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Natural Health News Articles
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| Posted: 8th August 2004 |
| Benign Prostate Hyperplasia |
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Commonly, men over the age of 50 can suffer from benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). This is the benign enlargement of the prostate gland that can make urination painful and difficult. Men with benign prostatic hypertrophy can have difficulties with the starting of a urinary stream, or problems with an intermittent stream.
Many men confuse benign prostatic hyperplasia with prostate cancer believing it is the beginning stages of prostate cancer. However this is not true and the diseases are very different. As men grow older, from about age 30, the inner portions of the prostate gland slowly enlarge which ultimately by the age of fifty to sixty results in benign prostatic hypertrophy. Prostatic cancer tends not to effect the inner portion but the outer portion of the gland.
Both diseases are hard to distinguish from each other since they share some of the same symptoms and sometimes they can both exist at the same time. It is best to see your physician for an exam whenever you have any symptoms. The symptoms noted most commonly with prostate cancer are:
• pain or a burning sensation when urinating
• difficulty in urination or a weak or interrupted urine flow
• pain in the lower back, upper thighs or pelvis that is relatively constant.
If you notice any of these symptoms see your doctor as soon as possible for a physical exam. If he feels it is indicated he may order diagnostic tests which will help him distinguish benign prostatic hyperplasia from prostatic carcinoma.
Preventing Prostate Cancer
It is increasingly recognized that diet plays a role in prostate cancer, a disease that affects one in eight men. For optimal health, it's important to exercise regularly and eat according to Canada's Food Guide, which recommends lots of fruits and vegetables, many of which contain the antioxidant selenium.
"Antioxidants help neutralize the influence of free-radical oxygen molecules which can cause cell damage that can lead to prostate cancer," said John Blanchard, President of the Prostate Cancer Research Foundation of Canada. |
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