Saturday, August 29, 2009

Prostate Health Exams - Protecting Prostate Health

We will go over what this important gland does, and discuss the different options that you have in protecting your Prostate Health.

Prostate is a sexual gland, about the size of a walnut that is located around the base of the bladder and urethra. It essentially, hugs the tube that carries urine out of your body. This partially muscular, partially glandular organ produces a slightly alkaline substance that is present in semen.

Getting a diagnosis is the first step to improving your prostate health. Your doctor may perform one or more of the following tests to access the situation. Most of them are painless or may only be uncomfortable. Discuss your options with your doctor if you have a low threshold for pain.

DRE (digital rectal examination). The physician will fell the prostate manually to look for enlargements and problems.

PSA (prostate-specific antigen) testing. Your doctor will do a simple blood test to determine your level of PSA. Small amounts are normal, but large amounts could indicate a problem.

TRUS (transrectal ultrasound). This test uses wave echoes to create an image of the prostate.

Cystoscopy- where the doctor looks through the urethra with a thin, lighted tube.

Biopsy- a small tissue sample is collected from the area and studied.

The key to preserving your prostate health is go get proper treatment early on. Many men are ashamed to seek treatment, which can ultimately lead to further complications. Prostate health disease and cancer are easily treated as long as you get diagnosed early on. At the first sign of pain or discomfort contact your doctor immediately. Men over the age of 50 should get their prostate checked out at least once a year. Find a doctor that you are comfortable with, and make sure to ask questions.

Friday, August 14, 2009

What You Need To Know About Prostate Health

Prostate Health (cancer) is a cancerous disease that develops in your prostate gland. The cancer cells can spread from the prostate to other parts of your body, such as your bones and lymph. Nowadays, prostate cancer is one of the most common types of cancer. Therefore, if you are a man, it is very important for you to have regular checkup to keep a close eye to your Prostate Health condition. In this case, if you are indeed suffering from prostate cancer, it can be noticed early and treated properly before it develops into a more dangerous condition.

Many experts consider prostate cancer as a silent killer because early symptoms of prostate cancer do not surface until it has spread. It is important to have a regular checkup to really make sure that the cancerous condition does not exist or it can be detected as early as possible.

Some aggressive tumors do give symptoms of prostate cancer like backaches and pelvis or hip pains, which normally are caused by cancer cells that have spread to the bones. When the prostate cancer grows further, it enlarges and affects other organs. During this stage, different symptoms of prostate cancer start showing themselves, which normally are related with urination problems. Several common symptoms of prostate cancer are pain during ejaculation, difficulty to urinate, experience dribbling after urination, blood in urine, weight loss, frequent urination while sleeping, and a weak flow of urine.

If you feel that you are at risk of prostate cancer, then it is essential for you to get prostate tests to determine whether it really exists or not. There are two types of test, the first is to determine whether a prostate cancer is present or not and the second is to find out the stage of the prostate tumor. Prostate specific antigen (PSA) test and digital rectal exam (DRE) are two tests to diagnose the presence of prostate cancer. On the other hand, transrectal ultrasound and prostate biopsy are used to determine the stage of the prostate cancer.

A PSA test is performed by analyzing the blood sample to find out the level of Prostate Health specific antigen, a substance produced by the prostate gland. If you have high level of PSA, it may indicate some kind of prostate diseases, such as enlarged prostate, infection, or cancer. A DRE is used to determine whether a tumor exists in your prostate or not. The prostate gland is located in front of the rectum and in order to check for abnormalities in the Prostate Health, the doctor will insert a gloved, lubricated finger into your rectum. It is unwise to wait for symptoms of prostate cancer to appear. Therefore, it is essential to take a PSA or DRE test once a year to make sure that the prostate stays healthy.

Another thing that needs to be considered carefully is that even if you are diagnosed with prostate cancer, there are many available treatments out there. You should not feel overwhelmed and feel that there is nothing you can do to survive this condition. As long as you have a qualified and experienced doctor with the support from friends and other family members, you have a good chance to get rid of this prostate cancer. Prostate cancer is definitely a grim condition, but you should keep positive attitude in order to combat the disease.

prostate Health - Google News