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September Blog

SEPTEMBER BLOG

PROSTATE HEALTH

What is the Prostate Gland?

The prostate is a walnut-sized gland found only in men. It sits just below the bladder, in front of the rectum and surrounds the urethra, the tube that carries urine through the penis. The prostate's job is to make fluid for semen. The prostate also filters and removes toxins for protection of the sperm, perhaps the prostate’s most important function and, at the same time, can be one of the main reasons there is a growing epidemic of prostate disease and cancer as men deal with more and more toxins in food and the environment.

The prostate erection nerves are responsible for erections and trigger the penis to swell and harden with extra blood flow into it. If the nerves get damaged then erectile difficulties are guaranteed! Many medical prostate procedures, surgery or radiation, have side effects of erectile difficulties or impotence.

The prostate gland contains a crucial enzyme, 5-alpha-reductase, which converts the hormone testosterone to DHT or dihydrotestosterone, which is ten times more powerful than simple testosterone. This hormone has several purposes including male sexual drive and function. A build-up of toxins in the prostate may affect production of DHT, which is responsible for declining sex drive in men as they age.

The prostate grows naturally with age - usually without problems! By the time most men reach age 40, the prostate might have increased in size of a walnut to an apricot! By age 60, it may be the size of a lemon! In some men, an enlarged prostate compresses the urethra, making for difficult and sometimes painful urination causing benign prostatic hyperplasia or BPH. For a little gland, the prostate causes lots of concern and unfortunately must be diagnosed with a rectal exam or ultrasound! All men are at risk for prostate problems.

What type of prostate problems are there?

Benign prostatic hyperplasia or BPH - also known as an enlarged prostate, is growth of the prostate gland to an unhealthy size. However, only about half of men ever have BPH symptoms that need treatment. BPH does not lead to prostate cancer, although both are common in older men.

BPH symptoms include:

Trouble urinating
Urinating frequently, especially at night
Decreased force in your stream of urine
Feeling as if you are unable to get all the urine out
Blood in your semen
Discomfort in your pelvic area
Bone pain
Erectile dysfunction

A man's chances of having BPH go up with age:

Age 31-40: 1 in 12
Age 51-60: approximately 1 in 2
Over age 80: more than 8 in 10*

Prostate Cancer – Prostate cancer is the most dangerous and most common cancer in men, besides skin cancer. It can cause many of the same symptoms as any other prostate problem at first but thanks to early screening measures, prostate cancer is often diagnosed before any symptoms are noticed. 1 in 6 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer during their lifetime. Prostate cancer is usually slow growing with only about 1 in 35 men dying from the disease.

Prostate cancer often has no symptoms and often discovered after screening with a lab test, prostate specific antigen (PSA). Occasionally, prostate cancer can cause obstruction of urine flow, like BPH, but usually suggests more advanced prostate cancer.

Like BPH, the risk for prostate cancer increases with age - about 2 out of every 3 men over age 65. It is uncertain exactly what causes prostate cancer, but risk factors associated with it include:

Family history - a father or brother with prostate cancer more than doubles your risk. If you have a family history of genes that increase the risk of breast cancer, BRCA1 or BRCA2, or a very strong family history of breast cancer, your risk of prostate cancer may be higher.
Obesity: Obese men diagnosed with prostate cancer may be more likely to have advanced disease that's more difficult to treat.
Race - African-American men are more likely to get prostate cancer than Caucasians, and the cancer is usually more advanced when discovered. African-American men and men with a family history of prostate cancer usually begin prostate cancer screening at an earlier age than Caucasian men who do not have prostate cancer in their family history.

Prostatitis – is an inflammation of the prostate, often caused by bacteria! Think of prostatitis as man’s urinary tract infection. Prostate infection is rarely serious. Unlike most prostate problems, prostatitis occurs more often in young and middle-aged men. Only 5% to 10% of men develop prostatitis in their lifetime.

If you experience symptoms of prostatitis, see your doctor. Possible symptoms include:

Pain urinating or ejaculating
Fever and chills
Pelvic pain
Needing to urinate more often
Cloudy urine

How Can I Prevent Prostate Problems?

In some ways, prostate problems, particularly BPH, are a natural part of aging! There are steps you can take to keep a prostate healthy.

A diet low in saturated fat and high in fruits and vegetables may lower your risk of developing BPH. According to the American Cancer Society, most cases of prostate cancer can't be prevented, because prostate cancer's causes are still unknown! As with BPH, however, experts recommend eating a healthy diet with lots of fruits and vegetables.
Studies of selenium, a mineral, have had mixed results and trials for drugs to prevent prostate cancer are also ongoing.
No activity or drug is known to prevent prostatitis. Experts recommend good hygiene, including keeping the penis clean. Most men will never develop prostatitis.

How Are Prostate Problems Treated?

Treatment depends on which prostate problem you develop. Benign prostatic hyperplasia needs treatment only if the urinary symptoms become bothersome. BPH often responds to drugs that either:

Relieve the tension around the urethra (Cardura, Flomax, Hytrin, and Uroxatral)
Reduce the size of the prostate itself (Avodart and Proscar)

The FDA is revising labels on several BPH drugs -- Proscar, Avodart, and Jalyn, a combination of Flomax and Avodart, to include a warning that the drugs may be linked to an increased risk of prostate cancer.

If medication does not relieve the symptoms, surgery may be required. Several herbs showed promise as treatment for BPH in some studies, but results are incomplete or conflicting. Here are herbs and nutrients that may help:

Saw Palmetto - is most commonly used for decreasing symptoms of an enlarged prostate, benign prostatic hypertrophy or BPH, by shrinking the inner lining that puts pressure on the tubes that carry urine. Saw Palmetto is also used to prevent complications from prostate surgery and for treating certain types of prostate conditions. Saw palmetto may also prevent testosterone from being converted to dihydrotestosterone of DHT.

Beta-Sitosterol - men use beta-sitosterol for enlarged prostate. Women have used it for symptoms of menopause. Taking beta-sitosterol helps symptoms of BPH, but it does not shrink an enlarged prostate. Beta-sitosterol has been linked to reports of erectile dysfunction or ED, and loss of sex drive.

Pygeum or African Pygeum - is used to help shrink the prostate and relieve urinary problems such as poor urine flow and nighttime urination in men with enlarged prostate and prostate cancer. It is also used for pain caused by inflammation, kidney disease, urinary problems, malaria, fever, and increase sexual desire.

Taking a product containing pygeum, pumpkin seed oil, Epilobium parviflorum, lycopene, and saw palmetto once daily seems to decrease the number of times men with BPH need to urinate during the day and night.

Rye Grass – is commonly used for prostate conditions, prostate pain and ongoing swelling of the prostate. Chemicals in rye grass pollen decrease swelling or inflammation by interfering with certain chemicals, which may also slow down prostate cancer cell growth.

Rye grass pollen seems to work as well as Pygeum and Paraprost, a Japanese prostate remedy containing L-glutamic acid, L-alanine, and aminoacetic acid. All symptoms associated with an enlarged prostate may not be relieved such as the amount of urine produced or issues having sex. Those with fewer symptoms see more improvement using rye grass pollen extract.

Stinging Nettle - is used for urination problems related to an enlarged prostate such as frequent night time urination, painful urination, inability to urinate and irritable bladder.

Early evidence suggests that taking 360 mg of stinging nettle for 6-24 months improves urinary tract symptoms associated with BPH. Studies looked at the effects of a combination of stinging nettle and saw palmetto.

Selenium – is needed for proper prostate function. Studies show men who take Selenium show a lower incidence of prostate cancer. Selenium’s antioxidant properties help protect cells from toxin damage that is linked to prostatitis.

Vitamin D – low levels are linked to higher prostate cancer incidence.

Maitake – extract inhibits the growth and spread of cancerous tumors.

Flax seed or fish oils – are important in prostate function.

Green Tea – may help prevent tumors.

Zinc – deficiencies have been linked to BPH, prostatitis and prostate cancer.

Tumeric – a spice containing curcumin may aid in controlling prostate cancer cells.

When designing a prostate cancer treatment plan, doctors consider age, overall health, and how aggressive or widespread the cancer is because treatment is complex. Each man's cancer is unique and his treatment will be unique as well. Some treatment options include:

No treatment (watchful waiting)
Surgery - to help urine flow. There are many types of BPH surgery. Talk with your doctor about the risks. Regular checkups are important after surgery.
Radiation - external-beam or implantable "seeds"
Chemotherapy
Active surveillance
A combination of these
Medications - that can help shrink the prostate or help relax muscles near the prostate.

Talk with your doctor about side effects.

Other treatments - radio waves, microwaves, or lasers use different kinds of heat to reduce extra prostate tissue to treat urinary problems caused by BPH.

Prostatitis is usually a bacterial infection and most often treated with antibiotics for at least four weeks.

Should I Be Screened for Prostate Cancer?

Prostate cancer screening is controversial. The American Cancer Society says men should talk to their doctors about the benefits, risks, and limitations of prostate cancer screening before deciding whether to be tested. Discussion of screening should start at age 50 for men with average risk for prostate cancer and earlier for men at higher risk.

PSA screening in men under age 40 is not recommended.
Routine screening in men between ages 40 and 54 at average risk is not recommended.
To reduce the harms of screening, routine screenings every two years or more was preferred in those who decided on screenings.
Routine PSA screening is not recommended in men over age 70 or any man with less than a 10 to 15 year life expectancy.

Get more details on treatment choices for prostate cancer by calling the National Cancer Institute's Cancer Information Service at 1-800-422-6237. Or, visit their website at www.cancer.gov/prostate.

ALWAYS CONSULT YOUR PERSONAL HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONAL