9 Out Of 10 Of Men Will Experience An Enlarged Prostate

Health problems not surprisingly start to develop as we grow older and one problem that you are almost certain to experience if you live long enough is an enlarged prostate gland.

Usually the problem is first seen in men once they pass the age of 45, though it can sometimes be seen at earlier ages, and you have about a 50 percent chance of developing the problem of an enlarged prostate gland by the time you reach 60 years of age.

Once you have reached the age of 60 the odds of experiencing the condition increase considerably and, by the age of 80, your chances of having an enlarged prostate gland will be as high as 90 percent.

The prostate gland, which sits just below the bladder and is a part of the reproductive system, grows quickly during puberty and by the time you reach maturity it weighs approximately one ounce and is roughly the same size as a walnut. What is often not appreciated however is that it does not stop growing at this stage and that the prostate gland goes on growing very slowly for the remainder of a man's life.

However, in middle age cell growth characteristically begins to speed up in one area of the prostate that partially surrounds the urethra, which carries urine from the bladder out of the body.

Initially this acceleration in the growth of cells, that are non-cancerous, is reasonably slow and many men will not experience any symptoms at all from it, or any symptoms are so mild that they are dismissed as simply a case of 'growing old'.

In time however, as the prostate continues to grow, it will begin to pinch the urethra interrupting the urine flow from the bladder and symptoms will start to appear. Initially these are not painful, or even particularly uncomfortable, although they will become increasingly frustrating as you start to develop difficulty with passing water, the need to get up during the night to visit the bathroom and perhaps the embarrassing tendency to continue to dribble urine after you have been to the bathroom.

At this point you should talk to your physician not only to seek treatment for your enlarged prostate but also so that you can undergo screening for the possibility of any underlying and developing signs of prostate cancer.

Article Source: http://www.wowfreearticles.com

ProstateProblemCenter.com provides detailed information about theprostate gland and discusses the advisability of having a prostate exam

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