Common Prostate Problems

Enlarged Prostate or Benign Prostate Hyperplasia (BPH) – a non-cancerous enlargement of the prostate gland. This simply means the prostate has grown in size. This is common in middle aged and elderly men. This is not a life-threatening problem but for some men it can cause urinary symptoms, some of which need treatment.

Typical symptoms of an enlarged prostate include:

• A reduced or slower flow of urine.
• Taking a few moments longer to get the flow started.
• Needing to pass urine more frequently, especially at night
• Dribbling urine
• Needing to rush to the toilet
• Feeling of not emptying your bladder fully

Prostatitis – Inflammation of the prostate gland.

This can be caused by an infection which needs treating with antibiotics although infection is not always present. Symptoms of prostatitis include pain around the back passage, in the testicles or in the area around the testicles. Some men experience pain on passing urine.

Prostate Cancer

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer diagnosis in men. In 2007 there were 2720 men diagnosed with prostate cancer in Ireland. Prostate cancer is commoner in older men and often grows very slowly, for many men it doesn´t cause any symptoms at all. In some men prostate cancer grows more quickly and needs treatment to prevent it spreading outside the prostate gland. If men with prostate cancer do experience symptoms they are similar to those above.
If you are concerned about prostate cancer you should discuss your concerns with your doctor.