Diagnosing Prostate Problems

The prostate is a small gland that produces semen in your body. It typically enlarges as you age, causing symptoms in your lower urinary tract because it's located below the bladder. Now, some symptoms are minorly irritating, while others can be serious. So, how can you tell when to seek help for prostate problems? This is what you need to know.

Detecting prostate problems

Varying prostate problems share common symptoms, including:

• Urgency, or the frequent urge to urinate
• Getting up at night to urinate (nocturia)
• Hematuria, or blood in the urine
• Burning or pain upon urination
• Painful ejaculation
• Lower back pain, hip, pelvis, rectal and/or thigh pain or stiffness
• Difficulties with urinary flow

Be sure to mention any of these symptoms to your healthcare provider. Getting a complete picture of your health can help narrow down the cause of your prostate problems.

Diagnosing prostate conditions

Many conditions affecting your prostate present with similar symptoms. Some causes to consider include:

• Benign prostatic hyperplasia, (BPH). What is BPH? This condition describes prostate enlargement that's not caused by cancer. It can be treated with medication, changes to your diet and lifestyle, or with PAE treatment in Texas.
• Acute or chronic prostatitis, a bacterial infection of the prostate that usually requires treatment with antibiotics.  
• Prostate cancer

By providing your physician with a complete description of your symptoms, and by seeking prompt medical care, diagnosing BPH, an infection or cancer should be simple. And, when BPH is causing prostate problems, simply request a consultation with the Texas Prostate Institute, where we can review your candidacy for minimally invasive, non-surgical Prostate Artery Embolization.