Most men will suffer one type of prostate problem with approximately half of all men experiencing benign prostatic hyperplasia (an enlarged prostate) by the age of 60 and nearly ninety percent experiencing the problem before they reach 80 years of age.
As its name clearly suggests benign prostatic hyperplasia is a non-malignant or benign swelling of the prostate and can often be treated using drugs or with minor minimally invasive surgery. The first step however is to make sure that the problem is indeed benign prostatic hyperplasia rather than another problem, such as an infection of the urinary tract or problems with the kidneys or bladder.
While carrying out a check for an enlarged prostate gland it is imperative to also check for prostate cancer as, in spite of the fact that a swollen prostate gland does not cause prostate cancer, it is possible for a swollen prostate gland and prostate cancer to exist alongside each other.
Testing will generally involve having a prostate exam, or digital rectal examination, together with an evaluation of the symptoms reported by the patient and his medical history. As the prostate lies between the rectum and the bladder it is a simple matter for a doctor or nurse to put a gloved finger into the rectum to inspect the prostate for signs of swelling or abnormality. The prostate exam is possibly not the most agreeable procedure but is more uncomfortable than painful.
It is also possible for you to undertake a prostate examination yourself or for your partner to carry this out for you. In fact, many men find that this relatively simple self examination may be carried out quite easily every now and again when having a shower. This examination can provide considerable peace of mind and allows any enlargement to be detected at a very early stage so that treatment can be carried out.
Your doctor might also order a variety fo laboratory tests at this point. These tests might include a blood test to determine PSA levels, blood urea nitrogen and creatinine and a urine test.
Prostate specific antigen is found in the blood and is produced by the prostate with levels being increased a bit in response to a swollen prostate and quite markedly in the case of prostate cancer.
Other tests are intended to look for the presence of an infection of the urinary tract or problems with the kidneys, both of which might result in symptoms that are similar to the symptoms experienced in cases of a swollen prostate.
In some cases your doctor may also order further tests such as an ultrasound examination that can determine the size of the prostate and measure the volume of urine held in the bladder, or a cystoscopy (an exam carried out with a thin and flexible scope) to determine the state of the urethra and bladder.
When none of these tests produce clear results your doctor may order a prostate biopsy in which a number of small samples of tissue are taken from the prostate for microscopic examination.
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