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Prostate disease often attacks men and if left unchecked is quite dangerous. What are the prostate diseases that men are prone to?
Please note, the prostate gland is a walnut-sized organ of the male reproductive system found at the base of the bladder. These glands are at risk of developing the three most common forms of disease.
So, to find out more about prostate diseases that men often suffer from, let’s look at the explanation below!
What is prostate?
As reported by Better Health, the prostate gland is a male reproductive organ that produces fluid to ‘feed’ and protect sperm cells. A thin tube that allows urine and semen to exit the penis or urethra flows through the prostate gland.
The alkaline fluid produced by the prostate gland can help nourish sperm. It is also important to understand that the prostate experiences two major growth spurts.
The first growth is generally triggered by sex hormones made by the testicles during puberty. This encourages the prostate to reach an average weight of 20 grams.
Meanwhile, the second growth spurt begins when men are in their 30s.
Types of prostate disease that men are prone to
A man may experience one or more prostate diseases. The three most common forms of prostate disease are inflammation or prostatitis, non-cancerous prostate enlargement or benign prostatic hyperplasia, and prostate cancer.
1. Inflammation of the prostate or prostatitis
Prostatitis can affect men of any age, but is more common in men who are younger or aged between 30 and 50 years. The types of prostatitis that can attack a young man are:
- Bacterial prostatitis, namely acute or chronic bacterial infection
- Non-bacterial prostatitis, which is an inflamed prostate, is also known as chronic pelvic pain syndrome
In most cases, the cause of prostatitis is not known for certain. However, generally bacterial prostatitis can respond well to antibiotic drugs that enter the prostate.
Meanwhile, non-bacterial prostatitis is the most common form of prostate inflammation and is more difficult to treat. Signs or symptoms of prostatitis can appear slowly or come on quickly.
Symptoms associated with prostatitis can vary depending on the cause. Some common symptoms of prostatitis include difficulty urinating, blood in the urine, groin pain, and painful ejaculation.
2. Benign prostatic hyperplasia or BPH
Non-cancerous prostate enlargement or BPH is more common as men age. This type of prostate disease is not life-threatening, but it can significantly affect a man’s quality of life. Common BPH symptoms include:
- Difficulty urinating
- Urge to urinate even when the bladder is empty
- Frequent urination, especially at night
- Weak or intermittent urine flow
- Feeling of incomplete emptying when urinating
Pria dengan BPH akan mengalami penyempitan uretra dan menyebabkan adanya tekanan pada dasar kandung kemih. Hal tersebut berisiko mengakibatkan obstruksi atau penyumbatan pada aliran urine.
Hambatan biasanya muncul sebagai gejala saluran kemih bagian bawah, yang terkadang mengakibatkan urine tetap berada di kandung kemih saat seharusnya dikeluarkan. Jika hal ini terjadi secara tiba-tiba, maka disebut sebagai retensi urine akut.
Retensi urine akut sangat menyakitkan dan biasanya dapat diredakan sementara dengan memasukkan tabung khusus atau kateter untuk mengeluarkan urine.
Untuk retensi kronis atau berkelanjutan lebih jarang terjadi, namun dapat menyebabkan penumpukan urine yang berisiko merusak fungsi ginjal.
3. Prostate cancer
Prostate cancer in its early stages may not cause any symptoms. However, as it progresses, symptoms often appear.
Some symptoms of prostate cancer include frequent urination, especially at night, difficulty starting to urinate, blood in the urine, and frequent pain in the hips.
Most cases of prostate cancer are a type of cancer called adenocarcinoma. This is cancer that grows in glandular tissue, such as the prostate gland. Prostate cancer is also categorized based on how fast it grows, namely:
- Aggressive or growing quickly
- Not aggressive or slow growing
For non-aggressive prostate cancer, the tumor does not grow or grows very little over time. While prostate cancer is aggressive, the tumor can usually grow quickly and spread to other areas of the body such as the bones.
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