What is Prostrate?

The prostate is a male reproductive gland, normally about the size of a walnut, that produces semen, the fluid that carries sperm. It is located directly under the bladder and it surrounds the urethra, the tube that carries urine from your bladder out of your body. For many men, the prostate begins to enlarge to approximately apricot or even lemon size as one reaches middle age, which reduces both the flow of urine and the bladder’s ability to hold it.

Who is affected?

Most men as they age will develop an enlarged prostate, a condition called benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). In fact, BPH occurs in half of all men by age 50 and more than 75 percent of men by age 80.

Although BPH is unrelated to prostate cancer, it can lead to urinary problems that affect your quality of life. In about half of all cases, medical intervention is needed.

Prostrate enlargement symptoms

As your prostate enlarges, it compresses the urethra. This causes these annoying urinary symptoms:

• Frequent need to urinate both day and night
• Weak or slow urinary stream
• A feeling that you cannot completely empty your bladder
• Difficulty or delay in starting urination
• Urgent feeling of needing to urinate
• A urinary stream that stops and starts