Odd as it may appear for years men knew little if anything about their prostate gland and it is only in the past few years as prostate cancer has gained in prominence that men are starting to ask just what the prostate gland is and what its function is. The prostate gland is a vital component of the male reproductive system which manufactures the clear fluid which makes up a substantial proportion of a man's seminal fluid. Sperm is taken from the testicles to the prostate gland where it is mixed with proteins and prostatic fluid to form semen. A healthy prostate gland is approximately the size of a walnut, weighs in at roughly one ounce and is situated just in front of the rectum and under the bladder. It is also regularly described as being donut shaped and partly wraps around the urethra, which carrying urine out of the body from the bladder. The prostate gland grows throughout a man's life, although from about the age of twenty until the mid-forties growth is extremely slow and is more or less undetectable. Once a man reaches approximately forty-five however it is extremely common for the growth of the prostate gland to speed up and most men will begin to experience the symptoms of an enlarging gland in their forties or fifties. In the majority of cases an enlarging gland simply leads to some mild discomfort which a lot of men choose to learn to live with. In some instances however the gland may become so enlarged that it restricts the urethra enough to produce a number of symptoms which require treatment or persuade a man to seek treatment to relieve his discomfort. Mere growth of the prostate gland at this point in a man's life is a normal part of the aging process and is known as benign prostatic hyperplasia, or BHP. However, the greatest danger with an enlarged prostate gland is that the problem may be more than a simple case of enlargement and could be masking an underlying cancer. When the prostate gland begins to grow it also begins to put pressure on the urethra and to narrow this particular tube so that the first signs of a developing problem are often seen when it comes to urinating. Specifically you may experience a difficulty in urinating and need to 'push' to start the process. You may also suffer from a weak flow in your urine and one which tends to stop and start. As the prostate gland continues to enlarge you will also find that you need to visit the bathroom more frequently, especially during the night, and that you feel as though you need to visit the bathroom even just after you have just done so. Understandably this could become more than a little bit of an annoyance but, nevertheless, a lot of men are happy to simply view it as one of the inevitable difficulties of getting older and learn to live with it. There is nothing wrong with such a decision but the mistake which all too man men make is not to consult their doctor at this stage to check that the problem is simply BPH and that it is unlikely to cause other problems. Apart from the obvious risk of the possibility of an underlying cancer present, BPH can also result in other difficulties such as bladder infections and kidney disease. Should you start to experience signs and symptoms which suggest a developing prostate problem then visit your doctor so that the problem can be and treated.
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