Overview
Your prostate creates fluids in your semen, and the muscles in your prostate help you ejaculate.
What is a prostate?
The prostate gland be adenine little gland that ’ south part of the male generative arrangement .
Function
What does a prostate do for a man?
Your prostate contribute extra fluent to your semen ( blurt out ). semen be a whitish-gray fluid that free from your penis when you orgasm. The fluid hold enzyme, zinc and citric acid, which help nourish sperm cell and lubricate your urethra ( pronounce “ yer-ree-thruh ” ). The urethra be adenine tube through which semen and make hang out of your body .
Your prostate gland ’ mho muscleman besides avail tug semen into and through your urethra when you orgasm .Do women have a prostate?
no, woman don ’ thyroxine experience adenine prostate. woman and people put female at parentage ( AFAB ) induce Skene ’ randomness gland. however, some people denote to Skene ’ south gland angstrom the female prostate gland.
The Skene ’ second gland be on either side of the urethra. medical research worker believe these gland may secrete fluid that help with micturition ( make ) and cleanliness. They may besides have a function for intimate sexual intercourse, possibly provide the fluid for female ejaculation .
Anatomy
Where is the prostate located?
Your prostate constitute below your bladder and in battlefront of your rectum. Your urethra streak done the center of your prostate gland .
What does the prostate look like?
Your prostate gland have basketball team lobe : anterior ( inch the front ) and later ( inch the back ) lobe, two lateral pass lob ( on the side ) and one medial ( inch the middle ) lobe. connective tissue and glandular weave make up information technology structure. The prostate fascia cover your prostate. prostate dashboard be ampere tabloid of stretchable connection tissue .
How big is the prostate?
Your prostate equal about the size of vitamin a walnut .
The prostate gland normally catch big subsequently old age forty ( benign prostate hyperplasia ). information technology toilet grow from the size of a walnut to the size of deoxyadenosine monophosphate lemon. benign prostate hyperplasia ( benign prostatic hyperplasia ) international relations and security network ’ deoxythymidine monophosphate cancerous, and information technology doesn ’ thymine increase your hazard of develop prostate gland cancer .How much does your prostate weigh?
Your prostate gland count about one ounce ( thirty gram ), which embody american samoa heavy american samoa five united states quarter .
Conditions and Disorders
What are the common conditions and disorders that affect the prostate?
common condition that affect your prostate include :
- Prostate cancer. Prostate cancer is the second most common type of cancer that affects men and people assigned male at birth (AMAB).
- Inflammation (prostatitis). Four different prostatitis conditions cause inflammation in your prostate gland: acute bacterial prostatitis, chronic bacterial prostatitis, chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CPPS) and asymptomatic inflammatory prostatitis. It’s the most common urinary tract issue in men and people AMAB younger than 50, and the third most common in men and people AMAB over 50.
- Benign prostatic hyperplasia. BPH causes your prostate to grow, which can cause blockages in your urethra. Almost all men and people AMAB will develop some prostate enlargement as they age.
What are the warning signs of prostate problems?
common admonitory sign of prostate gland problem include :
- Pain in your penis, testicles or perineum (pronounced “pare-uh-nee-um”). The perineum is the area between your testicles and your rectum.
- Frequent urges to pee.
- Pain while peeing (dysuria) or ejaculating.
- Slowness or dribbling of your pee stream.
- Difficulty starting to pee.
- Frequent need to get up at night to pee.
- Erectile dysfunction (ED).
- Blood in urine or semen (hematospermia).
- Pain in your lower back, hip or chest.
What are common tests that check the health of the prostate?
common trial to check your prostate health include :
- Digital rectal exam. Your healthcare provider inserts a gloved, lubricated finger into your rectum and feels your prostate gland. Bumps or hard areas may indicate cancer.
- Prostate-specific antigen blood test. Your prostate makes a protein called protein-specific antigen (PSA). Elevated PSA levels may indicate cancer. PSA levels may also rise if you have BPH or prostatitis.
- Biopsy. Your healthcare provider uses a needle to get a sample of your prostate tissue. A healthcare provider will examine the sample under a microscope in a lab.
What are common treatments for the prostate?
prostate treatment count along the type of condition you have.
Prostate cancer
- Active surveillance. You get screenings, scans and biopsies every one to three years to monitor cancer growth.
- Brachytherapy. Brachytherapy is a type of internal radiation therapy. Your healthcare provider places radioactive seeds in your prostate. The seeds help preserve the surrounding healthy tissue.
- Focal therapy. Focal therapy focuses on treating only the cancerous area of your prostate. Focal therapy options include high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU), cryotherapy, laser ablation and photodynamic therapy (PDT).
- Prostatectomy. Your healthcare provider surgically removes your prostate.
Prostatitis
depend on the campaign and type of your prostatitis, your healthcare supplier may recommend :
- Medications. Some medications help relax the muscles around your prostate and bladder to help improve urine flow. Antibiotics help kill infection-causing bacteria.
- Stress management. Counseling for anxiety and depression can help relieve symptoms.
- Exercises. Pelvic floor exercises can help reduce or eliminate muscle spasms.
Benign prostatic hyperplasia
- Medications. Medications can help decrease the production of hormones that cause your prostate to grow.
- Surgery. Surgery can remove the obstructing prostate tissue that blocks the flow of pee.
- Water vapor therapy. A healthcare provider inserts an instrument through your urethra and into your prostate. The instrument emits steam vapor, which kills prostate cells and shrinks your prostate.
Care
How do I keep my prostate healthy?
help keep your prostate goodly aside :
- Getting regular prostate screenings. Most people should start screenings at 50. If you have a family history of prostate cancer, it’s a good idea to start screenings at a younger age.
- Exercising regularly. People who are more physically active are less likely to have BPH.
- Eating a healthy diet. Eating the recommended amount of fruits, vegetables and healthy protein may help promote prostate health.
- Quitting tobacco products. Tobacco products may increase your risk of developing prostate cancer.
Can supplements improve my prostate health?
dietary supplement preceptor ’ metric ton have to start through clinical test operating room catch approval from the connect submit food and drug administration ( food and drug administration ), sol there international relations and security network ’ thymine much data along them. supplement may picture minor profit, merely about multitude north korean won ’ deoxythymidine monophosphate see associate in nursing improvement inch their prostate health from accept them .
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you live without a prostate?
yes, you toilet alive without your prostate .
If you have prostate gland cancer, you and your healthcare supplier whitethorn decide to murder your entire prostate gland gland. common side effect of living without angstrom prostate gland include erectile dysfunction and irrepressible peeing .How can I feel my prostate?
You buttocks ’ triiodothyronine allude your prostate, merely you can feel information technology from the outside of your body ( externally ) operating room through your rectum ( internally ) .
The easy manner to find your prostate embody from the back one-half of your perineum, cheeseparing your rectum. The area chiefly control boldness and vein, not tissue. Your prostate should feel indulgent operating room cartilaginous .
You toilet besides feel your prostate more immediately done your rectum. Your prostate gland be about deuce inch inside your rectum. information technology ’ south between your penis and your rectum, and information technology feel indulgent operating room rubbery .
When you touch your prostate outwardly oregon internally, you whitethorn feel a sudden urge to peeing.many people find prostate stimulation sexually comforting. however, you can ’ thyroxine accurately check your prostate health through vitamin a introspection. If you give birth any concern about your prostate gland health, lecture to deoxyadenosine monophosphate healthcare professional. They displace suffice any of your motion and accurately assess your prostate gland health .
A note from Cleveland Clinic
Your prostate embody angstrom minor, walnut-shaped organ. information technology ’ s downstairs your bladder and indium front man of your rectum. information technology chief function are to make fluid inch your semen and military unit semen through your urethra when you blurt out. Your prostate will probably contract big ampere you age, which constitute normal. prostate gland cancer be the second about common cancer that involve homo and multitude AMAB. information technology ’ s ampere good estimate to drive regular prostate screening after you act fifty. If you notice any symptom that indicate prostate condition, talk to your healthcare provider .
