Prostate Problems Symptoms

Prostate problems symptoms are hard to ignore. Prostate problems symptoms are a clue there may be a significant underlying condition affecting the prostate gland. The prostate is a marvelous little gland that is important to all men for our sexual health, pleasure and virility. It is an unsung member of the "family jewels" and is critical to our ejaculations and orgasms. Normally the gland works beautifully and is taken for granted until something causes one or more prostate problems symptoms.

prostate anatomy

It is important to understand prostate anatomy and function in order to fully appreciate prostate problems symptoms. The prostate is an exocrine gland of the male reproductive system. A healthy human prostate is slightly larger than a walnut. The prostate gland surrounds the urethra just below the bladder at the base of the penis and can be felt during a digital rectal exam (DRE).

Prostate orgasm and prostate sex functions. The main function of the prostate is to produce and store seminal fluid, the milky-colored liquid that carries and nourishes sperm during ejaculation. The gland also causes intense sexual pleasure during the prostate orgasm. The prostate orgasm and ejaculation are the climax of male sexual pleasure and satisfaction. The prostate is often referred to as the "male G-spot," or "P-spot". Some men are able to achieve orgasm solely through stimulation of the prostate gland. Men who report the sensation of prostate stimulation often give descriptions similar to women's accounts of G-spot stimulation. [ 3]

When prostate orgasm occurs semen and sperm flow through the ejaculatory ducts in the prostate gland into the urethra. Powerful, involuntary contractions of smooth muscles in the prostate and lower penis expel semen, causing ejaculation and intense pleasure.


Common prostate problems symptoms may start to occur in men during their late forties and fifties. The three most common prostate problems symptoms are:
• Prostatitis
• Enlarged prostate
• Prostate cancer


Prostatitis is an inflammation of the prostate gland commonly caused by an infection. Signs include prostate problems symptoms of chills, fever, pain in the lower back and genital area, urinary frequency and urgency often at night, burning or painful urination, painful ejaculation, body aches, and an infection of the urinary tract, which show up in tests as white blood cells and bacteria in the urine. Acute prostatitis may be a complication of prostate biopsy.

Prostatis requires medical attention and will generally involve antibiotic treatment. In severe cases prostatitis can become a medical emergency requiring hospitalization. Full recovery is normal. A small percentage of prostatis cases (about 5%) are more severe and difficult to treat, but this is rare.


Enlarged prostate or benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) occurs in older men when the prostate enlarges to the point where urination becomes difficult. BPH symptoms include needing to urinate more frequently, difficulty starting flow, straining, a weak stream, stopping and starting, dribbling, and the inability to completely empty the bladder. If the prostate grows too large it may constrict the urethra and pinch off the flow of urine making urination difficult and painful and in extreme cases completely impossible.

Urinary frequency due to bladder spasm is common in older men and may be confused with an enlarged prostate. In addition to consulting your GP doctor you may want to see a urologist in order to get a specialist's opinion and advice.

Editors note: BPH can be treated with medication or with surgery that removes obstructing portions of the prostate. It seems to me that treatment by medication is almost always preferable to surgery. Surgical treatments have improved greatly over the years but severe complications can include impotence, incontinence, chronic pain, and of course the usual surgical risks of anesthesia including death. Treatment with medication does not carry these risks.

Prostate cancer is usually a slow-growing cancer, and is one of the most common cancers affecting older men in developed countries and a significant cause of death for elderly men (estimated by some specialists at 3%). Regular rectal exams are generally recommended for men over age 50 to detect prostate cancer early on.

Prostate cancer develops most frequently in men over fifty. This cancer can occur only in men, since women have no prostate. It is the most common type of cancer in men in the United States, where it is responsible for more male deaths than any other cancer, except lung cancer. However, many men who develop prostate cancer never have symptoms, undergo no therapy, and eventually die of other causes. Many men die and never know they have prostate cancer. Autopsy studies of Chinese, German, Israeli, Jamaican, Swedish, and Ugandan men who died of other causes have found prostate cancer in thirty percent of men in their 50s, and in eighty percent of men in their 70s. [5]

Many variables including age, genetics, race, diet, lifestyle, medications, and other factors have been implicated in the development of prostate cancer, but the primary risk factor is age. Prostate cancer is uncommon in men under 45, but becomes more common with advancing age. The average age at the time of diagnosis is 70.

Most prostate cancers never grow to the point where they cause symptoms, and most men with prostate cancer die of other causes before prostate cancer has an impact on their lives. The PSA screening test may detect these small cancers that would never become life threatening. Doing the PSA screening test in these men may lead to overdiagnosis, including additional testing and treatment. Follow-up tests, such as prostate biopsy, may cause pain, bleeding and infection. Prostate cancer treatments may cause urinary incontinence and erectile dysfunction. Therefore, it is essential that the risks and benefits of diagnostic procedures and treatment be carefully considered before PSA screening.

Routine prostate cancer screening is no longer uniformly recommended. No major scientific or medical organizations currently (2007) support routine screening for prostate cancer, including the American Cancer Society. [1] [2] Since 1992 annual screening by DRE or PSA, or both methods, has been offered or recommended, however the practice has become increasingly controversial. Research is continuing on whether screening is advisable, and you see a lot of double-talk in the research. Doctors feel they are in a legally perilous malpractice position if they do not perform screening so they often practice "defensive medicine" and routinely perform screening. [4] Bottom line, caveat emptor, and consult a specialist or two for a second or third opinion if screening has detected signs of cancer. If life expectancy is less than 10 years, then screening and treatment may be inadvisable.

There are limits to the current screening methods. Neither the PSA test nor the DRE is 100% accurate. Inconclusive or false results on testing can cause confusion and anxiety; i.e., the screening and aftermath can be riskier than the disease. Educate yourself about your personal risk factors, and then have a heart-to-hearth chat with your doctor about the matter.

The PSA test can help spot many prostate cancers early, but a significant issue is that it can't tell how dangerous, or aggressive the cancer is, nor does it detect all prostate cancers. Finding and treating all prostate cancers early may seem like a no-brainer, but it is not. Some prostate cancers grow so slowly that they would likely never cause problems.

Risk factors for prostate cancer include:
• Age is the primary risk factor, with 70 being average age at the time of diagnosis.
• Genetic background may account for 40% of risk factors. Family history, and race play a role. In the US black men are at higher risk for the cancer and for mortality.
• Diet plays a role. Negative risk factors include trans fats from hydrogenated vegetable oils, and animal fat. Beneficial diets include: foods rich in Omega 3 oils, Vitamin E, and the mineral selenium.
• Prostate infections of sexually transmitted diseases including Chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis increase cancer risks.
• Daily use of anti-inflammatory medicines such as aspirin, ibuprofen, or naproxen may decrease prostate cancer risk.

Preventing prostate cancer. Several medications and vitamins may also help prevent prostate cancer. Two dietary supplements, vitamin E and selenium, may help prevent prostate cancer when taken daily. Estrogens from fermented soybeans and other plant sources (called phytoestrogens) may also help prevent prostate cancer. Green tea may be protective (due to its polyphenol content), though the data is mixed. Scientists recommend a healthy, well balanced diet rich in fiber, and to reduce intake of meat. A 2007 study published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute found that men eating cauliflower, broccoli, or one of the other cruciferous vegetables, more than once a week were 40% less likely to develop prostate cancer than men who rarely ate those vegetables.


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