Safeguarding Your Prostate with Prevention and Early Detection
Prostate problems are common in men and people who were assigned male at birth once you reach age 50. They can affect urination and sexual function, which can harm a man’s well-being. The most common prostate problems are benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), also known as enlarged prostate, prostatitis, and prostate cancer. There are some actions you can take to help prevent prostate issues, and early detection plays an important role.Understanding the Prostate
The prostate is a small gland about the size of a walnut, before it becomes enlarged. It is part of the male reproductive system and helps make semen. Located just below the bladder, it wraps around the urethra, the tube in the penis that carries urine and semen out of the body. The prostate becomes enlarged as a man grows older. If it gets too large, it can cause health problems by pressing on the urethra and interfering with the flow of urine and the release of ejaculate during orgasm.ÂBPH (enlarged prostate) is linked to aging, thought to be linked to declining testosterone as you get older. Most men will not experience symptoms before age 40. By age 60 about 50 percent of men will have symptoms of prostate problems, while 90 percent will have symptoms if they are older than 80. Serious complications of BPH include urethral blockage, which is a medical emergency, urinary tract infections, bladder stones, bladder damage, and blood in your urine.
Prostatitis is an infection of the prostate. Acute bacterial prostatitis usually starts suddenly from a bacterial infection. Symptoms are fever, chills, or pain in addition to prostate symptoms like frequent urge to urinate, blood in urine or semen, pain or burning urination, and dribbling of urine. Chronic bacterial prostatitis is a rare problem when the infection recurs again and again. Chronic prostatitis, also known as chronic pelvic pain syndrome, is a common prostate problem. It can cause pain in the lower back, in the groin, or at the tip of the penis.
Prostate cancer is common among men in the U.S. Your risk of prostate cancer is higher if you are over age 50, African American or Hispanic, have a family history of prostate cancer, or eat a high-fat diet. Prostate cancer usually grows very slowly and treating it before symptoms occur may not improve men’s health, according to the National Cancer Institute.
Prevention Tips for Prostate Health
The causes of most prostate problems are not known, but some lifestyle factors have been found to lower the risk of enlarged prostate or prostate cancer.  Eating a healthy diet rich in vitamins and minerals like a Mediterranean-style diet has been associated with lower risk of prostate cancer.  Recent research found that men with deficiencies of lycopene and selenium have an increased risk of prostate cancer. The Mediterranean diet includes foods with those minerals, such as tomatoes, melons, papayas, grapes, peaches, watermelons, and cranberries, which are rich in lycopene, and selenium-rich foods like white meat, fish, shellfish, eggs, and nuts.ÂOther foods which may help protect your prostate are cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, cabbage, bok choy, and kale, berries such as strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries, and green tea. All of these are high in antioxidants which may help reduce the risk of cancer and diabetes. Legumes such as beans, peanuts, and lentils contain phytoestrogens, which may help stop tumor growth in the prostate.
Research suggests that you should avoid regularly eating red meat and processed meats like bologna and hot dogs, and limit the amount of dairy products, which have been linked to higher risk of enlarged prostate.
Regular physical exercise is key to preventing prostate cancer or slowing its growth. According to research, aerobic exercise is extremely important. A recent study showed that walking at a brisk pace (3 miles per hour or faster) for 30 minutes a day or 3 hours per week reduced risk of recurrence of prostate cancer by 57 percent. Any kind of cardiovascular exercise will work, like swimming or biking. Exercise is good for the heart and lungs, bone health, and muscle strength, lowers inflammation, and helps lessen depression and anxiety. Strength training helps maintain muscle strength and mass, which tend to decline as we age. Strength training is especially important for men who are on androgen deprivation therapy, which is used for advanced prostate cancer.
Obesity seems connected with BPH, and there are studies which correlate increased body fat with increased prostate size and volume. Weight loss seems to improve BPH and its related symptoms. Maintaining a healthy weight can help prevent prostate cancer and enlarged prostate. Weight loss is never easy, but eating a diet lower in sugars, fats, and processed foods and higher in vegetables can help. Exercising regularly also helps. It’s not clear yet if the new weight loss drugs will have an effect on prostate health, but that is something to be aware of as more studies are done.
Other risk factors which may be linked to prostate cancer are smoking, drinking too much alcohol, stress, and not getting enough sleep. More research needs to be done to clarify this. All these factors influence general health and well-being, so stopping smoking and improving the other risk factors are still important.
Early Detection Methods
Regular checkups with your health care provider are essential to finding prostate problems early. However, PSA screening guidelines vary based on individual risk factors, and not all men require routine screening. The decision to undergo PSA testing should be made in consultation with a healthcare provider, considering personal and family history, age, and overall health.ÂThe PSA test has become controversial due to sometimes being inaccurate and leading to overdiagnosis and overtreatment. Many prostate cancers grow so slowly that they may never cause symptoms or affect a person’s health. In some cases, the side effects of treatment—such as urinary, bowel, and sexual dysfunction—may outweigh the potential benefits. Researchers are still studying whether widespread prostate cancer screening significantly lowers the risk of death.
The American Cancer Society recommends that you talk to your doctor about the benefits, risks, and limits of prostate cancer screening before being tested. The American Urological Association doesn’t suggest screening for men aged 39 or younger or men 40-55 who are at average risk of prostate cancer. Routine PSA screening is not recommended for men over 70 or for anyone expected to live no more than 10-15 years. Prostate-specific antigen testing (PSA) checks the amount of PSA, a protein, in your blood. High levels of PSA may be a sign of cancer, but they do not indicate you have cancer. They can also show up due to BPH or prostatitis.Â
Your doctor may do a digital rectal exam to check the state of your prostate. This involves inserting a gloved finger into the rectum and feeling the size, shape, and firmness of the gland, and whether there are any lumps. If you have high PSA levels or something else that suggests you might have prostate cancer, your doctor may order a biopsy, which takes tissue samples from the prostate for analysis.Â
Common symptoms of enlarged prostate (BPH) are difficulty urinating, needing to go a lot, especially at night, urination that stops and starts, straining, suddenly needing to go with no warning, and that your bladder doesn’t empty completely when you pee. Symptoms of prostatitis include difficulty urinating, painful urination, fever, chills, and body aches. If you have any of these symptoms, see your doctor right away.
Lifestyle Modifications for Prostate Health
Hydration can help your prostate, as it is good for your whole body. Doctors recommend drinking 6 to 8 glasses of water daily, or about 1.5 to 2 liters. If you have an enlarged prostate, limit how much you drink before bedtime. You should avoid drinks that increase your urination, like caffeinated beverages, and alcohol, which can dehydrate you.ÂSeveral studies have found that men who ejaculated (climaxed) more frequently had a lower risk of prostate cancer compared to men who ejaculated less frequently. One hypothesis is that frequent ejaculation may help clear potentially cancer-causing substances from the prostate. However, the precise mechanisms behind this association remain under investigation, and more research is needed to fully understand the relationship between ejaculation frequency and prostate health.Â
While sexual activity has various benefits as men age, there can also be challenges, such as physical changes, medical conditions, or relationship dynamics. Regardless of age, practicing safe sex is essential, especially for those who are not in a mutually monogamous relationship. Using protection can help prevent sexually transmitted infections (STIs), including HIV, and promote overall sexual health.
