Men probably look for a series of restroom breaks while traveling as they age. Heading to a pal’s house or the grocery store may involve frequent visits to the restroom on the way. It may mean the end of road trips, but it is certainly not the end of life. This simply signals that just like your eyesight needs help as you get older; the prostate needs your attention too.
The Prostate
The prostate is a walnut-sized gland sitting at the base of the penis. Wrapped around the urethra, which is the collecting tube for urine, it just looks like a donut. Being an essential part of the male fertility, the prostate produces a fluid that provides protection or nourishment to the sperm. Prostate problems come to the surface with age.
Medically known as Benign Prostatic Hypertrophy (BPH), it is a condition wherein the gland enlarges and keeps growing as men get older. About half of all the men in their 60s are affected by this condition. Due to its placement around the urethra, the condition can cause weak stream, dribbling, urinary urgency causing men to have sleepless nights.
Another potential problem is prostate cancer. Although it is less common than BPH, and causes no urinary symptoms, there is a need for attention. According to reports, one of 9 men will get prostate cancer in their lifetimes.
Benign Prostate Hypertrophy is not preventable, as per reports. But prostate cancer is. A significant key to the prevention strategy is to follow a heart-healthy, low carbohydrate, low-fat diet. Also, incorporating weight management, exercise, and stress control in your daily routine can prove beneficial. Eating more vegetables and fruits that are antioxidants-rich can protect our body cells from becoming cancerous. Green tea and soy are reported to protect the prostate. Sugar intake should be reduced. As obesity is directly linked to prostate cancer, more sugar intake can lead to even more storage of fat in your body.
Prostate Cancer
It is quite surprising that prostate cancer is not always lethal. It is not as deadly as breast cancer, lung cancer, or colon cancer. Most men with prostate cancer do not die of it. Due to its slow-growing nature in comparison to other cancers, it doubles in size every 2-3 years instead of every 4-6 months. Owing to this, men are more likely to die of cardiovascular diseases than this cancer. Interestingly, it is believed that prostate cancer is a disease of older men. There is a likelihood that prostate cancer increases in small amounts with age. This clearly means that 80% of 90-year-old men will have prostate cancer but they may never know it. This also means that there are many prostate cancers that can be termed as “clinically insignificant.” So, the only challenge is to figure out the important ones to treat.
Typically, prostate-related diseases are not life-threatening. These diseases can only affect your long road trips and quality of life. There is an absence of symptoms in the early stages of prostate cancer; therefore, most men do not get tested thinking that they are fine. In reality, when the cancer symptoms begin to show, chances are that it has reached the advanced stage. The typical symptoms are difficulty passing urine, blood in the urine, burning sensation or pain during urination, or unusually frequent urination, especially at night.
In the case of African men who live in rural areas, there is a total lack awareness of prostate cancer. Most of them lack the means of medical insurance to get regular screenings for the disease. Owing to the vast income disparities in South Africa and difficult access to medical insurance for the majority of the citizens, many men cannot afford the treatment costs or even get the modern Da Vinci X Surgery. These are the reasons; patients from South Africa prefer traveling abroad to India for their medical treatment. Well-trained and well-equipped healthcare systems in India seem to be a medical haven for Africans.
The Last Word
Whether you hail from South Africa or any other country, make sure to take your health seriously and get regular check-ups after the age of 40. Reports say that early diagnosis can improve your survival and cure rates. Fortunately, blood tests like Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) are available to help detect cancer. Some of the FDA-approved pills can treat prostatic enlargement. If these won’t work, numerous safe minimally invasive procedures can help in removing the prostatic symptom-causing tissue. Sometimes, these pills can also prevent prostate cancer. Whatsoever may be the reason, do not ignore the prostate. Before the prostate disrupts the flow of your daily life, ATTEND TO IT and get the best urology treatment soon!
For more information on urology treatment, visit: https://www.indicure.com/