What is prostate gland problem?

The prostate is an organ which is present in all males and it surrounds the urinary outlet from the bladder. Hence enlargement of the prostate can cause obstruction to the flow of urines in males. As one grows old most of the organs in the body like brain, kidneys, muscles, bones etc start shrinking in size but prostate is one which starts enlarging usually after 50-55yrs.

Signs and Symptoms associated with Prostate Disease:

The initial symptoms are:

• Frequent visits to pass urine and urgency
• Inadequate sleep due to frequent toilet visits during nighttime
• Poor urinary stream
• The sensation of incomplete emptying of the bladder and at a later stage complete inability to void also known as acute urinary retention.

Acute Urinary Retention:  

Acute urinary retention is an emergency and the patient needs urgent per urethral catheter insertion to drain the urine out. Enlargement of the prostate can be treated by oral drugs initially with extremely good success rate. Those patients who do not respond well to medical treatment are candidates for surgical intervention. At present almost all surgeries for prostatic enlargement are minimally invasive with no skin incisions, short hospital stay, no need for blood transfusion and only minimal discomfort.

Prostate Disease Treatment:

• Laser prostatectomy is the gold standard for severely enlarged prostates.
• Prostate cancer is the most common solid organ malignancy in males and males above the age of 50yrs should undergo screening in the form of the digital rectal exam (DRE)and PSA testing.
• Prostate cancer is treated as per the stage by surgery, radiation, hormonal therapy or chemotherapy.
• The prostate can also be a site of infection/inflammation leading to troublesome symptoms in young sexually active males. These are treated with antibiotics, anti-inflammatory drugs, and lifestyle changes.
• A Prostatic abscess is a collection of pus in prostatic tissue and may need to be surgically drained sometimes.