Prostate (diseases)

The following diseases are distinguished:

Prostate inflammation (prostatitis)

Inflammation of the prostate, for example, can occur when certain substances from the urine or bacteria enter the tissue of the gland. Thus, depending on the cause, an abacterial from a bacterial prostatitis will differ. Both manifestations are manifested by symptoms such as frequent urge to urinate and pain when urinating. Furthermore, pain can occur throughout the abdomen, during sexual intercourse and during bowel movements. Often, inflammation is also accompanied by fever and a general feeling of illness.

Prostate enlargement (benign prostatic hyperplasia, BPH)

In Germany, more than a quarter of all men over the age of 50 are affected by prostate enlargement. In benign prostatic hyperplasia, although this enlargement is benign, it often causes problems with urination, as the enlargement presses on the urethra and constricts it. In the worst case, dangerous urinary retention can occur in advanced stages.

Prostate cancer

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men in Germany. Although there are very good chances of recovery if the disease is diagnosed early enough, this is often not the case. Often symptoms occur only in an advanced stage and the carcinoma is discovered late. That is why early detection and prevention are of particular importance.

Symptoms

• Miction disorders such as painful urination, urinary compulsion – Stranguria
• Difficult, disturbed bladder emptying – Dysuria
• Feeling of pressure on the dam or in the lower abdomen
• Pain in ejaculatory effusion
• Back pain, especially in the area of coccyx or lumbar vertebrae
• Problems with bowel movements
• Blood in urine or seminal fluid
• Erection problems

Risk factors

The exact causes that lead to prostate cancer have not yet been fully understood.

A major risk factor, however, is certainly age. At least 80 percent of all men affected have already reached the age of 60. According to medical estimates, more than 60 percent of men in this age group have an early form of prostate cancer. In most cases, this remains small and does not require any treatment.

In addition to increasing age, the male hormone testosterone has a decisive influence. Men who do not produce testosterone (for example, after testicular removal) are less likely to develop enlargements of the prostate. There is evidence that dihydrotestosterone, which is formed from the male sex hormone testosterone, is involved in the development of benign prostatic hyperplasia.

Apparently there is also a family predisposition to the disease: If there are already cases of benign prostate enlargement in the nearby relationship, the own risk of illness increases.

Risk factors such as a high-fat diet, lack of exercise or alcohol and nicotine consumption are also suspected as risk factors.

Urine diagnostics

• Monitoring of miction parameters (quantity, pressure, duration of urinate). In uroflowmetry, the doctor measures the strength of the urinary ray (ml per second), the amount of urination (ml) and the miction time (seconds)
• Measurement of erythrocytes (blood) in urine – hematuria
• In addition, there are several urine marker tests for prostate cancer on the market or still in development/clinical testing. However, the benefits of these marker tests have not yet been fully clarified.

Therapy

Whether benign prostate enlargement is related to various dietary factors is the subject of research. However, it is not yet possible to deduce specific dietary rules.