cell growth. This cell growth would mean that the prostate is likely to grow, as the level of testosterone will continue to decrease. The decrease of testosterone level usually happen among the aging population of men, which might prove why enlargement of prostate happens.

Enlargement of the prostate or BHP can de diagnosed through digital rectal examination (DRE) which is done by the doctor inserting his glove covered and lubricated finger into the rectum of the patient. The doctor will feel any abnormal growth of the prostate, which is just near the rectal opening. Other tests are prostate-specific antigen, prostate biopsy and urinalysis.

The treatment of an enlarged prostate is a case-to-case basis depending on the severity of the case and the age of the patient. Common treatments are BPH drugs and surgery.

The cases of enlarged prostate in the United States in 2000 have reached to 4.5 million. The number is expected to grow which is directly proportional to the life expectancy of men.