Men seek less preventive health care and do not pay attention to their health. Early disease identification increases the likelihood of more effective treatment. Therefore, regular medical evaluation and prevention tests should be part of a man’s routine.
Men with urinary symptoms (over 50), such as inadequate urine stream, pain urinating, or inadequate emptying of the bladder, should ask their urologist to examine the problem. When there are Prostate Cancer cases in the family, this search for urological medical evaluation must occur earlier, approximately 40/45 years.
Some men with these symptoms can be treated with medications and lifestyle changes. These include medicines for prostate problems and lifestyle changes such as drinking fewer fluids and urinating more frequently. Other men may need surgery, which can consist of prostate removal or insertion of a urinary catheter. The only way to confirm a diagnosis is by getting a prostate exam with a doctor or urologist.
The first step is to confirm the underlying cause of the symptoms, such as benign prostatic hyperplasia, bladder stones, or prostate cancer. Physicians then prescribe appropriate treatments that can include medications and surgery.
Urinary symptoms may also occur in men with diabetes, irritable bowel syndrome, and urinary tract infection. Men with these conditions may need additional treatment for those complications.
However, the urinary symptoms mentioned above can be associated with other diseases, before-mentioned as a urinary or prostate infection or other benign disorders, such as Benign Prostate Hyperplasia.
The tests available do not yet allow the exact detection of the degree of aggressiveness of Prostate Cancer with current tests. The perfect exam would mark only the most aggressive tumors that need treatment.
The risk assessment of aggressive prostate cancer and the explanation of the risks and benefits of this investigation should be part of evaluating the health of men at risk.
In recent years, the number of men dying from prostate cancer has declined. This decrease is possibly also due to an earlier search for prostate cancer screening. For a proper evaluation, a rectal examination is essential.
In summary, men should be aware of their urological health (for other issues too). For this, they must do not smoke, sustain a healthy diet, be physically active, and consult their doctor regularly.
Other precautions, such as preventing sexually transmitted diseases and self-examination of the testicles and penis, are essential and should be regularly practiced.