What do I need to know about prostate health?

I know that prostate cancer is very common for older men and I'd like to know more about it, so that I can look after the man in my life (as I don't entirely trust him to look after himself!)

First - are there habits, exercises or foods that can improve the risks of having a problem?

Second -  what are perfectly normal signs of aging in men that are nothing to worry about and what symptoms could be more of a concern?

If anyone has experiences they would like to share that would be great, if you don't want to do it publicly please pm me and I can share anonymously to hopefully help others that might be worried.

The prostate and the bladder nestle together and are closely involved. As we age, the prostate usually grows and pushes on the bladder.

I'm 56. I pee more frequently and less volume than I did 20 years ago. Doc says it's expected and probably just the above. I guess some men don't start experiencing that until they're 70, but I'm not like a freak, just on the early side. I'm pretty comfortable just peeing on a tree or whatever, so the only impact this has on me is making me wake to urinate at night more than I used to. I also drink more water than most people, so that doesn't help.

I don't know anything about the worse stuff -- prostate cancer and whatever else.

anecdote: When I was 20, my GP told me I'd have to started getting a prostate exam (finger in the ass for manual inspection) when I turn 25. Then at 25 they told me the standard of care had changed and now they start that at 30. At 30 they said 40. At 40, 50. Now they say they only do that if it's indicated by symptoms or blood work or whatever. So I spent my life sort of dreading (or at least not looking forward to) the advent of the prostate exam and it never materialized. If I'd been five years older, I guess I'd have had a bunch of fingers up my butt that weren't really needed.

Things typically advised for men, to support prostate health include (but are not limited to, according to the doctors of my parental units and hubby):
Avoid carbonated drinks.
Ejaculation at least a couple times per week.
Empty the bladder completely, each time of urination.
Don't smoke.
Drink plenty of clear fluids.
Limit alcohol.

And have your PSA tested (blood test). This is the biggest indicator that you have a problem.
I have a blood test done each year, and I pay extra to have PSA tested. It is a good piece of mind

A common complexity is that frequent urination can also be a sign of diabetes.

I try to keep up with the general recommendations on prostate cancer, as my father died young of it (after chemical exposure) and a good friend of mine has been dealing with symptoms on and off for years.

The recommendations about blood levels and manual testing seem to change every year (not unlike breast cancer screenings). My husband finally got his first "finger" exam at age 50-ish and got blood testing maybe from age 40, but the doctor said that he shouldn't bother with blood testing or the manual test again for another few years in the absence of symptoms like frequent urination, feeling the need to empty the bladder but can't, etc.
As mentioned above, some of that comes with age, but the big concern seems to be if anything changes rapidly- sudden unusual peeing habits, blood in urine, etc. And anything that is problematic should be investigated, if only because life is too short to suffer in silence (and there may be solutions).

The big risk factors seem to be the same as everything else- lack of exercise, poor diet, lack of fiber, smoking, drinking. The only thing we do specifically for prostate is pumpkin seeds (zinc plus phytosterols): my husband eats oatmeal for breakfast every day and adds ground seeds to bump up his protein intake-- instead of just flax and chia for Omega acids we've added pumpkin too. I figure it can't hurt.

Like anything else, I think the big part is communication--- we have a rule in my house that nobody just ignores symptoms, we have an obligation to each other to not sweep stuff under the rug. We've had a few family members hide illness from their spouses to 'not worry' them and I've made it clear that is not going to fly here. If something is wrong, for the love of pete don't just ignore it. Does that mean we have awkward conversations sometimes? Oh yes indeed! But it gets easier the more you do it.

Nancy Reading wrote:I know that prostate cancer is very common for older men and I'd like to know more about it, so that I can look after the man in my life (as I don't entirely trust him to look after himself!)

First - are there habits, exercises or foods that can improve the risks of having a problem?

Second -  what are perfectly normal signs of aging in men that are nothing to worry about and what symptoms could be more of a concern?

If anyone has experiences they would like to share that would be great, if you don't want to do it publicly please pm me and I can share anonymously to hopefully help others that might be worried.

It's great that you're being proactive. From what I've read, maintaining a healthy weight, exercising regularly, eating plenty of fruits and vegetables, and limiting processed and red meat may help support overall prostate health. As men get older, it's common to notice a weaker urine stream or getting up more often at night, but symptoms like blood in the urine, pain, or sudden changes should definitely be checked by a doctor. Regular checkups and discussing PSA testing with a healthcare provider can also be worthwhile, especially if there's a family history. Wishing you and your partner all the best.

Lots of good advice here, and I'll back up the PSA testing.  My understanding is the prostate cancer is very treatable these days, but also pretty prevalent from age 80. Catching it early is a great benefit.

In a past career, I worked beside some very talented Urologists in an operating room whom I became good friends with over time. Some frequent conversations were about prostates and prostate health with some interesting findings.

As mentioned previously, as men age they tend to urinate more frequently. A very commonly experienced thing for men who discover they are having some form of prostate issue is frequent nighttime urges to go use the bathroom to the point that it is impairing decent quality sleep. It was not uncommon for patients to describe something along the lines of six trips (or more!) during the overnight hours to the loo. This can also come in the variation where the person experiences the urge to relive themselves but physically are unable.

Very recently, a good friend of mine confided that he was having issues going to the bathroom (either way) and after he went to the doctor discovered he appeared to have issues with his prostate. I want to emphasis that if someone is having the inability to urinate, this is an IMMEDIATE medical issue that needs to be addressed.

Now, when talking about the prostate a lot of people instantly think of cancer BUT that is not the only thing that can effect the prostate. Older men commonly have enlargement of the prostate gland just from age OR it could be a result of something like a bacterial infection. There are treatments out there if someone encounters issues but it is important to try and catch issues early on to be able to utilize the less invasive/intensive therapies that exist.

At sometime "we men" might be required to have a hernia or 2 removed,  I did at 80-ish.... (2)
I was in dread,  BUT, don't ignore, the new procedure is done by  robotics.... They make 2 small incisions around your beltline...
It takes part of a day....  If I remember correctly, the incision is covered with a couple of bandaids... You are released to go home and not lift anything over 10#.. lol...lol... For the first few days when you go to tinkle, it is like lifting 100#,  (don't laff girls, jr does put a strain on things)
After about 5 to 10 days, everything moves back to normal.... EXCEPT, do not try lifting anything over  10#...it's gonna hurt places you never knew you have ...
THAT'S MY STORY, AN I'M GONNA STICK WITH IT.....Joe B.

My husband found that saw palmetto was excellent for prostate health and it seriously reduced the number of times he would need to pee.

When it stopped working, it was the first sign that he'd developed bladder cancer.

Thanks everyone for some good advice! Pumpkin seeds ought to be easy to slip in to meals (particularly baked goods ) and are quite easy to get hold of. They're also rich in Magnesium, Zinc, Selenium, and contain healthy fats, soluble fibre, protein and prebiotics, so are a good thing to eat a daily dose of.


William Bronson's photo from the Fall decor pumpkin eating thread

Saw palmetto I had to look up: serenoa is an alternative name and when I saw the pictures on wikipedia I did think it looked like my Trachycarpus palm, and it is indeed in the Trachycarpus family!


A very old example of the silver variant, Largo, Florida wikipedia image by CoolGuySlate - Own work

Mine is a long way from fruiting though!

John F Dean wrote:A common complexity is that frequent urination can also be a sign of diabetes.

Also something that would be better found sooner rather than later!

I do talk to my husband about his health, but he looks after his cars better than himself and the edge between caring and nagging is thin! I'd quite like to persuade him to get a 'well man' checkup, and that in itself will be a challenge.