4 facts about enlarged prostate every man needs to know

Enlarged prostate is not a symptom of prostate cancer! Here are some other such facts about an enlarged prostate.

By: Debjani Arora | | Published: June 13, 2016 4:29 pm

Prostate problems in men are difficult to ignore, because as age catches up, the gland starts to behave trickily. It increases in size, interferes in too many ways with one’s lifestyle and doesn’t cease to seek attention and rob one’s peace of mind. When the gland increases in size, it is referred as an enlarged prostate. Many people confuse this with prostate cancer and there are several myths surrounding the same. So, here Dr Anup Ramani, Uro-oncological Robotic Surgeon, talks about some facts on enlarged prostate that every man should know:

Fact 1: Enlarged prostate is not prostate cancer

The most common misconception people have is that enlarged prostate is a symptom of prostate cancer. However, enlarged prostate and prostate cancer is two different aspects of a man’s health and has nothing to do with each other. But both the conditions can exist simultaneously. However, it isn’t necessary that every man who has an enlarged prostate would be suffering from prostate cancer. While prostate cancer is a silent killer and asymptomatic, enlarged prostate show certain symptoms like difficulty in passing urine, weak urine stream, inability to empty the bladder, etc. When a person reaches out to a doctor with symptoms of enlarged prostate and a PSA test is done routinely, often a cancer is detected in most men due to elevated PSA levels, not because of an enlarged prostate. This is why every man post 50 years of age should do a PSA test to check for prostate cancer.

Fact 2: After 50 years of age prostate gland grows in every man

There is no man who can escape this fate. Like women, who reach menopause after a certain age, men during andropause or male menopause experiences enlargement of the prostate. Usually, when a man reaches a certain age like 55 or 60 years of age, the prostate gland which weighs 18 gm starts to enlarge. However, the variation might depend on from one person to other. Some men might have mild enlargement some might have a severe enlargement. Some might see a 25 gm increase in their gland and some might see 50 gm in rare cases it can also get enlarged up to 100 gm. On an average, a man might have the gland increased by 60 gm.

Fact 3: Enlarged prostates can be treated with medicines

Many men think that there are no solutions to the problems that an enlarged prostate poses. However, in reality, problems of the enlarged prostate can be treated effectively with medications. This can help one get on track and save oneself from the constant problems of frequent urination and other nagging symptoms.

Fact 4: Some enlarged prostate might need surgery

While enlarged prostate can be treated with medications, in some cases a surgery might also be necessary. However, for an enlarged prostate, one doesn’t need to remove the entire prostate. In fact, a laser surgery is done to remove the overgrown part of the prostate which presses on the urinary tract to help them with some relief. So, problems that a man faces due to the enlarged prostate can be treated and managed effectively.

Image source: Shutterstock

Published: June 13, 2016 4:29 pm

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