It Is Time For The Conversation About Your Prostate.
The next time you are spending some quality time with your father, your uncle, or any other older man over the age of 50 or 60, instead of just talking about sports cars and women, why not ask them about their prostate. If you have a good bond with this man, and he feels comfortable enough around you (some might say too comfortable), he will probably be able to tell you a long list of the prostate problems that are troubling him, or have troubled him.
Even if he does or does not have any yet, he will still be able to tell you about them, because in this age group for us men, an enlarged prostate, benign prostatic hypertrophy, and even prostate cancer is quite common and unfortunately is in the cards for just about every man over a certain age.
As scary as it may seem (and is!) the fact is that issues with the prostate are pretty much inevitable for men, the older that we get. Here is a fact that we men should all know: Prostate cancer is one of, if not, the most common prostate problems out there. As of 2018, according to the World Cancer Research Fund prostate cancer is in the top three list of cancers that afflict men:
Global Cancer Incidence In Men
- “The top three – lung, prostate and colorectal cancers – contributed 44.4% of all cancers (excluding non-melanoma skin cancer).” *
- “Prostate cancer is the second most commonly occurring cancer in men and the fourth most commonly occurring cancer overall” **
In fact, as of the findings from 2012, the rate of cases that men are being diagnosed with prostate is almost the same amount, roughly speaking, that women are are being diagnosed with breast cancer.
- “Around 1.1 million new cases were recorded worldwide in 2012, accounting for 15 per cent of all new cases of cancer in men” **
- “Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women worldwide, with nearly 1.7 million new cases diagnosed in 2012, representing about 25 per cent of all cancers in women” ***
Now, as far as BAM is concerned, this is not a competition that we want any one to win. However, we do wish to raise awareness for men since it seems that prostate cancer doesn’t get the same exposure and media coverage that breast cancer does. Again this is not a competition.
One possible reason that prostate issues are not as widely discussed is probably because for most men, speaking about our health in general and specifically about what we got going on down there is not exactly topics that we particularly enjoy discussing with anyone!
Just What Is The Prostate?
Alright, so we have this thing called a prostate and it is prone to cause us some issues but, what is the prostate exactly and what does it do? The prostate is actually part of the man’s reproductive organs. The prostate is located just below the bladder:
“The prostate is a walnut sized gland in men that surrounds the top of the urethra just below the bladder outlet; it produces seminal fluid. Male hormones, such as testosterone, control its growth and function.” **
Because it’s a hidden internal organ, most men don’t even realize they have a prostate or even know what it is until we get the wake-up call once we start getting older or we start to suffer from some common prostate problem.
But we (younger) men need to know that issues with the prostate are not only relegated to our more “senior” brothers: Men under the age of 50 can get prostatitis, which is an extremely painful infection of the prostate. Prostatitis can cause fever, a burning sensation during urination, as well as general fatigue.
When It Comes To The Prostate, Bigger Is Not Better!
For those of us over 50 years old, we need to be aware of the number one most common prostate issue: An enlarged prostate.
An enlarged prostate is called benign prostatic hypertrophy.
Prostatic hypertrophy is much more common in older men than prostate cancer is. We can breathe a bit of a sigh of relief since, thankfully, this condition is a benign, or nonfatal condition. But that does not excuse any of us men from knowing about it!
We men should all be aware that the symptoms of benign prostatic hypertrophy, can be leaking and dribbling during urination, a weak urine stream, trouble getting started with urination, and even small amounts of blood in the urine.
Even though benign prostatic hypertrophy is more common than prostate cancer is, we men must be aware that the two conditions are closely related. The benign condition may not always lead to the malignant condition. Many men with an enlarged prostate may not ever end up having their condition develop into cancer, but, we must maintain our diligence and awareness. Since both conditions can have similar symptoms, you need consult with your medical practitioner for full and proper evaluation.
Why Should We Care So Much About Our Prostate And Prostate Cancer?
- “Amidst so much optimism and progress in the last 10 years, it’s important to keep in mind that prostate cancer is still a deadly disease for some men, and it is the second leading cause of cancer death among men in the US, with nearly 88 men dying from it every day”. ****
Which leads us to a very important question: When was the last time you saw your doctor and had a physical? Right, So…
Add It To Your “Do List”!
Did we forget to mention one other fact about prostate cancer from the second link below?:
- “Being overweight or obese INCREASES the risk of advanced prostate cancer” **
Need we say anymore?
Conclusion
If you are experiencing any changes in how your penis works, get to the doctor. And even if not, if you are within the age group, start to get regular check-ups. Issues with the prostate is something that can be managed, but early detection is can be critical.
What about you? Do you have any tips, advice or information to share?
Do you have a prostate story to tell?
Be A Man – Do The Right Thing. Take Care Of Yourself And Your Physical Health.
BAM!!! Be A Man! Do The Right Thing.
Be the DtRTy Guy!
Source Links For This Page:
** https://www.wcrf.org/dietandcancer/prostate-cancer
A more recent statistic: There were 1.3 million new cases in 2018 – https://www.wcrf.org/dietandcancer/cancer-trends/prostate-cancer-statistics
