Prostate Disease
Facts about the prostate gland:
The prostate is a sex gland in men. It is about the size of a walnut, and surrounds the neck of the bladder and urethra - the tube that carries urine from the bladder. It is partly muscular and partly glandular, with ducts opening into the prostatic portion of the urethra. It is made up of three lobes: a center lobe with one lobe on each side.
The prostate gland secretes a slightly alkaline fluid that forms part of the seminal fluid, a fluid that carries sperm.
Types of non-cancerous prostate problems:
There are clinical conditions of the prostate gland that are not cancer, including the following:
- prostatism - any condition of the prostate that causes interference with the flow of urine from the bladder.
- prostatitis - an inflamed condition of the prostate gland that may be accompanied by discomfort, pain, frequent or infrequent urination, and, sometimes, fever.
- benign prostatic hyperplasia (Also called BPH or benign prostatic hypertrophy.) - a specific term that defines the condition of an enlarged prostate. BPH is the most common non-cancerous prostate problem. It can cause discomfort and problems urinating. Although it is not cancer, BPH symptoms are often similar to those of prostate cancer.
- impotence (Also called erectile dysfunction.) - the inability to achieve or maintain an erection.
- urinary incontinence - the loss of bladder control.
These problems are quite common and may happen to men of all ages.
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