Prostate Care

What is the prostate?

The prostate is a walnut-shaped gland that is part of a man’s sex organs, which also include the penis, scrotum, and testicles. The prostate makes fluid that goes into semen, which is a mix of sperm and prostate fluid. Prostate fluid is important for a man’s ability to father children.

The prostate is in front of the rectum and just below the bladder. The gland surrounds the urethra at the neck of the bladder. The bladder neck is the area where the urethra joins the bladder. The urethra is the tube that carries urine from the bladder to the outside of the body. In men, the urethra also carries semen out through the penis during sexual climax, or ejaculation. The bladder and urethra are parts of the lower urinary tract. Urine and semen flowing through the urethra pass through the prostate.

The prostate is a walnut-shaped gland that is part of a man’s sex organs, which also include the penis, scrotum, and testicles. The bladder and urethra are parts of the lower urinary tract.

What causes prostate problems?
The cause of prostate problems may be

• prostatitis

• BPH

Your doctor may not always know the exact cause of your prostate problem.
 

Prostatitis
The cause of prostatitis depends on whether you have chronic prostatitis or bacterial prostatitis.

Chronic prostatitis. Doctors do not know the exact cause of chronic prostatitis. Researchers think that an infection of tiny organisms, though not bacteria, can cause chronic prostatitis. Other causes may include chemicals in your urine, your body’s response to a previous urinary tract infection (UTI), or nerve damage in your pelvic area. Most of the time doctors don’t find any infection in men with chronic prostatitis.

Bacterial prostatitis. Bacteria, tiny organisms that can lead to infection, cause some kinds of prostatitis.
 

Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia
Doctors do not know the exact cause of BPH. Changes in male-hormone levels in older men, aging, inflammation, and fibrosis may play a role in causing BPH. Fibrosis is when extra tissue forms around your organs and becomes thick and stiff.
Who develops prostate problems and how common are they?

Any man can develop a prostate problem. Prostatitis can affect men of all ages. However, it is the most common prostate problem in men younger than age 50. BPH is the most common prostate problem in men older than age 50.
 

Prostatitis
If you have a UTI, you may be more likely to get bacterial prostatitis. If you have nerve damage in your lower urinary tract or have emotional stress, you may be more likely to get chronic prostatitis.
 

Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia
Men younger than age 40 rarely have BPH symptoms. The number of men with BPH symptoms increases with age.

If you have a family history of BPH, you may be more likely to get BPH. Other factors that increase your chances for BPH may include certain medical conditions and lifestyle choices.

Do prostate problems cause other problems?
Yes, a prostate problem may cause other problems, such as

• problems having sex

• a UTI

• feeling stressed due to chronic pain

• inflammation in areas near your prostate

• bladder stones

• kidney failure