Question: What are the signs of prostate problems and what foods can help?
Dr. Hibberd's Answer:
Prostate problems occur from inflammation, infection, stones, or tumors of the prostate gland. The prostate gland is located downstream from the bladder and serves as a source of secretions for the male genital tract. The large majority of prostate glands examined postmortem in males in their ninth decade of life will show areas of localized malignancy.
When prostate cancer occurs in younger men, the aggressiveness of treatment is still a topic of debate, since it is often difficult to differentiate aggressive malignancies from those that develop slowly and rarely cause more than nuisance symptoms.
Prostate problems are usually heralded by urinary frequency, urgency, weak urine stream, blood in urine, urinary discomfort, or perineal pain. Signs of outflow (from bladder) tract obstruction develop later on, and are the most common reason for men to seek treatment for their prostate.
No foods have any significant effect on prostate function, despite all the pseudo-medical literature available at the "health food store," so save your money for safe and effective medications that have been tested to the satisfaction of the Food and Drug Administration for safety and purity, and are available by prescription from your medical doctor.
Do not self-treat prostate problems. Most persistent prostate problems do not self-resolve without professional attention, and if anything, conditions may worsen by delay in treatment.
The delay in treating an acute prostate infection early may result in a lifetime of chronic prostatitis that is difficult to manage without episodic and occasionally continuous medications or even surgery. Remember that many malignant disorders have a basis in chronic inflammation, and while this may not be universally applicable, it seems to apply to many cases of malignant disease that we encounter in the human body.
If you believe you may have a prostate problem, see your doctor. You will need a urinalysis and a digital rectal examination and palpation of your prostate. An ultrasound evaluation may be performed, and biopsy is indicated for palpable firm nodules. Medication is often used to shrink the gland.
© 2010 Newsmax. All rights reserved.
