The prostate gland is a type of gland found in all men, and the prostate produces some of the fluid that makes up the semen. Anatomically, it is located under the urinary bladder and surrounds the urinary canal. Tubes that bring the sperm from the testicles pass through it, along with the urethra. Thanks to the fluid it secretes, the semen undergoes liquefaction. In this way, it increases the fluidity of the semen after it goes out of the body and facilitates fertilization.
Why does it grow?
The prostate gland has an average volume of 20 cc, but with age, it decreases physiologically. shows a growth trend. The cause and mechanism of prostate enlargement is not fully understood. It is thought that hormonal factors that change with advancing age are effective in the growth of the prostate. With men entering andropause, the decrease in testosterone hormone and the increase in estrogen level are thought to be effective in prostate enlargement.
What symptoms should I suspect about prostate?
Among the symptoms;
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Difficulty starting to urinate and urinating
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urinating frequently
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Forked urination
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Decreased urine pressure
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Still feeling urinating after urinating
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Waking up at night to urinate
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Infrequent urination
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Dripping after urination
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Inability to urinate
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Sudden feeling of urination
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Incontinence
If these symptoms are present, it is important to consult a specialist doctor. If the treatment is delayed, undesirable side effects such as urinary tract infection, urinary bladder stone formation, bleeding from the prostate, sudden urination and kidney failure may occur.
How to diagnose?
p>First of all, it is necessary to listen to the patient's complaints and check the prostate with a physical examination. Afterwards, PSA test in the blood, urinalysis and culture if necessary, some symptom evaluation questionnaires, urination test to measure urine flow, ultrasound to evaluate kidney, bladder and prostate size and also to understand whether there is urine in the bladder. X-ray may be requested.
How is it treated?
There are basically two types of treatment for benign prostatic enlargement. After the lifestyle changes are implemented, the patient can be started on follow-up or drug therapy. If there is no difficulty in urinary flow and related findings, the patient can be followed up at regular intervals.
If there are symptoms that affect the daily life of the person, treatment with drugs is started.
Surgical treatment: After treatment with drugs or if the symptoms are advanced, surgical treatment is among the options. The aim here is to remove the prostate tissue blocking the path and open the path. As a result of the developments in technology, many surgical options have become available. Among them, the TUR-P method is one of the first closed surgical methods that has been used for years. In this method, the prostate tissue, which is entered through the urinary canal and closed the way, is tried to be scraped using electrical energy. The use of electrical energy requires the use of fluid that conducts electricity, and the absorption of this fluid by the tissues during surgery may cause some minerals to fall in the body and cause a condition called TUR syndrome in the patient. In order to avoid this situation, the operation is usually terminated within 1 hour. Finally, the TUR method may pose a risk in patients with pacemakers.
In the following years, Bipolar systems that use plasma energy instead of electrical energy have been produced with the developments in technology. In this system, there is no need for an additional fluid for the transmission of energy and the energy goes out of the body with the help of the same device without spreading to the patient. In this way, the operation time is not limited and the risks in the TUR method can be minimized.
Is it possible to diagnose early?
Yes, if you have a family history of 40, or 50 years of age, whether you have a complaint or not, having a prostate check-up once a year will both enlargement and early detection of prostate cancer.
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