Your Prostate Health Matters!

Many men do not care about or even know the importance of their reproductive organs, especially the prostate gland. The prostate gland has an important job, which is to produce a thick, milky-white fluid that becomes part of the semen, the liquid ejaculated during sexual activity. The prostate isn’t that big—about the size of a walnut or golf ball. The prostate is located just below the bladder and in front of the rectum. It also wraps around the upper part of the urethra, the tube that carries urine from the bladder out of the body. That means prostate problems can affect urination and sexual function.

What are the problems? If your "man" has problems like pain during urination or often urinates at night, you have to check and detect the problem early and take precautions. While you may not have any problems related to this, you have to know ways to prevent them from developing.


Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia

Is extremely common in older men. It is not cancerous, but it has the characteristic of enlarging the organ. The prostate goes through a period of rapid enlargement during puberty, but this levelled off once puberty was completed. The prostate will begin to grow again in midlife, but at a slower rate. These periods of growth are thought to be caused by increased levels of male hormones such as testosterone. The prostate grows throughout a man's life because testosterone is produced throughout his life.

The most common symptom of BPH is difficulty urinating or dribbling after you urinate. Also, you may feel the need to urinate a lot, often at night (5).

Prostatitis

It starts with a bacterial infection or prostate inflammation. Prostatitis can result in burning or painful urination, an urgent need to urinate, difficulty urinating, difficult or painful ejaculation, and pain between the scrotum and the rectum or in the lower back. Prostatitis is classified into two types: acute bacterial prostatic and chronic bacterial prostatic. It only causes mild urination difficulties and can cause fever, chills, or pain. A bacterial infection is also the starting point. The second is chronic bacterial prostatic disease, which occurs when an infection recurs frequently. This is a rare and difficult to treat condition. To feel better, you may need to consult your doctor (5).

Prostate Cancer

It is the most common type of male cancer. Prostate cancer typically grows slowly and is initially confined to the prostate gland, where it may not cause significant harm. The development of cancerous cells within the prostate gland, which may spread to other parts of the body. While some types of prostate cancer grow slowly and may require little or no treatment, others are aggressive and spread quickly. It primarily affects older men (1, 5).

Here are a few simple tips on how you can manage or care for your prostate gland. There is also a way to prevent it.

Healthy Eating – Better Health!

First and foremost, you must strive for a healthy eating pattern, which is easier than you might think. Adhering to a heart-healthy, low-animal-fat, low-carbohydrate diet. You must substitute whole-grain bread for white bread, as well as whole-grain pasta and cereal. Choose healthy fats like olive oil, nuts (almonds, walnuts, and pecans), and avocados. Limit your intake of saturated fats from dairy and other animal products. Avoid partially hydrogenated fats (trans fats), which are found in many processed foods and fast foods. Fruits and vegetables high in antioxidants are always beneficial to your body in preventing cancer-causing oxidants. Consume more fish because it contains omega-3 fatty acids. Because obesity has been linked to prostate problems, you should limit your sugar intake as well. Avoid sugar-sweetened beverages such as sodas and many fruit juices (1, 2, 3, 4). 

Exercise For Everyone!

You should stay active in addition to eating a healthy diet. Regular exercise will lower your risk of developing certain problems, such as heart disease, stroke, and certain types of cancer. Although relatively few studies have directly assessed the impact of exercise on prostate health, those that have concluded that exercise is beneficial in the majority of cases.

If you have any kind of symptom, such as pain when urinating, you urinate frequently, especially at night. Screening for prostate problems is recommended between the ages of 55 and 70. Your doctor may perform a rectal exam as a physical test and blood testing for prostate-specific antigen (PSA) (5).

 

References

  1. Jennifer H. Cohen, Alan R. Kristal, Janet L. Stanford. (2000). Fruit and Vegetable Intakes and Prostate Cancer Risk. Vol 92. Issue 1 (61-68) https://academic.oup.com/jnci/article/92/1/61/2905797
  2. Katie M. Di Sebastiono, Marina Mourtzakis. (2014). The Role of Dietary Fat throughout the Prostate Cancer Trajectory. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4277017/
  3. Paul Turek. (2014). How To Keep Your Prostate Happy https://www.urologyhealth.org/careblog/how-to-keep-your-prostate-happy
  4. Harvard Health (n.d). 10 Diet & Exercise Tips for Prostate Health. https://www.health.harvard.edu/mens-health/10-diet-and-exercise-tips-for-prostate-health
  5. MedicineNet (n.d). Prostate Problems. https://www.medicinenet.com/prostate_problem_warning_signs/article.htm