Home | Health & Fitness | Cancer
Many men are struck with misery over the thought of taking a prostate exam, but they have to deal with the fact that it is essential in evaluating a man’s health. The American Cancer Society states that it is advisable for men over 50 to go through a prostate exam once a year. In other place such as Europe, once in four years is enough, but it is recommended that each available prostate exam be taken, including the traditional digital rectal examination (DRE), the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test, and the transrectal ultrasound (TRUS). The more traditional prostate exam is the digital rectal examination. It is a fast and simple procedure that involves the doctor inserting a finger into the patient’s rectum, usually much to the poor man’s embarrassment, to feel the rear surface of the prostate for irregularities. Should the patient be experiencing prostate symptoms, it is likely that the gland is enlarged and a prostate exam is the thing to confirm it. An enlarged gland may point to a variety of diseases, including cancer. Cancer usually does not produce prostate symptoms until the tumor has grown to a size that causes the gland to press against the urethra thus creating urinary problems. The adult male is advised to take a prostate exam. Older men may be more prone to prostate diseases, but younger men also get them. Despite the absence of prostate symptoms, it is always worthwhile to check the health of the prostate. A digital rectal exam is something like the internal examinations that women have to undergo. Women are more used to them since their reproductive organs are internal. To experience less discomfort during the process, the patient should take deep breaths and relax. Tension would only tighten muscles and cause difficulties. The PSA test is the prostate exam that screens the blood for PSA levels. PSA is a substance produced by the prostate. It is mostly found in semen, but the blood also holds a small percentage. The ordinary PSA level indicating a healthy prostate is under 4 nanograms per milliliter of blood. A higher finding may mean trouble, including the possibility of cancer. The transrectal ultrasound creates an image of the prostate from the echoes that sound waves produce. Everything can be seen on a computer screen. This prostate exam is usually not for detecting abnormalities, rather this is a tool used to guide biopsies. Each prostate exam has problems in accuracy. Perhaps this is the reason why taking them together is recommended in other places. Each one supplies what the other one is missing. Do not wait for prostate symptoms to occur as they are not essential to the detection of a disease. Each man should keep his prostate healthy and consult the doctor as soon as trouble is imminent.
Article Source: http://www.rightarticle.com
Here's some important information on high blood pressure causes. Or give me 5 minutes and I'll show you life saving prostate symptoms information at prostate-authority.com/.
Please Rate this Article
5 out of 54 out of 53 out of 52 out of 51 out of 5
Not yet Rated
Powered by Article Dashboard