Your
Prostate
Gland
The
prostate
is an exocrine gland of the male reproductive system. Its main
function is to
store and secrete a clear fluid that constitutes up to one-third
of the
volume of semen.
- A
healthy prostate
is slightly larger than a walnut. - It is
situated in
front of the rectum, just below the bladder where urine is
stored, and surrounds
the tube (urethra) that carries urine from the
body. - The
gland
functions as part of the male reproductive system by producing the
white fluid
that contains semen. - The
prostate also
contains smooth muscle that helps expel semen during
ejaculation; thus, prostate
problems can lead to impotence.
The
prostate gland
has four distinct glandular regions:
1.
The
Peripheral Zone (PZ) - The sub-capsular portion of the posterior aspect
of
the prostate gland which surrounds the distal urethra and comprises up to
70% of
the normal prostate gland in young men. It is from this portion of the
gland
that more than 70% of prostatic cancers originate.
2.
The
Central Zone (CZ) - This zone constitutes approximately 25% of the
normal
prostate gland and surrounds the ejaculatory ducts. Central zone
tumors account
for more than 25% of all prostate cancers.
3.
The
Transition Zone (TZ) - This zone is responsible for 5% of the prostate
volume
and very rarely is associated with carcinoma. The transition zone
surrounds
the proximal urethra and is the region of the prostate gland which
grows
throughout your lifetime. It is involved in benign
prostatic
enlargement.
4.
The
Anterior Fibro-muscular zone - This zone accounts for approximately 5% of
the
prostatic weight, is usually devoid of glandular components, and
composed
only, as its name suggests, of muscle and fibrous tissue.
Prostate
Disorders
Three
types of disorders can occur in the prostate gland:
inflammation or infection
(prostatitis), enlargement (benign prostatic
hyperplasia - BPH), and
cancer.
 |  |  |
| Normal | Inflamed | Enlarged |
1) Prostatitis is a clinical term used to
describe a wide
spectrum of disorders ranging from bacterial infection to
chronic pain
syndromes. It is not contagious (generally not spread through
sexual
contact):
- Acute Bacterial Prostatitis is the least common
but easiest to
diagnose and treat. It is caused by bacteria and comes
suddenly with chills and
fever, pain in the lower back and genital area, and
burning or painful
urination. Additional indications are excessive white
blood cells and bacteria
in the urine. - Chronic (Nonbacterial) Prostatitis (chronic
pelvic pain
syndrome) is the most common, but least understood, form of
prostatitis. Found
in men of any age from the late teens on, the symptoms go
away and then return
without warning, and may be inflammatory or
non-inflammatory. In the
inflammatory form, urine, semen, and other fluids
from the prostate show no
evidence of a known infecting organism, but do
contain the kinds of cells the
body usually produces to fight infection. In
the non-inflammatory form, no
evidence of inflammation, including
infection-fighting cells, is present. - Asymptomatic Inflammatory Prostatitis is the
diagnosis when
there are no symptoms, but the patient has infection-fighting
cells in the
semen. It is often found when a doctor is looking for causes of
infertility or
is testing for prostate cancer.
2) BPH, or benign prostatic hyperplasia, is the
second common
problem that can occur in the prostate. "Benign" means "not
cancerous" and
"hyperplasia" means "too much growth." As
men age, the prostate
gland slowly enlarges. The gland tends to expand in an area
that doesn't
expand with it, causing pressure on the urethra, which can lead to
urinary
problems. The urge to urinate frequently, a weak urine flow, breaks in
urine
stream, and dribbling are all symptoms of an enlarged prostate. At its
worst,
BPH can lead to a weak bladder, bladder or kidney infections,
complete
blockage in the flow of urine, and kidney failure.
Since the prostate has propensity to grow once
manhood is
reached, BPH is the most common prostate problem for men older
than 50.
The
American
Urological Association assesses that by age 60, more than half of
American men
will have BPH. By
age 70, almost all men have some prostate enlargement. By age 85,
about 90
percent of men have BPH but only 30 percent will
exhibit
symptoms!
3)
Prostate Cancer
is one of the most common cancers in American men. There are
no warning signs
of symptoms of early prostate cancer. Once a malignant tumor
causes the
prostate gland to swell significantly, or once cancer spreads
beyond the
prostate, the following symptoms may be present:
- A frequent need to urinate, especially at
night - Difficulty starting or stopping the urinary
stream - A weak or interrupted urinary stream
- A painful or burning sensation during urination
or
ejaculation - Blood in urine or semen
Symptoms of advanced prostate cancer
include:
- Dull, incessant deep pain or stiffness in the
pelvis, lower
back, ribs or upper thighs; arthritic pain in the bones of
those areas - Loss of weight and appetite
- Fatigue
- Nausea
- Vomiting
There are 4 stages of Prostate
Cancer:
- T1 - Tumor is microscopic and confined to
prostate but is
undetectable by a digital rectal exam (DRE) or by ultrasound.
Usually
discovered by PSA tests or biopsies. - T2 - Tumor is confined to prostate and can be
detected by DRE
or ultrasound. - T3 / T4 - In stage T3, the cancer has spread to
tissue adjacent
to the prostate or to the seminal vesicles. In stage T4,
tumors have spread to
organs near the prostate, such as the
bladder. - N+ / M+ - Cancer has spread to pelvic lymph
nodes (N+) or to
lymph nodes, organs, or bones distant from the prostate
(M+).
is the most
common cancer, other than skin cancers, in American men. It is
the second
leading cause of cancer death in American men, behind only lung
cancer, and
accounts for 9% of cancer-related deaths in men. The American
Cancer Society
estimates that during 2008, about 186,000 new cases of
prostate cancer will be
diagnosed in the United States. 30%
of prostate cancers
occur in men under age 65. About 1 man in 6 will be
diagnosed with prostate
cancer during his lifetime, but only 1 man in 35 will
die of it. More than 2
million men in the United States who have been diagnosed
with prostate cancer
at some point are still alive today.
Prostate
Disorder
Symptoms
Different prostate
problems
sometimes have similar symptoms. For example, one man with
prostatitis and
another with BPH may both have a frequent, urgent need to
urinate. A man with
BPH may have trouble beginning a stream of urine; another
may have to urinate
frequently at night. Or, a man in the early stages of
prostate cancer may have
no symptoms at all.
Common
symptoms of
prostate disorders are:
- Sensation
of not
emptying your bladder completely after you have finished
urinating. - Frequent
urination
(consistently in intervals of less than 2 hours and / or multiple
times during
the night). - Interrupted
urination
(you have to stop and start several times during urination). - Difficulty
in
postponing urination. - Weak
or limited
urinary stream. - Pushing
and
straining required to begin urination. - A
burning pain
during urination. - Pain
in lower
back, in the area between the testicles and anus, in the lower belly
or upper
thighs, or above the pubic area. Pain may be worse during
bowel
movement. - Reduced
ability to
gain and hold erections, weak ejaculation, and dissatisfaction
with sexual
performance. - Some
pain during
or after ejaculation. - Pain
in the tip of
your penis. - Fever
and
chills. - Loss
of
appetite.
One prostate problem does not lead to another.
For example,
having prostatitis or an enlarged prostate does not increase the
chance for
prostate cancer. It is true that some men with prostate cancer
also have BPH,
but the two conditions are not automatically linked. Most men
with BPH do not
develop prostate cancer. But because the early symptoms for
both conditions
could be the same, a doctor would need to evaluate them. It
is also possible to
have more than one condition at a time. This confusing
array of potential
scenarios makes a case for all men, especially after age
45, to have a thorough
medical exam that includes the PSA test and DRE every
year.
Diagnostic
Tests
The
PSA blood test determines whether you have cancer of the
prostate. The test
measures how much of a protein essential to human
reproduction, PSA
(prostate-specific antigen), is in your blood. PSA turns your
gelatinous
pre-semen into a liquid, thus supporting ejaculation. If your PSA is
below 4,
most doctors agree that you needn't be tested again for a year. During
annual
tests, remember that it is normal for your reading to go up by a few
tenths
of a point every year. In general, only a drastic increase in PSA
(an
increase of at least 0.75 points or 20 percent) is considered a reason
to
worry. This test is recommended on an annual basis for all men over 50
(and for
men above 45 if there is a family history of prostate
problems).
A
digital rectal
examination (DRE) is a quick and safe screening technique in
which a doctor
inserts a gloved, lubricated finger into the rectum to feel
the size and shape
of the prostate. The prostate should feel soft, smooth,
and even. The doctor
checks for lumps or hard, irregular areas of the
prostate that may indicate the
presence of prostate cancer. The entire
prostate cannot be felt during a DRE,
but most of it can be examined,
including the area where most prostate cancers
are found.
Western
Medicine
Western
medicine relies on aggressive and costly prescription
drugs and
prohibitively-expensive surgery to deal with problems related to
prostate and
reproductive disorders. These methods generally address only the
symptoms of
prostate disorder and not the underlying causes. As soon as you
stop using
the drugs, the problem returns! And these prescription drugs often
result in
unwanted and even dangerous side effects.
While
prostatitis
caused by infection can be treated with antibiotics, there are no
drugs for
treating chronic pelvic pain syndrome. Its symptoms are treated
with
anti-inflammatory drugs and analgesics.
FDA-approved
drugs
only relieve the symptoms of BPH - they do not cure it. The 5
alpha-reductase
inhibitors, Proscar (Finasteride) and Avodart (Dutasteride),
work by blocking an
enzyme that acts on the male hormone, testosterone, to
boost organ growth. When
the enzyme is blocked, growth slows down and the
gland may shrink. This
treatment may not produce a positive effect until
after six to 12 months of
treatment. It also works best for advanced cases of
prostate enlargement.
Alpha-adrenergic
receptor
blockers, which work by blocking adrenergic nerve receptors in the
lower
urinary tract, basically help relax the smooth muscle of the prostate
and
bladder neck to relieve pressure and to improve urine flow. These drugs,
which
do not shrink the size of the prostate, include: Cardura (Doxazosin),
Flomax
(Tamsulosin), Hytrin (Terazosin), and Uroxatral (Alfuzosin). For many
men,
these alpha-blockers can improve urine flow and can reduce symptoms
within
days. But since the underlying cause is not addressed, symptoms will
return
once you stop using the drugs.
The
combined side
effects of Alpha-Blockers and 5-Alpha Reductase Inhibitors
include breast
tenderness and enlargement, decreased sex drive, difficulty
getting an erection,
dizziness, fainting, headache, heart failure, increased
ejaculatory dysfunction,
lightheadedness, nasal congestion, retrograde
ejaculation (ejaculation back into
the bladder), sudden drop in blood
pressure, tiredness, and upper respiratory
tract infection.
Surgical
options
include Transurethral Needle Ablation (TUNA), Transurethral
Vaporization (TUVP),
Laser Surgery, Transurethral Resection (TURP),
Transurethral Incision
(TUIP),
and
Open Prostatectomy. All of these procedures often require patients to
wear a
catheter for 3 to 4 days after surgery and carry some risk of
incontinence,
impotence, infection, and complications.
An
alternative
treatment that has become popular is saw palmetto which is used
by millions of
men in the United States to treat BPH. Saw palmetto, however,
was recently
found to have no effect in reducing the frequent urge to urinate
or other
annoying symptoms of an enlarged prostate. Published in the Feb. 9,
2006, New
England Journal of Medicine, a yearlong study found that the plant
extract was
no more effective than inactive pills (placebos) in easing
symptoms of
BPH.
Ayurvedic
Medicine
Ayurveda,
the science of life, prevention, and longevity, is the oldest
and most
holistic and comprehensive medical system available. Its fundamentals
can be
found in Hindu scriptures called the Vedas - the ancient Indian books
of
wisdom written over 5,000 years ago. Ayurveda uses the inherent principles
of
nature to help maintain health in a person by keeping the individual's
body,
mind, and spirit in perfect equilibrium with nature.
India Herbs
has a
seasoned group of Ayurvedic doctors specialized in Vajikarana, one of
the eight
major specialties of Ayurveda. Vajikarana is "a process or a drug,
which make a
man as healthy as a ox and able to undergo many hours of
physical rigors."
Vajikarana prescribes the therapeutic use of various
herbal and tonic
preparations for enhancing the capabilities and vigor of the
your reproductive
and urogenital system while strengthening the body and
overall
well-being.
India Herbs' Vajikarana scientists combine a
proprietary
herbal formula based on centuries' old wisdom with advice on diet, exercise, mental training, and relaxation
to
help men address their prostate health concerns through safe,
natural
means.
Recommendations
You
can optimize your long-term prostate health
by:
1)
Reversing
Damage - Years of stressful living caused damage to your body. To
help
reverse this, Ayurstate releases hundreds of
phytonutrients
that
act at the molecular level to repair damaged tissue, rejuvenate your
prostate
gland, inhibit polyamines and prostaglandins, tone smooth muscles in
your
urinogenital system, and reduce inflammation of the urethra and
prostate
gland.
2)
Increasing Soy
Intake - Researchers believe that the
increasing
estrogen-to-testosterone ratio brought on by aging is one of the
factors that
adversely affects the size of the prostate gland. 2 ounces or
more of soy in
your daily diet will help restore the proper
estrogen-to-testosterone ratio that
becomes skewed as men get into their 60s
and beyond. Good sources of soy
include tofu (soybean curd), miso, tempeh,
roasted soy nuts, and soy flour or
powder.
3) Increasing Selenium Intake - Selenium is essential
for
good prostate health. Selenium-rich foods include wheat germ, tuna,
herring and
other seafood and shellfish, beef liver and kidney, eggs,
sunflower and sesame
seeds, cashews, Brazil nuts, mushrooms, garlic, onions,
and kelp.
4) Increasing Zinc Intake - 15 mg of zinc are needed
daily
for healthy prostate function. Pumpkin seed in the shell, oysters,
beans, and
nuts are excellent sources of zinc.
5) Minimizing Alcohol Consumption - Alcohol depletes
both
zinc and vitamin B6 (which is necessary for zinc absorption).
6) Eating Healthy - Eat lots of fruits and vegetables to
get
the necessary antioxidants in your diet. Avoid unsaturated fats, sugars
and
processed foods. High-fat foods like meats and dairy products can
elevate
testosterone level which stimulates prostate cell growth and
enlargement.
7) Supplementing Diet - Take a daily multivitamin
supplement
which includes at least the following for supporting prostate
health - Vitamin A
(25,000 IU), Vitamin E (1,200 IU), and Lycopene (10 mg).
8) Improving Circulation - Perform Kegel exercises to
improve
blood flow to the prostate and urinogenital tissues. Kegel exercises
are done
by pulling up all the muscles around the scrotum and anus, holding,
and
releasing. 10 repetitions of this movement, 5-6 times daily will maximize
blood
flow to your prostate gland.
9) Adopting Healthy Lifestyle - Get sufficient rest and exercise regularly.
Regular exercise has been shown to strengthen the immune system and
improve
digestion, circulation, and the removal of waste matter from the
body. Exercise
also prevents obesity, which is a risk factor for many
diseases, including
cancer. Regular exercise may also reduce the risk of
prostate gland
enlargement.
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