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December 2015 | Read this issue and more at www.healthandwellnessmagazine.net |
Prostate Problems
See your doctor if you
experience certain symptoms
By Jean Jeffers, Staff Writer
Larry has been waking up frequently during the night to go to
the bathroom. He wonders if this is
something he needs to worry about.
Could it be an indication of prostate
problems?
The prostate is a gland, about the
size of a walnut, that is part of the
male reproductive system. It wraps
around the urethra, the tube that
carries urine out of the bladder. The
prostate grows larger as a man ages;
if it gets too large, it can cause health
issues.
One of these issues is the need
to go to the bathroom a lot. Other
symptoms are dribbling after urinating and having difficulty urinating.
The problem is benign prostatic
hyperplasia or BPH, which means
your prostate is enlarged. Some men
with BPH worry they may have cancer, but this condition does not indicate cancer. As the gland grows, it is
likely to press on the urethra, causing
the flow of urine to be slower and the
stream to be less forceful. Symptoms
occur gradually and could be indicative of something more serious.
Talk with your doctor about this
problem. The doctor will do a complete medical history, a rectal exam,
order blood work and obtain a urine
specimen to rule out infection. An
ultrasound may help make the diagnosis. Treatment may include:
• Watchful waiting. If the condition
is not too bad and symptoms are
not too bothersome, the doctor
may decide active surveillance, or
waiting and watching the