What can I do about prostate problems

10 June 2016 | Editor

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What is the Prostate Gland

The prostate is a small doughnut shaped male sex gland that surrounds the neck of the bladder and urethra. Its major function is to contribute to seminal fluid.

Prostatitis

Prostatitis is common in men of all ages and means inflammation of the prostate gland. The usual causes are bacterial infection and hormonal changes in older men. The inflammation can result in urine retention which in turn can cause bladder, urethra and kidney infection. Symptoms include pain, usually between the scrotum and rectum, difficulty in passing water, frequent urination with a burning sensation, dribbling after urination, feelings of fullness of the bladder, and blood or pus in the urine. Later symptoms can include lower back pain and impotence, with difficult urination.

Enlarged Prostate

Enlarged prostate, nowadays called Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH), is the gradual enlargement of the prostate. It occurs in over sixty percent of all men over the age of fifty, and three quarters of men over seventy years of age. The usual cause is hormonal changes causing overproduction of prostate cells. Eventually the enlarged prostate obstructs the urethra, so that complete emptying of the bladder becomes difficult. It also causes pressure on the kidneys. All the symptoms mentioned above for Prostatitis are also usual.

Left untreated, BPH gets worse with age, yet most men avoid seeing their doctor for fear it might be cancer. However, BPH is simple to treat with nutritional medicine before it ever develops into cancer. If you have any worries, don't be afraid to see the doctor, and follow the suggestions given below as well.

Prostate Cancer

Prostate cancer is mainly a disease of ageing. Approximately 80 percent of all prostate cancer occurs in men over the age of 65, increasing in likelihood with age. Fortunately, although it is relatively common, in most cases prostate cancer is slow-growing, particularly in older men. The symptoms are similar to that of prostatitis (inflammation) and benign enlargement of the prostate (BPH), so a professional diagnosis must be made by your doctor via a rectal examination and a PSA test (blood test to detect elevated levels of a substance called prostate-specific antigen). These tests should be carried out on all men over the age of about 50, as early detection can often help stop the cancer spread to other sites.

It's not cancer, what do I do?

Once the Doctor has ruled out the possibility of cancer, it is possible to treat yourself with nutrition. It is important, however, to first have that check-up with the Doctor, and do check the contra-indications under our shopping section.

There are a number of herbal solutions that era well know to be helpful with prostitis and these are provided by a number of different manufacturers and, it must be said, varying qualities. Saw Palmetto has long been used for this purpose and you can see a list of such products here. many of them also include other helpful ingredients.

Specific products we particularly like are shown below.