Welcome to Running: A FEVER. My name is Michael Davis, and this is a show about fitness, diet, and medicine. My goal is to live a long, healthy, happy, active life right up to the very end. It’s all about living long and lovin’ life.
What’s a prostate? What does it do, why is it important, and what do we need to know about how healthy it is? I hope to answer these questions in today’s episode.
What is the prostate? It’s a gland that surrounds the urethra of males at the base of the bladder, comprising a muscular portion and a glandular portion.
What does it do? Well, the muscular portion controls the release of urine. And the glandular portion secretes an alkaline fluid that makes up part of the semen and enhances the motility and fertility of sperm. Yuck.
I think you can see then why it is important. Since females do not have a prostate, I was wondering what they use to control urine flow. Turns out there is no specific organ that does this. It’s a combination of muscles and nerve signals.
Let’s get to the meat of the subject, prostate health. There are several related diseases and disorders.
- Prostate cancer. The good news about prostate cancer is that though it is one of the most common types of cancer, it is usually found early and it often grows slowly. Most people with prostate cancer are cured. Treatments include surgery, radiation therapy, and careful monitoring.
- Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). This is also called an enlarged prostate. This causes blockage of the flow of urine out of the bladder, and can also cause bladder, urinary tract or kidney problems. There are many options for treatment depending on your symptoms, the size of your prostate, and other health problems you may have. Symptoms include:
- Frequent or urgent need to urinate
- Urinating more often at night
- Trouble starting to urinate
- Weak urine stream, or a stream that stops and starts
- Dribbling at the end of urination
- Not being able to fully empty the bladder
also the uncommon symptoms of
- urinary tract infection
- not being able to urinate at all
- blood in the urine
Usually symptoms of BPH tend to slowly get worse, but they can sometimes stay the same or even improve over time.
The cause of BPH may be side effects of medicines like powerful pain relievers (opioids), cold and allergy medicines, or older medications for depression called tricyclic antidepressants.
The main cause is just aging. Nearly all men experience some prostate growth if they live long enough, with 50% of men over 60 showing signs. This is why I am spending so much time on BPH. This combines with hormonal shifts. As men age, lower testosterone levels coupled with stable estrogen levels may trigger cell growth. You may have genetic predisposition.
Something very significant to me is something we can control: Lifestyle and Metabolic Factors. Obesity, lack of physical activity, and metabolic conditions such as diabetes and heart disease are associated with higher risks.
The prognosis is actually pretty good. It has nothing to do with prostate cancer. It is manageable through lifestyle changes, medication, or minimally invasive procedures, with many cases staying stable.
The medication used is often alpha-blockers or 5-alpha-reductase inhibitors. There is also a surgical procedure called TURP, which is removal of inner portions of the prostate gland through the urethra, requiring no external incisions.
Is there any hope for reduction in size of an enlarged prostate? Yes! The most effective long-term reduction is achieved with the aforementioned 5-alpha reductase inhibitors like finasteride, which can shrink the prostate bby 20-30% over 6-12 months.
There are other treatments, such as prostate artery embolization, which reduces blood flow to the prostate, causing it to shrink. Steam therapy uses water vapor to destroy excess prostate tissue. Laser therapy can destroy or remove overgrown tissue. Microwave therapy can also help.
The most accessible, if not the easiest way to manage BPH is lifestyle change:
Exercise. Regular physical activity helps manage weight and supports prostate health.
Dietary adjustments. Consuming a diet rich in vegetables and healthy foods can support prostate health.
Managing stress can also help control urinary symptoms.
Okay, I really wanted to spend a lot of time on BPH. There is one other health issue I’d like to talk about.
- Prostatitis. This is a condition most often linked with swelling and irritation called inflammation. It can make it painful or hard to urinate. It may also cause pain in the groin, pelvic area or genitals. It is often caused by bacterial infections. Get medical help immediately if you are unable to pass urine, have a fever and trouble urinating or pain while urinating, have blood in your urine, or have a lot of discomfort and pain in the pelvic area or genitals.
Treatment includes antibiotics, alpha-blockers for urinary flow, or anti-inflammatories.
As a 60-year-old-man, this topic is important to me, and it’s good to know there are treatments and hope for men with these problems. I hope this will also be helpful to you or a man in your life.
There are a bunch of references I used researching this episode, and as usual you can access them all at http://RunningAFEVER.com/479. Please also like the episode on YouTube if you benefited from it, and subscribe if you’d like to hear more about fitness, diet, and medicine as I seek a more healthy life.
Thanks for listening/watching. If you’ve got the fever, keep it burning, and if you don’t, catch the fever, and I will see you next time on Running: A FEVER.