What is the Prostate Gland?

Prostate Gland

The prostate is a gland in men located at the neck of the bladder and urethra (the tube through which urine and semen pass on the way out of the body). It’s about the size of a grain of rice when you are born, and by the time you’re in your twenties it’s about the size and shape of a chestnut. Starting at puberty, the gland produces a milky fluid that mixes with semen during ejaculation.

Benign Prostatic Hypertrophy (BPH)

The prostate stays about the same size until you reach the age when some male hormones begin to decline (in most men, in their fifties), and the prostate begins to grow again. This is called benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH).

Symptoms of Prostate Gland Enlargement

If the gland grows too much, it begins to pinch the urethra, interfering with urination. Symptoms of an enlarged prostate can include dribbling, a decrease in size of the stream during urination, frequent or difficult urination, and chronic discomfort in the abdominal area.

Source: Earl Mindell, RPh, PhD with Virginia Hopkins, MA; Prescription Alternatives (Bottom Lines), p. 389

Helpful Articles on Prostate:

• » Prostate Gland Enlargement Symptoms

  Prostate gland enlargement varies in severity among men and doesn’t always pose a problem. Only about half the men with prostate gland enlargement experience signs and symptoms that become noticeable or bothersome enough for them to seek medical treatment. These signs and symptoms may include…
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• » Prostate Problems

  Over 20 percent of all American men over the age of 50 will develop prostate problems of some kind, and one in 11 will develop prostate cancer. By the time they are 70, over 50 percent of American men will have an enlarged prostate gland…
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