Diseases of the prostate

The most common diseases are benign prostatic hyperplasia, prostate cancer and acute or chronic prostatitis.

Benign prostatic hyperplasia (benign prostate enlargement). Beginning at puberty, the prostate experiences a progressive increase in size due to the action of the sexual hormones until it reaches 15-20 grams.From the age of 35, benign growth begins in the zone of the prostate closest to the urethra or the emptying point of the bladder; this process is known as benign prostatic hyperplasia, or BPH.Prostate enlargement can obstruct normal urine flow, narrowing the passage of urine through the neck of the bladder and/or the prostatic urethra.In addition, another factor also contributes to obstruction: an increase in the tension of the muscle fibers that surround the neck of the bladder and the first section of the prostatic urethra like a ring. BPH affects approximately 50% of males between 51 and 60 years of age, increasing to 90% in males 80 years of age, but only results in significant symptoms in 30% of them.

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