Symptoms of Prostate

The prostate diseases are more common among males, especially in men over 50. Early identification of prostate symptoms is important for a patient to seek timely medical help.



The prostate is a gland only males have, located just below the bladder and in front of a rectum (see the illustration). The prostate surrounds the beginning of the urethra, the tube, like a tunnel in a mountain, that conveys urine from the bladder to the penis.

The prostate has a size of approximately 3 cm in diameter and weighs 15-20 grams. It's a part of the male reproductive system and is responsible for secreting a fluid that protects sperm from the acidic environment of the vagina and increases its mobility, helping the arrival of the same egg.


The three main prostate diseases - prostate cancer, benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and prostatitis - cause similar symptoms, which are induced by person's anatomical features.

Any increase in prostate volume is enough to cause compression of the urethra, leading to the most common symptoms, such as a weak urine stream and difficulty in starting to urinate.

The compression of the urethra is also responsible for another very common symptom - a nocturia, which is the need to urinate several times at night. A patient needs to urinate during the night because he can not completely empty the bladder, causing it to be filled more quickly. When the bladder is full it can have the strength to overcome the obstruction caused by an enlarged prostate. However, when the amount of urine begins to decrease, there is no longer enough pressure to overcome this barrier and the patient cannot urinate even though he has some amount of urine in the bladder.

Other common symptoms of compression of the urethra are a sudden need to urinate, difficulty in starting to urinate and interruptions in the middle of urination. All of these symptoms described above fit the term prostatism. Most patients with prostatism is hyperplasia of the prostate cancer diagnosis, but must always be disposed.

The prostate growth can cause a total obstruction of the urethra, leading to urinary retention. When urine can not be drained from the bladder, it comes back to kidneys, which is called hydronephrosis. This is a complication that causes kidney failure, and, if not cured in time, it can develop into permanent damage to kidneys.

Another common symptom is dysuria, painful or burning urination. Sexual impotence can also be caused by diseases of the prostate.

Despite the similarities in symptoms, there is some information that can help us distinguish one disease from others. For example, prostate cancer and BPH is a disease of older people, while prostatitis may affect young people. Prostatitis usually comes with a fever and pelvic pain as well.

Prostate cancer can be "tricky" and grow silently. Depending on the site that comes up, the tumor can grow in the opposite direction to the urethra, causing no compression of the latter. In these cases there are no symptoms until advanced stages of the disease.

The digital rectal examination is important because it is able to distinguish, in many cases, the prostatic hyperplasia from prostate cancer. Hyperplasia of the prostate enlarges seamlessly, whereas in cancer a common node palpation of a hard point in the prostate is observed.

If the patient does screening tests for prostate cancer, it will only be possible to discover prostate cancer when there are symptoms of metastases. The most common ones are bone pain.

All patients with prostate changes symptoms should consult a doctor. The PSA associated with the digital rectal examination and prostate ultrasonography are essential for correct diagnosis. When there is suspicion of cancer, prostate biopsy is indicated.