Prostate Problems

The prostate is a small gland about the size of a walnut, located below the urinary bladder of men and surrounds the urethra (the tube through which urine passes out of the body). It has an important function in male reproduction. After the age of 50 years, prostate problems are very common. Due to the action of the male sex hormone, the prostate enlarges. Prostatic enlargement is benign in most individuals. However, the enlargement can also attain malignant proportion in some patients.

Some problems that a man may face related to prostate are:

• Benign prostatic hyperplasia
• Acute bacterial prostatitis
• Chronic bacterial prostatitis
• Chronic prostatitis
• Prostate cancer

Symptoms of enlarged prostate can include:

• A weak or slow urinary stream
• A feeling of incomplete bladder emptying
• Difficulty starting urination
• Frequent urination
• Urgency to urinate
• Getting up frequently at night to urinate
• A urinary stream that starts and stops
• Straining to urinate
• Continued dribbling of urine
• Returning to urinate again minutes after finishing

For cancer that has not spread from the prostate to other parts of the body, your doctor may suggest:

• Watchful Waiting or Active Surveillance.
• Surgery.
• Radiation Therapy.
• Hormone Therapy.

Signs that indicate a prostate problem are:

• Frequent urge to urinate: you may feel like using the washroom again and again
• Need to get up many times during the night to urinate
• Not being able to urinate: Enlargement of the prostate may block the urinary tube, as a result one may not be able to urinate.
• Blood in urine or semen
• Painful or burning urination
• Painful ejaculation
• Frequent pain or stiffness in lower back, hips, pelvic or rectal area, or upper thighs
• Dribbling of urine

For more information on BPH and prostate cancer and cures, visit our website Old Age Solutions, or follow us at Google+, Facebook, Twitter, and Youtube
Take Care!!

Cancer

Cancer is the second most common disease in India responsible for maximum mortality with about 0.3 million deaths per year. The causes of such high incidence rates of these cancers may be both internal (genetic, mutations, hormonal, poor immune conditions) and external or environmental factors (food habits, industrialization, over growth of population, social etc.)

Age is the strongest risk factor in the development of cancer. Though the relationship between cancer and ageing is unclear, the increased risk of cancer in old age is possibly due to: poor cellular repair mechanisms, activation of genes that stimulate cancer and suppression of genes that prevent cancer, decline in surveillance against cancer and life time exposure to carcinogens.

There are certain cancers which mostly occur after the age of 50 years. These include head and neck cancer and cancers of the female genital tract, upper and lower gastrointestinal tract, pancreas and prostate. Half of the breast and haematological malignancies are encountered after the age of 60 years.

TIPS FOR CANCER PREVENTION:

• Maintaining a healthy weight can also reduce the risk of cancer.
• Physical activity of at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity each day should be done by all adults.
• Women over the age of 40 should have a screening mammogram every year till the age of 70 at least.
• Various screening tests for example Flexible sigmoidoscopy every 5 years, Colonoscopy every 10 years, Double-contrast barium enema every 5 years, CT colonography (virtual colonoscopy) every 5 years, etc. should be used by both men and women after the age of 50 years.
• Women aged 21 to 29, should have a Pap test every 3 years.
• Every individual, irrespective of their age, should check their skin for new moles that are large, or irregular; contain more than one colour, or change colour.
• Regularly visit you family doctor and ask for preventive measures.
• Women over 20 years should have a clinical breast exam (CBE) regularly.

For more information on cancer, its causes and treatment visit our website Old Age Solutions, or follow us at Google+, Facebook, Twitter, and Youtube