prostate – Top Health Today

Prostate is a small gland that is part of men reproductive system. The prostate is responsible for the production of semen, the fluid that carries sperm from the testicle when a man ejaculates. The prostate is often within the size of a walnut in the younger age of men, it rests low in the pelvis, just in front of the rectum and below the bladder.

As important as the prostate is to life and reproduction, it becomes venerable to many medical problems as men age. But the most common prostate problem is the enlarged prostate, a condition known as Benign Prostate Hyperplasia, or BPH.

The prostate gland slowly grows larger with age, it may start squeezing the urethra as the size increases, and this will start causing discomfort and problems in passing urine when it gets too large. Sometimes, men in their late 30s and 40s may start having these urinary problem symptoms and may need medical condition, but other symptoms of prostate trouble start surfacing in much later in life mostly around their 50s and 60s.

Enlarged prostate

A benign tumor that keeps growing over time is the cause of enlarge prostate and it’s typically age-associated. The older a man gets, the more his likely to develop prostate trouble like prostatitis and BPH. Some of the symptoms that may come with an enlarged prostate include:

Sudden or strong urge to pass urine
An increased frequency of urination, especially at night
Feeling the bladder is not empty after urinating
Break in the urine stream while urination
Having trouble to begin passing urine

It is recommended to see your doctor if you are experiencing some of the above symptoms for a proper evaluating and diagnosis as prostate cancer also have similar symptoms. Early detection is always the best.

Enlarged prostate needs to be treated as soon as possible, as it can lead to more medical complications such as urinary tract infections, damage to the bladder or kidneys, or an increase in bladder stones. Moreover, symptoms may get worse over time and enlarged prostate is much easier to correct in the early state.

Treatment option

There are lots of prostate supports and prescription medications to manage and treat enlarged prostate, treatment option include:

Watchful waiting

This is best fit for someone who his symptoms are still manageable. It involves getting an annual prostate checkup, changing lifestyle to correct the condition like not drinking much in the evening. Treatment may start if the symptoms worsen.

Drug Therapy

This is the most common choice, it involves using drug to treat the condition. There are lots of prostate support drugs at there, and the way they work and the effectiveness can vary. Such as

Alpha-blockers

Alpha-blockers is a common prostate support that tends to relief symptoms by relaxing the muscles around the prostate and let the urine flow freely. But the side effect may include headache, dizziness, and fatigue.

5 alpha-reductase inhibitors

This is another prostate support that tends to shrink the prostate gland to relief the symptoms. This drug works by blocking the activity of an enzyme called 5-alpha reductase. This enzyme changes the testosterone hormone to dihydrotestosterone which stimulates the growth of prostate. By blocking this enzyme, prostate growth becomes slower and will start to shrink.

Surgery

Surgery is another option for treating an enlarged prostate. This option is often applied when the symptoms become unbearable for the patient or for some reason they don’t want to take drug, it might be due to the side effect or personal reason. Surgery is also an option if the patient is not responding to drug treatment.

With all the talk about prostate cancer and treatments for enlarged prostate for older men, the prostate gland has become well-known throughout the modern world. Since all the media seems targeted to men, some people have questioned whether women have prostate gland or not. Leaf through any anatomy book and you will see that women do not have a prostate gland. However, there is another structure, called the Skene’s gland, that is often called the female prostate because it has a similar position and a similar role.

Position of the Prostate Gland

In men, this important gland sits inside the urethra. This is why it makes urination difficult when it becomes enlarged or diseased in some way. It forms a physical blockage. Its location is pretty much the same for all men. The prostate rests between the penis and the bladder in a position near the rectum inside the body.

The Skene’s gland in women is positioned in much the same way as the male prostate gland if it is present at all in the body. Some women have one and some women don’t. They can also be different sizes and found in slightly different positions within the urethra.

The structures of both glands, the male and female prostates, are very similar. All the tiny physical parts that make up the male version are also found in the female version. However, they are all much smaller.

Purpose of the Prostate Gland

The male prostate gland aids in the production of semen and facilitates the expulsion of sperm during orgasm. The components of this fluid also protect sperm and keep them mobile to aid in fertilization of the female egg. Women do not have semen, of course, which makes the Skene’s gland quite a bit different in purpose than a prostate.

This so-called female prostate does secrete fluid that cannot only lubricate the urethra but also contains antimicrobial properties that can help prevent urinary tract infections. Also, researchers believe that it may be the source of female ejaculate that can be emitted from some women during sexual relations and orgasm. Some also believe it is the location of what is termed the G-spot, though this is up for debate still. The positioning of each thing often varies considerably.

Both the male and female glands produce a compound known as prostate-specific antigen (PSA). Just like in men, this antigen can be an indicator of cancerous growth. In men, the cancer is usually directly in the prostate gland if the levels of PSA go up. In women, the levels can occasionally indicate cancer of the Skene’s gland, but also others such as breast cancer.

When people ask, “do only men have a prostate gland?” They may be thinking of the anatomical entity spoken about in men’s health shows and advertisements for prescription medications. Women do not have that type of prostate gland. However, according to the Federal International Committee on Anatomical Terminology, the Skene’s gland can acceptably be called the female prostate.

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