Op. Dr. Egemen İşgören from the Department of Urology shared information about prostate enlargement.
Op. Dr. Egemen İşgören from the Department of Urology at Memorial Antalya Hospital explained what should be known about prostate enlargement. Pointing out that prostate enlargement, which begins to make itself felt in men in their 40s, can lead to consequences up to kidney failure unless left untreated, İşgören said, “Prostate enlargement, which manifests itself with symptoms such as frequent urination, burning sensation while urinating, sometimes progresses insidiously and does not give any symptoms. Studies have reported that 50 percent of 60-year-old men and 90 percent of 80-year-old men have benign prostate enlargement. Benign prostate enlargement and prostate cancer are different diseases. While BPH does not cause prostate cancer, both diseases can be found together.”
“It starts to grow after 40s”
Op. Dr. Egemen İşgören stated that the prostate begins to grow after the 40s and said, “The prostate gland is an organ located just below the urinary bladder in men, surrounding the urinary canal and resembling a chestnut in shape. The prostate gland, which weighs 25-30 grams in an adult male and contributes to the production of semen fluid, begins to grow from the 40s. The prostate gland, which is normally the size of a chestnut, can reach the size of a tangerine or even an orange, and this condition is called 'Benign prostate enlargement (Benign prostate enlargement-BPH)'.”
“Frequent urination is one of the main symptoms of the disease”
Talking about the symptoms of prostate enlargement, İşgören continued as follows:
“It causes changes in the urination routine. After a while, prostate enlargement begins to block the urinary tract of the patient and prevent urine flow. Depending on the degree of obstruction, patients develop complaints about urination. Sometimes the prostate can enlarge without causing any symptoms. Symptoms often seen in patients are; frequent urination, sudden urge to urinate, urinary incontinence, burning and pain during urination, decreased urine strength and thickness, difficulty in starting urine, intermittent urination, dripping at the end of urine, feeling of inability to empty urine completely and blood in urine.”
“If left untreated, it can damage the kidneys”
Emphasizing that prostate health is of great importance in protecting kidney health, İşgören said, “As the prostate grows, it also negatively affects the urinary tract of the person. Sudden urinary obstruction, urinary tract inflammation, urinary bladder disorders and disorders that can lead to kidney failure are some of the known negative effects of the disease.”
“Prostate cancer should also be investigated”
“People with benign prostate enlargement may also have prostate cancer at the same time,” İşgören said, underlining that prostate cancer does not have its own early symptoms, so both aspects of the disease should be examined to reach the correct diagnosis. İşgören said, “When some complaints about the disease are observed, the ‘Prostate Specific Antigen’ (PSA) value in the patient's blood should be checked first. In addition to finger prostate examination, ultrasonographic examination and urinalysis; urine flow rate measurement called “Uroflowmetry” is the main methods used for diagnosis.”
“Personalized treatment is planned”
Op. Dr. Egemen İşgören added that benign prostate enlargement does not always require treatment and said, “In the disease, which can sometimes only be followed up with regular controls, the physician who evaluates the test results will decide when to start treatment. In addition, there is no single right treatment option for everyone. The type of treatment may also vary according to the individual. Today, there are highly effective drug therapies for the treatment of prostate-related obstructions. On the other hand, surgery may be considered when it is thought that drug treatment is not sufficient. However, before the decision of surgical intervention is taken, it is of great importance that the patient is evaluated very well by specialist physicians and the most appropriate one is chosen among all treatment methods.”
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