Prostate is a male reproductive gland. It is known to produce a fluid which carries sperm during the process of ejaculation. An enlarged prostate, as the name signifies, is an additional growth of this gland. It is a problem that is known to occur with age. There are many myths that are often attached to it as mentioned here.
Prostate problem occurs to those who are above 50
Although prostate problems are more common in older men, but it is also a fact that one can develop prostate problems at any age. 50 years of age is just the point where the risk of developing prostate problem is much more than the younger men. However, we will like to make it clear that age is not a demarcation line, it is just a risk factor. There are several other factors which increase the risk of enlarged prostate, such as lack of exercise and poor diet. So, you need to understand that you don’t get immune to prostate enlargement just because of the fact that you are under 50. On the other hand, prostatitis is another medical condition associated with prostate gland which in particular affects men of all ages. It is an infection of the prostate caused by bacteria. In fact, men younger than 50 are more prone to it.Prostate enlargement is caused by sexual activity
Sexual activity cannot be held responsible for the enlargement of prostate, there is practically no link between enlarged prostate and the fact that whether you are sexually active or not. Till date, no such evidence is known to exist which supports this view. Sexual activity decreases as a man grows older, also older men are more prone to prostate enlargement, and that is why sexual activity has always been linked with enlarged prostate. Other than this, there is one other factor which has fueled this myth. Although there is no link between sex and prostate enlargement, but some other prostate infections do have a link. It is a fact that diseases which are sexually transmittable, such as gonorrhea may lead to the infection in the prostate gland. Because of this, people started believing that even the enlargement in prostate is caused by sexual activity.Prostate enlargement leads to cancerOne of the most popular myths linked with prostate enlargement is that prostate enlargement leads to cancer. However, this is completely a baseless assumption as no scientific evidence supports this view which means that it is not necessary that you are not going to end up having prostate cancer if you have enlarged prostate. This myth came into existence because some of the men who were diagnosed with enlarged prostate were also found to have cancer. The fact that they also have cancer was highlighted when they underwent operations to relieve their symptoms of prostate enlargement. Some people also believe that they won’t get prostate cancer if they do not have enlarged prostate, but you need to understand that neither enlarged prostate leads to cancer nor it is prerequisite for cancer. That is, you can contract prostate cancer even if you do not have enlarged prostate. BPH is just a medical condition signified by the enlargement of the prostate gland which is a consequence of the overproduction of testosterone. Prostate enlargement or BPH can be annoying, but it is not life threatening. In fact, the B in the BPH stands for benign that means ‘genial and kindly’.BPH can lead to more problems
Another popular myth associated with BPH or enlarged prostate is that it can cause further problems. But, studies have shown that BPH does not necessarily lead to more prostate problems. Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) or enlarged prostate is simply the enlargement of prostate gland which is caused by the overproduction of the hormone testosterone. Also, no evidence exists which can prove the link between BPH and other more serious prostate problems. If you already have BPH and some other symptoms arise, then they may be because of something else.Having surgery for BPH might have an added advantage of preventing prostate cancer
Surgery is often considered to be the best solution for enlarged prostate and that is why most doctors will suggest a surgery as soon as possible once you have been diagnosed with BPH. This is a common belief that surgery for treating enlarged prostate also lowers the risk of getting prostate cancer. However, this opinion is nothing more than a myth. This is because only the inner part of the prostate gland is removed or destroyed in the surgical procedures used for BPH and cancer usually develops in the outer part. So, there is no way that the risk for getting prostate cancer can be lowered by having a surgery.BPH should always be medically treated
Medical treatment is quite effective in getting relief from the symptoms of BPH but that does not make it a necessity. If you do not experience any bothersome symptoms even if you have been diagnosed with BPH, then you don’t need to have any treatment. The treatment is mainly opted just to get relief from the symptoms, and obviously if the symptoms are not bothering you then there is no need to rush for the medical treatment. But in most of the cases, a person diagnosed with BPH will experience some annoying and troublesome symptoms such as frequent urination. In such cases, you can choose to have a medical treatment. Other than this, a thorough medical diagnosis also helps in ruling out the chances of prostate cancer and other serious conditions.You can do nothing to relieve BPH symptoms.
Sometimes, the symptoms associated with enlarged prostate turn out to be quite irritating and troublesome. But, if you are of the opinion that there is nothing that can be done to relieve these symptoms, then you are certainly mistaken. There are a number of ways with the help of which you can relieve the symptoms of BPH. In fact, you can sometimes ease these symptoms simply by avoiding certain food products such as red meat and a diet high in fat. You should also avoid drinks with caffeine. Also, a number of medications are available which can relieve you from the symptoms of BPH.
