What Every Man Should Know About Prostate Health

For being so small, the prostate plays an important role in a man’s health. This gland is probably best-known for its job making seminal fluid, which nourishes sperm. But, it’s also involved with hormone production and urine flow. As a result, your prostate health can cause serious issues with your urination and sexual function.

At Health Solutions in Munster, Indiana, and Tinley Park, Rockford, and Olympia Fields, Illinois, our skilled team offers a full suite of men’s health services, including prostate screenings. Here’s what you should know about your prostate and how preventive care can protect your long-term health.

The anatomy of a problem

Have you heard the old adage, “It’s all about location, location, location?” Location is why the prostate gland causes urinary and sexual problems. 

The prostate sits immediately below the bladder in front of your rectum. It also wraps around the upper portion of your urethra, a narrow tube that’s connected to your bladder. Both urine and semen leave your body by passing through the urethra.

In your younger years, your prostate is fairly soft and around the size of a golf ball. However, it continues growing throughout your lifetime, which can lead to a variety of uncomfortable symptoms.

Signs of a prostate issue

As your prostate grows larger, it can start squeezing against the urethra, which can cause a variety of problems, such as:

• Poor bladder control
• Urinary frequency
• Difficulty urinating or emptying the bladder
• A thin or weak urine stream
• Urinary tract infections
• Bladder stones
• Sexual dysfunction

Prostate symptoms can vary in severity, but our experienced team can help determine what’s to blame and develop a personalized treatment strategy to address them.

Common prostate conditions

Your prostate is susceptible to three different problems: Benign prostatic hyperplasia, prostatitis, and prostate cancer.

Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH)

This condition describes age-related enlargement of the prostate. Benign prostatic hyperplasia becomes increasingly common with age and impacts approximately 75% of men over age 60.

Prostatitis

Prostatitis develops as a result of inflammation, swelling, or infection of the prostate gland. This prostate problem is the most commonly seen in men under age 50.

Prostate cancer

Prostate cancer occurs when you have cancerous cells growing in the prostate. This is the most common male form of cancer, impacting 1 in 7 American men in their lifetime.

Fortunately, regular prostate cancer screenings at annual men’s health appointments can help detect prostate cancer as early as possible. We also use these appointments to diagnose other prostate problems to ensure you can get uncomfortable symptoms under control.

Don’t ignore your prostate health. For all of your prostate concerns, book an appointment online or over the phone with Health Solutions today.