Which behavioural habits or lifestyle is seen in men under 25 linked to benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH)?
Question:
Answers:
Men under 25 years hardly ever have BPH.It's a disorder of the 5th-6th decade of life.
That said,however,Prostatitis is a different kettle of fish altogether.Retrograde ejaculation (such as occurs sometimes during furtive masturbation) and urethritis (either sexually transmitted or otherwise) have roles to play in the pathophysiology of Prostatitis.
These 2 factors are commoner in men between 18-35 years.
Other Answers:
Few men will get through life without at some point being left prostrate by their prostate. There are over 20,000 new cases of prostate cancer each year in the UK and over 10,000 deaths from the disease, mainly among men over 60. The Prostate Cancer Charity estimates that the number of cases will increase by 47 per cent by 2021.
Yet cancer is just one of several serious disorders affecting the prostate. Half of all men aged 60 are affected by benign prostate enlargement (known as 'BPH'), as are 80 per cent of men in their 80s. One in eight men are also at some stage affected by prostatitis, an often painful inflammation of the prostate frequently caused by a bacterial infection.
Ignorance
A major obstacle to tackling prostate problems is men's ignorance of this troublesome body part. A just-published MORI opinion poll found that six out of 10 men are unable to identify correctly the possible early warning signs of prostate cancer or have some degree of misunderstanding about them. Just one in eight men knows what the prostate gland does and 20 per cent believe it's located in the testes. Perhaps it's not surprising, therefore, that so many men put off seeking medical advice about their prostate for far too long.
Treatment problems
Yet even if they do see their doctors, men may not find the help they are hoping for. Prostatitis is often resistant to even long-term antibiotic therapy and the drugs most used to treat benign enlargements frequently have no more than a small effect on symptoms. A survey of 565 men with BPH and prostatitis by The Men's Prostate Health Project found that over half the men led a more restricted social life because of their condition while 70 per cent said their sex life had been damaged.
Many also experienced depression, sleep and work problems as well as difficulties with relationships and parenting. Many also reported that GPs and urologists were unwilling to respond to early symptoms, did not always carry out sufficient tests to make an accurate diagnosis, gave conflicting advice or made unnecessary or ineffective interventions. Some men were told, incorrectly, that prostate trouble was related to their age and they would simply have to 'learn to live with it.'
Cancer: doctors divided
More seriously, doctors are currently divided about the best way to treat prostate cancer that has not spread to other parts of the body. Some favour removing the prostate gland altogether ('radical prostatectomy') while others prefer radiotherapy. (Radiotherapy can be provided either by means of an external beam or through a new type of treatment called brachytherapy. This involves permanently implanting radioactive seeds into the prostate to concentrate radiation on the affected areas.) Because it's impossible to tell which tumours will grow quickly and which will grow slowly, many doctors alternatively advise 'watching and waiting' until the prognosis becomes clearer.
While there may often be good medical arguments for delaying treatment until it becomes clearer whether the cancer is aggressive or not, this is a difficult course of action for any patient. After all, anyone who is told they have cancer will probably be very worried and understandably expect some sort of active medical intervention. On the other hand, active treatment runs a significant risk of complications and side-effects such as incontinence, bowel problems and erectile dysfunction (impotence). Whatever the treatment, only 49 per cent of men with prostate cancer are still alive five years after their diagnosis.
The screening debate
There is also no scientific consensus about the effectiveness of prostate cancer screening for men without any symptoms of the disease. First, the initial tests for prostate cancer - digital rectal examination (where the doctor feels the prostate with his or her finger) and the PSA (prostate specific antigen) blood test - are not very accurate.
Secondly, if these tests suggest they might be a problem, the only way to be sure cancer is present is to have a biopsy. That involves removing a sample of the prostate for laboratory analysis. This is not always as straightforward as it sounds and can produce side-effects including infections that require treatment with antibiotics.
Thirdly, even if cancer is detected, there is then the problem of deciding the best way of managing the disease. It is difficult for doctors to be sure that the best course of action is to remove the prostate or to use radiotherapy - because of the risk of side-effects of both procedures - when the cancer is not actually causing any problems and may in fact grow very slowly.
Causes unknown
And doctors do not yet know what causes prostate cancer, BPH or many cases of prostatitis. Prostate cancer and BPH may be linked to diets high in animal fats, although this has not been proved conclusively, and there may be a genetic factor as both conditions can run in families. Because the causes are not yet clear, it is impossible to advise men about how to reduce their risk.
While bacterial prostatitis is known to be caused by bacteria from the gut or sexually transmitted infections (e.g. chlamydia or gonorrhoea), non-bacterial prostatitis and a related condition called prostatodynia are less well understood. Possible causes include the increased stickiness of prostatic secretions or urine being forced into the prostate gland because of an abnormal emptying of the bladder. Prostatodynia has also been linked to stress.
A low priority?
The problems with prostate disease of all types largely reflect the low priority given to men's health - between 1993 and 1998, the Government spent just £265,000 on prostate cancer research, according to the Prostate Cancer Charity - and the fact that men themselves have been slow to demand improvements. There has not been much protest about the prostate.
There are signs of change, however. This week, the Department of Health announced that £6 million will be provided over the next five years to develop two centres of excellence for prostate cancer research. The centres, to be based in London and Newcastle, will carry out work to develop better screening and diagnostics for prostate cancer. The Government is also currently assessing the feasibility of a large-scale national trial of prostate cancer screening involving up to 200,000 men.
In the next month or so, the Department of Health intends to provide more information for men without any symptoms of prostate problems who are considering being tested for prostate cancer. This is to ensure that they are aware of all the implications of the tests so that they can make an informed choice about whether to proceed. There is evidence from the USA that when men understand more about what is involved, a significant proportion decide against being tested.
Health charities, such as the Institute of Cancer Research and the Imperial Cancer Research Fund, are doing more to publicise the symptoms of prostate cancer and to encourage men who believe they might be affected to see their doctors. The Men's Health Forum is currently investigating how the workplace can be used to increase men's awareness of prostate health.
There is, however, still a long way to go before prostate problems - sometimes with good reason referred to as 'cinderfella' diseases - receive the attention they undoubtedly deserve from individual men, the medical profession and the Government.
Although not technically part of your urinary system, the prostate gland is important to your urinary health. That's because the prostate surrounds the top portion of the tube that carries urine from your bladder (urethra). Normally, the location of the prostate gland isn't a problem. But infection or inflammation can cause the gland to swell, squeezing the urethra and affecting your ability to urinate. That's exactly what happens in prostatitis, although the cause of the inflammation depends on the type of prostatitis you have.
Acute bacterial prostatitis
Bacteria normally found in your urinary tract or large intestine cause this type of prostatitis. Most commonly, acute prostatitis originates in the prostate, but occasionally the infection spreads from a bladder or urethral infection.
Chronic bacterial prostatitis
It's not entirely clear what causes a chronic bacterial infection. Sometimes bacteria remain in the prostate following acute prostatitis. Catheter tubes used to drain the urinary bladder, trauma to the urinary system or infections in other parts of the body can be the source of the bacteria.
Chronic nonbacterial prostatitis
Researchers don't know the exact cause of the two types of chronic nonbacterial prostatitis, although they have a number of theories about possible triggers of the conditions, including:
Other infectious agents. Some experts believe nonbacterial prostatitis may be caused by an infectious agent that doesn't show up in standard laboratory tests.
Heavy lifting. Lifting heavy objects when your bladder is full may cause urine to back up into your prostate.
Certain occupations. Occupations that subject your prostate to strong vibrations, such as driving a truck or operating heavy machinery, may play a role.
Physical activity. Although regular exercise, especially jogging or biking, is great for the rest of your body, it may irritate your prostate gland.
Pelvic muscle spasm. Urinating in an uncoordinated fashion with the sphincter muscle not relaxed may lead to high pressure in the prostate and subsequent symptoms.
Structural abnormalities of the urinary tract. Narrowings (strictures) of your urethra may elevate pressure during urination and cause symptoms.
How can anyone follow that. Thanks for the two points.
I was gonna say that Stephen...
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