Prostate disease: symptoms, causes and treatment

Definition

What is prostate disease?

Prostate disease is a variety of conditions that attack prostate function. The prostate organ is a gland in the male reproductive system that plays a role in sperm production. The prostate is located under the bladder, enveloping the tube through which urine and sperm pass.

The size of the prostate is only the size of a walnut. As you get older, the prostate will get bigger and bigger. However, if the growth is too large, it can also cause a number of diseases that can affect the function of urination and sexual life.

Types of prostate disease

There are three types of diseases that can affect the prostate. These three include:

1. Prostatitis

Prostatitis is an infection or inflammation that causes swelling of the prostate. This disease makes sufferers feel pain when urinating. Symptoms can appear gradually or suddenly depending on the cause.

2. Benign prostate enlargement (BPH)

Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) or benign prostate enlargement is a disease in which the prostate gland becomes enlarged. An enlarged prostate can put pressure on the urinary tract, resulting in slowing or even stopping the flow of urine.

3. Prostate cancer

This disease occurs when there is a growth of cancer cells in the prostate. When cancer cells are more aggressive, they can leave the prostate gland and enter the vascular system early on. From there the cells will spread to other parts of the body and develop secondary tumors.

Symptoms

Symptoms of prostate disease

Because the organ is located under the bladder, the symptoms that will be felt when the prostate is disturbed certainly includes problems when urinating. Some of the symptoms that you should be aware of include:

• often feel an urgency to urinate, but only a small amount of urine passes.
• urine is dripping or leaking.
• weak urine flow.

Apart from the problems above, there are still other symptoms that are often felt according to the type of disease.

Symptoms of prostatitis

Symptoms that appear in prostatitis vary depending on the cause. However, common symptoms include:

• pain or burning when urinating (dysuria)
• cloudy urine color
• urine contains blood
• pain around the abdomen, groin, and lower back
• pain in the area between the scrotum and rectum (perineum)
• pain in the penis
• painful ejaculation
• flu and chills, when the disease is caused by bacteria

Symptoms of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) or benign prostate enlargement

In benign prostate enlargement, sufferers may often wake up at night to urinate. Here are some other symptoms:

• difficulty when starting to urinate
• intermittent flow of urine
• a bladder that doesn't feel empty after urinating
• sore during urination

Symptoms of prostate cancer

Like other types of cancer, prostate cancer is often asymptomatic at the onset. But when it gets worse, there are several symptoms of prostate disease that you will feel, such as:

• difficulty urinating
• pain in the pelvic area
• the presence of blood in the sperm
• bone pain
• Erectile dysfunction

When to go to the doctor

Sometimes difficulty urinating can also be caused by a side effect of the medicine you are taking. However, every body has a different response to disease, meaning that the symptoms you feel can be different.

So that the problem can be treated early, you should immediately go to the doctor if you already experience any of the symptoms above, especially if the symptoms have occurred for several days.

Cause

Causes of prostate disease

The following are the causes of prostate disease based on the type.

Causes of prostatitis

Broadly speaking, this disease is divided into prostatitis due to bacteria and prostatitis non-bacteria.

There are two types of bacterial prostatitis, namely acute prostatitis and chronic prostatitis. This disease occurs when bacteria in the urine leak and enter the prostate. When not treated immediately, prostatitis may be difficult to treat and can become chronic, where this condition can recur at any time.

Whereas in non-bacterial prostatitis, the disease occurs due to inflammation and irritation of the nerves near the prostate. One of the things that can cause this is the injury that occurs from surgery to the area.

Causes of benign prostate enlargement (BPH)

The prostate is located under the bladder and encloses the urethral tract which carries urine out of the penis. When the prostate enlarges, as a result the urethral tube will be compressed and narrowed. This is what will prevent urine from leaving the body.

It is not certain what causes prostate enlargement. However, the biggest possibility is the change in hormonal balance with age.

Causes of prostate cancer

Until now, experts have not been able to determine the cause of the development of cancer cells in the prostate.

But basically, prostate cancer arises from a change or mutation of DNA in normal prostate cells. Usually, healthy cells will grow, divide, then die and are replaced by new cells.

In DNA mutations, these cells will instead grow uncontrollably and accumulate in the body. The accumulated abnormal cells form a tumor which can later develop to invade other body tissues.

Risk Factors

Risk factors for prostate disease

The following are various factors that put a person at an increased risk of prostate disease.

• Age

Usually, a person will be more susceptible to cancer and BPH when they are over 50 or 60 years old. However, this is different from prostatitis, which can strike at a younger age.

• Heredity

People who have a father or sibling with prostate disease are more likely to experience the same thing.

• Obesity

Obesity has become one of the factors that can cause many diseases, including BPH and prostate cancer.

• Use of certain drugs

Users of drugs such as beta-blockers have a higher risk of BPH.

• Have had a prostate biopsy

The injury that results from this procedure can have side effects in prostatitis.

Diagnosis

Diagnosis of prostate disease

First, the doctor may ask you or other family members a history of illness to help in the diagnosis of the disease. After that, the doctor will perform a physical examination.

Physical examination is carried out with the aim of knowing the presence of fluid leaking from the urethral tract, examining the swollen or tender scrotum, and examining the prostate using digital rectal exam or plug in the rectum .

The doctor will perform this examination by inserting a lubricated finger into the rectum to feel for any problems with your prostate. This examination will provide an overview of the size and condition of the prostate, whether there has been an enlargement or not.

Some other procedures that may also be performed are:

• Urine test. A urine sample will be taken to look for signs of infection.
• Blood test. A blood sample will be tested for levels of a named protein prostate-specific antigen (PSA) which is one measure to determine possible prostate problems.
• Urodynamic test. This test is done to see how well the bladder and urethra are working to hold and pass urine.
• Cystoscopy. The doctor will insert a small tube called a cystoscope to see if there is any blockage in the urethra.
• Ultrasound. A device called a transducer is inserted into your rectum which will produce an image of your prostate.
• Prostate biopsy. In this procedure, the doctor will take a sample of prostate tissue using a small needle. A biopsy can show whether you have prostate cancer.

Medicine and Medicine

The information provided is not a substitute for medical advice. ALWAYS consult your doctor.

Treatment options for prostate disease

Prostate treatment will certainly adjust to the conditions suffered. The following are general treatment options.

Take medicine from a doctor

In prostatitis and BPH, drug consumption is the most common way to reduce the intensity of symptoms. One drug that is often used is alpha blockers such as alfuzosin, doxazosin, tamsulosin, and silodosin.

This drug works to help relax the muscle fibers around the bladder tract which will later relieve symptoms of painful urination.

In addition, patients with acute and chronic prostatitis usually have to take antibiotics to fight the bacteria that cause the disease. For those who experience recurrent prostatitis, you may need to take antibiotics for several weeks.

Operation

If drugs are not helping enough, surgery is another way to treat prostate disease. In BPH patients, surgery will be recommended if the symptoms are more severe, urinary tract obstruction or kidney-related problems, and if the patient wants to get a more definite treatment result.

Operations performed to treat BPH are considered minimally invasive. This means that the doctor will only make a small incision to perform the procedure. The risk of complications is lower and recovery is shorter.

An example is procedure transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP). In this procedure, the doctor will remove the inside of the prostate gland leaving only the outside. The TURP procedure will help improve the flow of urine when urinating.

Whereas in prostate cancer patients, surgery will be needed if the cancer has entered a higher stage. The operation is performed with the aim of removing the prostate gland and some of the surrounding tissue.

Therapy

Apart from surgery, therapy is also chosen as a treatment procedure for prostate cancer to destroy cancer cells and stop its spread. Reporting from the Mayo Clinic, the following types of therapy for prostate cancer.

• Radiation therapy. Radiation therapy uses high-power energy to kill cancer cells.
• Hormone therapy. The hormone testosterone is needed by cancer cells to help their growth. Therefore, this therapy is done to stop the production of the hormone testosterone in order to inhibit the growth of cancer cells.
• Chemotherapy. Chemotherapy uses drugs that kill cancer cells.
• Biological therapy. This therapy will take some of the immune cells which will later be genetically engineered to fight cancer cells. Later, these immune cells will be injected back into the body.

Home Handling

Treatment that can be done at home to treat prostate pain

Disease recovery is of course inseparable from how you live your daily life. If you want to live a healthier life, here are the things you should do at home to prevent prostate disease.

• Avoid consuming caffeine and alcohol. Both types of drinks can increase urine production, which in turn worsens symptoms.
• Avoid drinking too much at night. Especially one to two hours before bedtime to prevent the urge to urinate in the middle of bedtime.
• Avoid eating acidic and spicy foods, as they can make the bladder feel uncomfortable.
• Be more active. Sitting too long will also affect the condition of your prostate, so it's better to get used to moving and exercising more often.
• Increase consumption of fruits and vegetables. Fiber will help you prevent constipation, which can put pressure on the bladder and prostate.
• Limit your use of decongestants and antihistamines. These drugs can tighten the muscles around the urethra that make it difficult for you to urinate.
• Urinate regularly. Set a schedule every four to six hours to urinate. This can train the bladder and avoid going back and forth to the bathroom.
• Eat a healthy diet. Eating a healthy menu and adequate portions will keep you from the risk of obesity which can trigger an enlarged prostate disease.
• Soak in warm water. Taking a bath will help relieve your symptoms.

Don't forget to continue to carry out regular check-ups to the doctor according to the set schedule. Don't hesitate to consult all complaints that you feel so that problems can be handled more quickly.