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Author:
James Witman

No matter how physically healthy or unhealthy you are, if you're a man over the age of forty-five, there is a 50 percent chance you have prostate enlargement. Doctors call it benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH).

That's right... a 50% chance!

The symptoms of an enlarged prostate are often painful, embarrassing, and frustrating. The most common symptoms are:

* A frequent and often urgent need to urinate
* A frustrating inability to completely empty the bladder
* A weak urine stream, and painful or bloody urination.

But the most frustrating symptom is the frequent nighttime urge to urinate that results in sleep-disrupting visits to the bathroom.

If you have experienced any of these symptoms, you're not alone. Each year, as many as 12 million American men suffer from symptoms of prostate enlargement http://www.prostatehealthtips.com/prostate-enlargement.html that are so agonizing they are forced to seek medical treatment!

In fact, in America today, four out of five American men are likely to develop prostate problems during their lifetime. And those problems aren't limited to BPH. Prostatitis (inflammation of the prostate) can occur in males of any age after puberty. And, unfortunately, prostate cancer is the most common form of cancer among American males, developed by 19 out of every 100 men.

Yes, the statistics are frightening. According to Michael B. Schachter, M.D. in The Natural Way to a Healthy Prostate, it is estimated that "the prostate gland accounts for more than 5.5 million doctor visits, 950,000 hospitalizations and 43,500 prostate-related deaths a year."

Until recently, your first line of defense against BPH was conventional drugs or surgery, most of which came with a laundry list of horrifying side-effects that include permanent impotence, incontinence, and even death!

The good news is... there are now natural treatments available to treat prostate conditions that are safe, effective alternatives to these conventional prescription drugs or surgery.

But if you suspect you are suffering from prostate problems, the very first thing to do is have your doctor or urologist accurately diagnose your condition.

There are several examinations to detect prostate enlargement and/or other prostate conditions. Some of these methods are referred to by their initials.

Digital Rectal Exam

Digital rectal exam (or DRE) is usually the first test done. And it's just what it says: your doctor inserts a gloved finger into the rectum and feels the part of the prostate next to the rectum. A DRE exam can give a general idea of the size and condition of the gland, but it's not highly reliable in detecting prostate enlargement, since the part of the prostate that presses on the urethra can't be felt by DRE. It is, however, more useful in diagnosing prostatitis or detecting prostate cancer.

PSA Test

These are initials you'll hear tossed around a lot in relation to prostates. They stand for Prostate Specific Antigen, a protein produced by both benign and malignant prostate cells. The PSA test measures the amount of this protein in the blood. Heightened PSA levels can occur in BPH, prostatitis and prostate cancer. The test is not highly reliable, but it is considered to be more useful in detecting prostate cancer than BPH or prostatitis. Nevertheless, it's a part of the alphabet you should be familiar with.

Urinary Flow Rate Measurement

The patient urinates into a special device that measures how quickly urine is flowing. The peak flow rateÑwhen the urine is flowing fastestÑis a more specific indication of BPH than the average rate of flow. Ultrasound This is usually only used if there is a suspicion of prostate cancer. A probe in the rectum directs sound waves at the prostate, and echo patterns of those waves form an image of the prostate on a display screen.

American Urologic Association Symptom Index

The American Urologic Association has developed a symptom index (AUASI) that has become the standard test to assess symptoms of BPH.

This symptom index is a series of questions that help determine the severity of urinary symptoms and is used by urologists around the country.

If you are looking for any more specific information about how to tell if you have an enlarged prostate or what steps you need to take if you do, please feel free to visit our web site.

About the Author :

James Witman is an expert in nutrition and prostate health. He has written many articles related to prostate health and other health conditions that affect men. To learn more, please visit his website www.prostatehealthtips.com.


Article Source: www.iSnare.com

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A Quick Note From The Publisher... If you like the article above, you may be interested in the following article which is also related to The Prostate... Prostate Cancer: Prevention and Lifestyle Changes Prostate Cancer: The Male Equivalent of Female Breast Cancer Over 30,000 men will die this year from prostate cancer. Not only that, but it has been quoted that over 200,000 new prostate cancer cases are reported each year in men as well. While prostate cancer is fairly treatable if it is found in it's earliest stages, it still is a major concern for men, especially men over the age of 40 when you consider the fact that one in six men are diagnosed with this cancer. What can you do to prevent this disease, and what are the measures for ensuring the cancer goes into a permanent remission? The Diet/Prostate Cancer Link While there is much speculation about this, there have been studies to strongly suggest that diet has a profound impact on cancer prevention of all types, not just prostate cancer. Further, the regulation of one's blood sugar may play an even bigger role than we think in suppressing the growth of cancer cells, and slowing or completely stopping the growth of existing cancer cells. One such diet used in the prevention and reversal of cancer is the macrobiotic diet, which is a very restrictive diet based in sea vegetables and whole grains. The food groups of dairy and most fats is eliminated, and sugars are strictly forbidden. Microwaves are not used to cook foods, and minimal cooking of foods is advised to maintain their nutritional and antioxidant value as much as possible. This diet actually originated in Japan, and has gained a lot of notoriety over here in the states for having particularly therapeutic value in the healing and prevention of cancer and other diseases. If you are thinking about going on a diet like this, that promotes healing and helps to prevent prostate cancer, I would encourage you to read about this diet online and...