The prostate is part of the male genitourinary system, it is located below the bladder. It is a walnut-sized gland and covers the beginning of the urinary canal. It is responsible for the production of secretion, which together with sperm forms the seminal fluid. The prostate gland does not affect erections and sexual desire.
Prostate adenoma - benign hyperplasia is not cancer and does not increase the risk of its occurrence. It is a disease in which the prostate gland increases in size, and in this increase it squeezes the urinary duct and impairs urination. The causes leading to prostate enlargement have not been elucidated, but the main factors for its occurrence are advancing age and the level of sex hormones. The incidence of prostatic hyperplasia is very high - it affects 50% of men between 40 and 60 years of age, and in 80-90 year olds, even the percentage of those affected rises to 90%.
Men who have their testicles removed for any reason do not develop a prostate adenoma - the cause is hormonal.
When should we think about prostate adenoma - benign hyperplasia and seek a specialist?
Symptoms
Symptoms of this disease most often manifest gradually and are associated with urination:
- Frequent urges and frequent urination, even at night, which disturbs sleep.
- Difficulty urinating. Urination becomes possible with effort, intermittent or very weak stream.
- Feeling of not fully emptied bladder.
- Pain in the abdomen and penile area.
- Change in color or blood in the urine.
These symptoms should not be ignored and should be considered normal in men as they age. If an enlarged prostate is left untreated, it not only disrupts normal daily life, but can seriously endanger health and life.
The enlargement of the prostate gland in benign hyperplasia leads to thickening of the bladder wall, due to the need for greater force for the excretion of urine through the squeezed urethra. The thickened wall decreases bladder volume and increases the need for frequent urination. As the disease progresses, the bladder cannot empty completely and urine retention occurs, and bacteria that cause infections develop in the urine. If the stagnant urine becomes concentrated, stones also form. When prostate adenoma is left untreated, kidney damage and chronic kidney failure can result. The kidneys can be damaged by infection started in the bladder from the stagnant urine, or when the blockage of the urethra is so great that urine cannot flow out but returns to the kidney, in which edema and kidney failure occur.
Diagnosis
The diagnosis of prostate adenoma is made by taking a detailed history of the patient, rectal auscultation, blood and urine tests, uroflowmetry - shows the amount of urine per unit of time, ultrasonography of the prostate. Cystoscopy and biopsy may also be performed if necessary to clarify the diagnosis.
Treatment
Treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia is determined strictly individually by a specialist urologist. According to the severity of the disease, the patient's complaints and his general state of health, the urologist prescribes the most appropriate treatment for the patient.
When prostate adenoma is in a mild form and symptoms are moderate, medical treatment with the following groups of drugs can be applied:
- Alpha Blockers - they facilitate urination by relaxing the musculature of the bladder neck and prostate. These are medications for the treatment of high blood pressure, and their side effect when administered to relieve the symptoms of prostate adenoma are lowering blood pressure and fatigue.
- Medications blocking testosterone formation - as a result of hormonal changes from these drugs, the prostate stops growing and decreases in size.
If a patient is suitable, the urologist may prescribe a medication that is a combination of the above two groups and has even better effectiveness.
In advanced disease, severe form and not affected by medical treatment, the urologist may suggest surgical treatment. Adenomectomy /open surgery/ is now extremely rare. This is only done when large bladder stones are present and the gland is very large. Endoscopic methods, in which an optical instrument is used to enter the urinary canal up to the prostate, are widely used.
- At transurethral reduction the prostate gland is cut down to the outer lining, the pieces are removed and rapid relief of complaints is obtained.
- With the other method transurethral incision incisions are made on the prostate and it no longer presses on the urinary duct.
An innovation in the treatment of prostate adenoma is the so-called. Green laser, which removes the enlarged prostate gland quickly and almost painlessly. Symptoms disappear, the patient can be discharged from the clinic within the same day, and within a week restores his normal lifestyle and working capacity. With a laser procedure, modern medicine offers a fast, effective and as gentle as possible treatment to many men. So don't hesitate, but seek specialist help at the first sign of symptoms.For more information, we at Medical Karaj are at your service.
Call us on the following numbers "Medical Karaj": 0879 977 401 or 0879 977 402.
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