Male fertility is dependent on a healthy functioning prostate gland. Situated at the base of the male bladder, the prostate is normally the size of a ping pong ball and surrounds the urethra like a doughnut. The gland's purpose is to inject prostatic fluid during ejaculation, which nourishes and transports sperm cells. There are three general conditions that cause prostate problems: benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), prostatitis and prostate cancer.
Prostate Enlargement
Half of men over the age of 50 have BPH, or enlarged prostate. Incidence increases with age. Symptoms include frequent urination at night, difficulty starting urination and dribbling urine. While BPH is not cancerous, annual screening exams are essential because some men with BPH may also develop prostate cancer. Appropriate treatments for BPH include herbal preparations that are popular in Europe or medications that relax the prostate gland. Drugs that slow the growth of or even shrink the prostate gland may not be appropriate for men with a high risk of cancer. Surgery to remove part of the prostate gland is also an option.
Prostatitis
Inflammation of the prostate gland can affect men of all ages and can lead to impotence and difficulty with urination. Acute infectious prostatitis is responsive to antibiotic therapy. Characterized by a sudden onset and symptoms of a urinary tract infection, (burning on urination, urgency, pain, fatigue, pus or blood in the urine and fever), it is the most common type of prostatitis.
Chronic prostatitis may be due to bacteria that causes repeated bladder infections. If no bacteria can be isolated, noninfectious prostatitis, which may have symptoms of urinary frequency accompanied by pain in the lower abdomen or pain after ejaculation, may be treated with comfort measures and medications.
Prostate Cancer
When tissues undergo rapid growth, the risk is greater that some cells will become abnormal and turn into cancer. A protein marker in the blood, prostate-specific antigen (PSA), is useful in detecting prostate cancer but needs to be interpreted in the context of other factors. The prostate, like the female cervix, is subject to precancerous cell growth or dysplasia, as well as malignant tumor growth that changes the contour of the gland. Ultrasound may be done to follow up on an abnormal rectal exam or PSA test.
Several factors are associated with prostate cancer incidence, including a low-fiber, high fat diet. According to the "Journal of the National Cancer Institute," men who eat red meat five times a week may have a risk of prostate cancer that is nearly three times higher than men who eat red meat less than once a week.
Surgery to remove the entire prostate gland is the most common medical recommendation for otherwise healthy men with prostate cancer that has not spread to other parts of the body. Radiation and chemotherapy may be more appropriate for cancer that has metastasized. Treatment or the lack of treatment may depend on life-expectancy--doctors may adopt a "watch and see" approach because prostate cancer grows slowly.
References
- National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases: What I Need to Know About Prostate Problems
- "Journal of The National Cancer Institute: A Prospective Study of Dietary Fat and Risk of Prostate Cancer"; Edward Giovannucci, et. al., 1993, 85(19)
- "Prescription for Nutritional Healing"; Phyllis Balch, CNC, 2004
