By Abraham Abba abrahamunaji6@gmail.com
The prostate is a small gland that’s part of the male reproductive system.
Your prostate contributes additional fluid to your semen (ejaculate). Ejaculate is a whitish-gray fluid that releases from your penis when you orgasm. The fluid contains enzymes, zinc and citric acid, which help nourish sperm cells and lubricate your urethra. The urethra is a tube through which ejaculate and pee flow out of your body.
Your prostate’s muscles also help push semen into and through your urethra when you orgasm.
LOCATION OF THE PROSTRATE
Your prostate is below your bladder and in front of your rectum. Your urethra runs through the center of your prostate.
Your prostate has five lobes: anterior (in the front) and posterior (in the back) lobes, two lateral lobes (on the sides) and one median (in the middle) lobe. Connective tissues and glandular tissues make up its structure. The prostatic fascia covers your prostate. Prostatic fascia is a sheet of stretchy connective tissue.
Your prostate is about the size of a walnut.
The prostate usually gets larger after age 40 (benign prostatic hyperplasia). It can grow from the size of a walnut to the size of a lemon. Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) isn’t cancerous, and it doesn’t increase your risk of developing prostate cancer.
COMMON CONDITIONS THAT AFFECT YOUR PROSTATE INCLUDE:
PROSTATE CANCER. Prostate cancer is the second most common type of cancer that affects males.
INFLAMMATION (PROSTATITIS). Four different prostatitis conditions cause inflammation in your prostate gland: acute bacterial prostatitis, chronic bacterial prostatitis, chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CPPS) and asymptomatic inflammatory prostatitis. It’s the most common urinary tract issue in males younger than 50, and the third most common in males over 50.
BENIGN PROSTATIC HYPERPLASIA. BPH causes your prostate to grow, which can cause blockages in your urethra. Almost all males will develop some prostate enlargement as they age.
COMMON WARNING SIGNS OF PROSTATE PROBLEMS INCLUDE:
Pain in your penis, testicles or perineum. The perineum is the area between your testicles and your rectum.
Frequent urges to pee.
Pain while peeing (dysuria) or ejaculating.
Slowness or dribbling of your pee stream.
Difficulty starting to pee.
Frequent need to get up at night to pee.
Erectile dysfunction (ED).
Blood in urine or semen (hematospermia).
Pain in your lower back, hip or chest.
COMMON TESTS TO CHECK YOUR PROSTATE HEALTH INCLUDE:
DIGITAL RECTAL EXAM. Your healthcare provider inserts a gloved, lubricated finger into your rectum and feels your prostate gland. Bumps or hard areas may indicate cancer.
PROSTATE-SPECIFIC ANTIGEN BLOOD TEST. Your prostate makes a protein called protein-specific antigen (PSA). Elevated PSA levels may indicate cancer. PSA levels may also rise if you have BPH or prostatitis.
BIOPSY. Your healthcare provider uses a needle to get a sample of your prostate tissue.
A healthcare provider will examine the sample under a microscope in a lab.
PROSTATE CANCER
Prostate cancer is a serious disease.
If one is diagnosed with prostate cancer, it’s most likely an adenocarcinoma.
Adenocarcinomas start in the cells of glands — like your prostate — that secrete fluid. Rarely, prostate cancer forms from other types of cells.
LESS COMMON TYPES OF PROSTATE CANCERS INCLUDE:
Small cell carcinomas.
Transitional cell carcinomas.
Neuroendocrine tumors.
Sarcomas.
Prostate cancer is common, second only to skin cancer as the most common cancer affecting males.
SYMPTOMS OF PROSTATE CANCER
Frequent, sometimes urgent, need to pee, especially at night.
Weak urine flow or flow that starts and stops.
Pain or burning when you pee (dysuria).
Loss of bladder control (urinary incontinence).
Loss of bowel control (fecal incontinence).
Painful ejaculation and erectile dysfunction (ED).
Blood in semen (hematospermia) or pee.
Pain in your low back, hip or chest
OTHER CONDITIONS THAT CAUSE SYMPTOMS SIMILAR TO PROSTATE CANCER INCLUDE:
BENIGN PROSTATIC HYPERPLASIA (BPH): At some point, almost everyone with a prostate will develop benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). This condition enlarges your prostate gland but doesn’t increase your cancer risk.
PROSTATITIS: If you’re younger than 50, an enlarged prostate gland is most likely prostatitis. Prostatitis is a benign condition that causes inflammation and swelling in your prostate gland. Bacterial infections are often the cause.
CAUSES OF PROSTATE CANCER
As with cancer in general, prostate cancer forms when cells divide faster than usual. While normal cells eventually die, cancer cells don’t. Instead, they multiply and grow into a lump called a tumor. As the cells continue to multiply, parts of the tumor can break off and spread to other parts of your body (metastasize).
Luckily, prostate cancer usually grows slowly. Most tumors are diagnosed before the cancer has spread beyond your prostate. Prostate cancer is highly treatable at this stage.
RISK FACTORS FOR PROSTATE CANCER
AGE. Your risk increases as you get older. You’re more likely to get diagnosed if you’re over 50. About 60% of prostate cancers occur in people older than 65.
RACE AND ETHNICITY. You’re at greater risk if you’re Black or of African ancestry. You’re more likely to develop prostate cancers that are more likely to spread. You’re also at greater risk of prostate cancer forming before age 50.
FAMILY HISTORY OF PROSTATE CANCER. You’re two to three times more likely to get prostate cancer if a close family member has it.
GENETICS. You’re at greater risk if you have Lynch syndrome or if you inherited mutated (changed) genes associated with increased breast cancer risk (BRCA1 and BRCA2).
Herbs that have been traditionally used to support prostate health and may have potential in reducing the risk of prostate cancer:
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