The Blaine County Journal News-Opinion - We've Got The County Covered

Men’s Health Month continues with another important topic! Sometimes it gets a little difficult to talk about what we consider our “embarrassing” issues. But stop right there because nothing about your health should ever be embarrassing! So let’s take a look at the Prostate this week.

The prostate is the walnut sized gland that sits between the bladder and the penis. Its main job is to secrete fluid that protects and nourishes sperm. Issues with the prostate are a common occurrence in men though frequently not talked about until symptoms are severe. Prostate cancer is not the only diagnosis for issues with the prostate. Let’s take a look at the issues that can be seen with the prostate.

Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH), very large words to really mean age associated enlargement of the prostate gland. This is very common in men aged 40 or older and fairly easy to manage with medication. Your chance of developing this are greater if there is a family history of BPH. Your symptoms may include:

• Frequent urge to urinate especially at night

• When having urge to urinate very little urine produced

• Weak urine stream

• Leaking or dribbling of urine

• Difficulty starting or stopping stream

Prostatitis, inflammation or swelling of the prostate gland. There are two types of prostatitis, chronic or bacterial. Chronic can be caused by chronic inflammation due to a resistant to treatment bacterial infection that causes small amounts of bacteria to remain present, chronic inflammation not due to an infection process, or caused by an abnormal buildup of pressure in the urinary tract or an autoimmune response which causes the irritation. You may experience the following symptoms:

• All symptoms as above with BPH

• Pain during or after an orgasm

• Burning with or after urination

• Discomfort in the penis, scrotum or rectum

Lastly, let’s discuss Prostate Cancer. This is the second most common cancer in American men. About 1 in 9 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their life. If detected early it is highly treatable and most men survive. In the early stages there are little to no symptoms, but as it progresses symptoms are very similar to those listed above for BPH and pain or stiffness in lower back, hips or upper thighs. Those at increased risk are men 50 years or older, a family history of prostate cancer, African American male and those with elevated testosterone levels. What can you do to have a chance at early detection?

• Yearly physical exam, with discussion of concerning symptoms

• PSA blood test (usually completed with yearly labs)- this has resulted in early diagnosis in about 80 percent of men

Mentioning these symptoms discussed above can help with early detection of prostate cancer. No topic is embarrassing enough to risk your future for. Call and schedule your appointment today to discuss your symptoms with one of our providers! Call 357-2294.