Prostate Exam

Prostate Exam

Difficulty in urinating may not be directly related as the primary symptom of sexually transmitted disease or problems in the nephrons kidneys, however those who have any of thesis health problems may have undergone this predicament. Other diseases that have symptoms like difficulty making the first stream of urine and frequenting the toilet especially at night are those that are prostate-related diseases.

Prostitis is the inflammation of the prostate due to infection. Enlargement of the prostate or benign prostate hyperplasia is mostly common among men who are fifty years old and above. The most feared disease that affects the prostate is the prostate cancer, which is considered as one of the causes of death among older men.

When a man has predilection to acquire any of the prostate-related diseases it is high time to seek medical attention even if other symptoms are not present yet. Predilection these diseases can be assessed by identifying familial health history, diet, lifestyle, and age. When all these are present it is best to consult a physician so that immediate action can be taken to alleviate the effects of the diseases.

The physician, depending on the initial assessment will most likely advise the person to undergo prostate exam. There are many types of prostate exam, but all are geared in determining the presence of any of the prostate related diseases. There are prostate exam that will take few minutes in getting the result while there are some that needs a couple of days to identify the disease.

Digital Rectal Exam is one of the most common ways of determining early stages of prostate cancer. This prostate exam is done requesting the patient to position himself by bending his body where his knees will reach hi chest. It could be done either by lying on one side or by standing half bent. The doctor will insert his finger that is gloved and fully lubricated into the rectal opening of the patient. The doctor will feel any presence of lumps in the prostate or determine of there is an irregularity to the size or shape of the same. If an infection is suspected to be present the doctor will the massage the prostate until liquid is secreted which will be examined. The procedure might cause a temporary inconvenience to the patient but it never take any longer.

PSA Blood Test or the prostate-specific antigen is recommended to patients who have already shown obvious symptoms of prostate cancer. This procedure is done together with digital rectal exam in order to really find out if cancerous cells are already present in the prostate of the patient. This procedure has been recommended by the Food and Drugs Administration, however there the benefit and risks are still yet to be identified.

Prostate Biopsy is recommended if suspicion of the likelihood of cancer is higher. This process requires transrectal ultrasound wherein a needle is attached to the pen that is inserted to the rectum of the patient. The needle will collect specimen from the suspected tumors in the prostate.

The earlier a prostate exam is done the better chances of making the best possible treatment. The chances of recuperating from the disease are also higher.