men health issues

Next time you see your father
your uncle
or any older gentleman over age 60 or so
ask them about their prostate. If you know the guy well enough
and he feels comfortable enough around you (some would say too comfortable)
he will surely share a whole litany of the common prostate problems that are troubling him
or have troubled him
or will trouble him in the near future. That's because an enlarged prostate
benign prostatic hypertrophy
and even prostate cancer can be in the cards for every man past a certain age.

It's the scary but true fact of getting old as a man. For instance
every man should know that prostate cancer is one of the most common prostate problems out there. It tops the list of cancers that afflict men
happening in nearly as many men
roughly speaking
as breast cancer in women. Prostate cancer doesn't get the press that breast cancer does
however
probably because most men would rather not speak about what's happening down there.

The second thing most men don't
but should know is exactly what that prostate is. A prostate is actually part of a man's sexual organs. Located just below the bladder in a man
wrapped around the urethra
the prostate is about the size of a walnut. Its main job in the birds-and-bees scheme of things is to add fluid to your sperm during ejaculation.

And most of the time
men don't even realize they have a prostate because it's a hidden internal organ
but all men find out quickly what and where their prostate is when they suffer a common prostate problem.

For instance
all men should know that prostate issues aren't just for older men. Men under 50 can get prostatitis
or an extremely painful infection of their prostate. This is a swelling of the prostate that can cause fever
a burning sensation during urination
and fatigue.

And all men over 50 should be aware of their number one most common prostate problem
which is an enlarged prostate
or benign prostatic hypertrophy. This benign
or nonfatal condition
is actually far more common in older men than prostate cancer
which should give some relief to older men when they know it.

Men should all be aware of the symptoms of benign prostatic hypertrophy
such as leaking and dribbling during urination
a weak urine stream
trouble getting started with urination
and even small amounts of blood in the urine.

And though benign prostatic hypertrophy is more common than prostate cancer
men should be aware that the two can go hand in hand. It's not always the case
and many men with an enlarged prostate will never develop into cancer. But it's good to keep your eyes out for both
because they can have similar symptoms.