Everything You Need to Know About Your Prostate

[Guest Post by Dr David Juan].  

Thursday, May 10th, 2012 Bladder, Men’s Health, Prostate by Dr. David Juan

Here I introduce one of the most common conditions — perhaps the most common — to strike older men. When a man develops an enlarged prostate, causing pain and urination problems, there are few things more uncomfortable.

In order to appreciate potential remedies, you need to know a little bit about the anatomy of the urinary tract and, in particular, the prostate gland.

As shown in the diagram, the prostate gland is closely associated with the urinary system and the male reproductive system.

It is a walnut-sized gland that produces the liquid part of semen.

The prostate gland is located just beneath the bladder where your urine is stored and in front of the rectum. Like a donut, it encircles a section of the urethra, which is the tube that carries urine from your bladder through the penis.

The male testicles, in addition to producing sperm, also produce testosterone, which has an important role in controlling the growth and function of the prostate gland.

Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is one of the most common medical disorders in aging males. It is estimated that in men aged 40-60 years old, the incidence of BPH is between 50%-60%. In those over 80 years old, it’s as high as 90%. In the U.S., treatment of BPH accounts for over two million physician office visits and more than 300,000 surgical procedures were performed a year before the drug industry discovered pill possibilities.

BPH is most likely due to a hormonal imbalance within the prostatic cells leading to abnormal growth. On account of the capsule surrounding the prostate gland, most of the growth is inward, thus compressing the urethra, causing symptoms of Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). This is why many men may experience difficulty when urinating.

Symptoms include:

– Urgency and frequency to urinate

– Post-void dribbling

– Incomplete emptying of the bladder

– Pain with urination

– Waking up several times at night to go to the bathroom

– Decreased force and flow of the urine stream

– Urinary hesitancy

What Helps?

There is evidence that a natural herb, Saw Palmetto, inhibits the 5-AR enzyme and interferes with the binding of testosterone and DHT to androgen receptors in the prostatic cells. Saw palmetto has also been shown to shut down inflammation that contributes to the enlarged prostate.

Of the 20 amino acids we all need to survive, the human body only produces 10. Men and women must rely on food to get the other 10 and because we don’t always eat right, supplementing is a smart way to ensure the body has the ingredients it needs for  a healthy prostate and normal gland function.   

Author’s Bio:

Dr David Juan, MD has a distinguished reputation as an authority on nutrition, vitamin D and calcium metabolism, hormones, and medical research. His 30 years of clinical experience, 12 years of medical school teaching experience, and medical degree from the University of Pennsylvania give Dr Juan a leading edge in his expertise. He is well versed in both traditional and alternative medicine and has written and researched breakthrough papers on a variety of medical subjects. Dr Juan is currently on the staff of a holistic pain relief centre in San Francisco and he lends his experience to The Vitamin Doctor.

See more at: http://www.doctorshealthpress.com   

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