Prostate health – Men must read

MEN MUST READ

Gentlemen,

This article is about the Prostate gland. The topic is misleading. Is prostate strictly for men? Yes, only men have the prostate and mostly men over 40 years experience Prostate problems but the healthcare enlightenment is for everyone. There is no woman who does not know a man 40 years and above, father, uncle, brother, son, friend, neighbour, colleague etc and it’s good to know about this.

This article deals with three things:

1. Information
2. Reassurance
3. A plan of action.

Let me start with a background on prostate health.

Everyone has a pair of kidneys. The job of the kidney is to remove waste. It is the LAWMA (waste management company) of your body. Every day your blood passes through the kidney several times to be filtered. As the blood is filtered, urine is formed and stored in a temporary storage tank called the urinary bladder.

If there’s no urinary bladder, urine will be dropping as a man walks on the road. Just below the bladder and surrounding the urethra is a little organ called the prostate gland.

The prostate gland is the size of a walnut and weighs about 20grams. Its job is to make the seminal fluid which is stored in the seminal vesicle. During sexual intercourse, seminal fluid comes down the urethra and mixes with the sperms produced in the testicles to form the semen. So semen technically is not sperm. It is sperm + seminal fluid. The seminal fluid lubricates the sperm.

After age 40, for reasons that may be hormonal, the prostate gland begins to enlarge. From 20 grams it may grow to almost 100 grams. As it enlarges, it squeezes the urethra and the man begins to notice changes in the way he urinates.

Terminal Dripping:

The man begins to notice that after urinating and repacking, urine still drops on his pants. This is the reason why after an older man urinates, he has to ring the bell. A younger man simply delivers to the last drop and walks away.

Hesitancy
At this point, you wait longer for the urine flow to start. There are 2 valves that must open for you to urinate – the internal and external sphincters. Both open but because of obstructions in the urethra, you wait longer for the flow to start.

Incomplete Emptying

You have this feeling immediately after urinating that there is still something left.  What may likely bring the man to the hospital is acute urinary retention. He wakes up one day and he is not able to pass urine.

Everything described above is associated with prostate enlargement, technically called benign prostate hyperplasia.

There are other diseases of the prostate like:

1. Prostatitis – inflammation of the prostate

2. Prostate cancer – cancer of the prostate.

This discussion is on prostate enlargement.  There is bad news and good news.  The bad news is that every man will have prostate enlargement if he lives long enough.  The good news is that there are lifestyle changes that can help the man after 40 to maintain optimum prostate health.

Nutrition

Look at what you eat. 33% of all cancers, according to the US National Cancer Institute is related to what we eat.  Red meat everyday triples your chances of prostate disease. Milk every day doubles your risk. Not taking fruits/vegetables daily quadruples your risk.  Tomatoes are very good for men. If that is the only thing your wife can present in the evening, eat it with joy. It has loads of lycopene. Lycopene is the most potent natural antioxidant.  Foods that are rich in zinc are also good for men. Zinc is an essential element for male sexuality and fertility.  Men need more zinc than women. Every time a man ejaculates he loses 15mg of zinc. Zinc is also important for alcohol metabolism. Your liver needs zinc to metabolize alcohol.  Pumpkin seeds (ugbogulu) are also good.

Alcohol Consumption

As men begin to have urinary symptoms associated with prostate enlargement, it is important they look at alcohol consumption. More fluid in means more fluid out.

Exercise

Exercise helps build the muscle tone. Every man should exercise. Men over 40 should avoid high impact exercise like jogging. It puts pressure on the knees. Cycling is bad news for the prostate. We recommend brisk walking.

Sitting
When we sit, two-thirds of our weight rests on the pelvic bones. Men who sit longer are more prone to prostate symptoms. Do not sit for long hours. Walk around as often as you can. Sit on comfortable chairs. A divided saddle chair is recommended if you sit long hours.

Dressing

Men should avoid tight underwear. It impacts circulation around the groin and heats it up a bit. While the physiological temperature is 37 degrees, the groin has an optimal temperature of about 33 degrees. Tight pants are not good for men. Wear boxers. Wear breathable clothing.

Smoking

Avoid smoking. It affects blood vessels and impact circulation around the groin.

Sex

Regular sex is good for the prostate.  Celibates are more prone to prostate illness. While celibacy is a moral decision, it is not a biological adaptation. Your prostate gland is designed to empty its contents regularly.

Thought: when someone shared something good with you and you benefit from it, you have a moral obligation to share it with others because it might help someone in your friends’ list.