A useful article / talk on Benign
Prostate Hyperplasia (BPH) or in simple terms, Enlarged Prostate. Diet is the
most important part of this talk which is something within our control; and it
works.
The Prostate Gland and its effect on us (men only). (Read it and apply, esp the part on diet.
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Gentlemen,
I am here to speak with you on
Prostate. The topic is misleading.
Is prostate strictly for men? Yes, ONLY men
have prostate and ONLY men over 40 years but the healthcare enlightenment is
for everyone. There is no woman who does not know a man 40 years and above,
father, uncle, brother, son, friend, neighbour, colleague...
Essentially what I will be doing
today is health promotion. Responsible health promotion must provide three
things:
1. Information
2. Reassurance
3. A plan of action.
Let me start with a background on
prostate health.
Everyone has a pair of kidneys. The
job of the kidney is to remove waste. It is the LAWMA (waste management
company) of your body. Everyday your blood passes through the kidney several
times to be filtered. As the blood is filtered, urine is formed and stored in a
temporary storage tank called the urinary bladder.
If there were to be no urinary
bladder, as a man walks on the road, urine will be dropping.
Now think of the plumbing work in
your house. Think of the urinary bladder as the overhead storage tank. From the
storage tank, a good plumber will run pipes to other parts of the house,
including the kitchen. God in His wisdom ran pipes from our urinary bladder to
the tip of the penis. The pipe is called the urethra. Just below the bladder
and surrounding the urethra is a little organ called the prostate gland.
The prostate gland is the size of a
walnut and weighs about 20grams. Its job is to make the seminal fluid which is
stored in the seminal vesicle. During sexual intercourse, seminal fluid comes
down the urethra and mixes with the sperms produced in the testicles to form
the semen. So semen technically is not sperm. It is sperm + seminal fluid. The
seminal fluid lubricates the sperm..
After age 40, for reasons that may be
hormonal, the prostate gland begins to enlarge. From 20 grams it may grow to
almost 100 grams. As it enlarges, it squeezes the urethra and the man begins to
notice changes in the way he urinates.
If you have a son under 10, if he has
a little mischief like we all did at that age, when he comes out to urinate, he
can target the ceiling and the jet will hit target. Call his father to do same,
wahala dey. His urine stream is weak, cannot travel a long distance and sometimes
may come straight down on his legs.. So he may need to stand in awkward
position to urinate.
Not many men will be worried their
urine stream cannot hit the ceiling. Toilets are on the floor and not on the
ceiling. But other symptoms begin to show.
TERMINAL DRIPPLING:
The man begins to notice that after
urinating and repacking, urine still drops on his pants. This is the reason why
after an older man urinates, he has to ring bell. A younger man simply delivers
to the last drop and walks away. Just see an older man coming from the
bathroom. Sometimes he may clutch the newspaper closely to hide the urine
stains, particularly on plain colored trousers.
HESISTANCY
At this point you wait longer for the
urine flow to start. There are 2 valves that must open for you to urinate – the
internal and external sphincters. Both open but because of obstructions in the
urethra, you wait longer for the flow to start.
INCOMPLETE EMPTYING
You have this feeling immediately
after urinating that there is still something left.
As all these things happen, the
bladder begins to work harder to compensate for the obstruction in the urethra.
The frequency of urination goes up. Urgency sets in. Sometimes you have to
practically run into the toilet. Nocturia also becomes common. You wake up more
than 2 times at night to urinate. Your wife begins to complain.
Men being men may not talk to anyone
even at this point. Then the more serious complications start.
Stored urine gets infected and there
may be burning sensation when urinating.
Stored urine forms crystals. Crystals
come together to form stone either in the bladder or in the kidney. Stones may
block the urethra.
Chronic urinary retention sets in.
The bladder stores more and more urine. The size of the bladder is 40 - 60cl. A
bottle of coke is 50cl. As the bladder stores more urine it can enlarge up to
300cl. An overfilled bladder may leak and this leads to wetting / urinary
incontinence. Also the volume may put pressure on the kidney and may lead to
kidney damage.
What may likely bring the man to
hospital is acute urinary retention. He wakes up one day and he is not able to
pass urine.
Everything I have described above is
associated with prostate enlargement, technically called benign prostate
hyperplasia.
There are other diseases of the
prostate like:
1. Prostatitis – inflammation of the
prostate
2. Prostate cancer – cancer of the
prostate.
This discussion is on prostate
enlargement.
I have bad news and good news.
The bad news is that everyman will
have prostate enlargement if he lives long enough.
The good news is that there are life
style changes that can help the man after 40 to maintain optimum prostate
health.
NUTRITION
Look at what you eat. 33% of all
cancers, according to the US National Cancer Institute is related to what we
eat..
Red meat everyday triples your
chances of prostate disease. Milk everyday doubles your risk. Not taking fruits
/ vegetables daily quadruples your risk.
Tomatoes are very good for men. If
that is the only thing your wife can present in the evening, eat it with joy..
It has loads of lycopene. Lycopene is the most potent natural antioxidant..
Foods that are rich in zinc are also
good for men. We recommend pumpkin seeds (ugbogulu).
Zinc is about the most essential
element for male sexuality and fertility.
Men need more zinc than women. Every
time a man ejaculates he loses 15mg of zinc. Zinc is also important for alcohol
metabolism. Your liver needs zinc to metabolize alcohol.
ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION
As men begin to have urinary symptoms
associated with prostate enlargement, it is important they look at alcohol
consumption. More fluid in means more fluid out.
Drink less. Drink slowly.
EXERCISE
Exercise helps build the muscle tone.
Every man should exercise. Men over 40 should avoid high impact exercise like
jogging. It puts pressure on the knees. Cycling is bad news for the prostate.
We recommend brisk walking.
SITTING
When we sit, two-third of our weight
rests on the pelvic bones. Men who sit longer are more prone to prostate
symptoms. Do not sit for long hours. Walk around as often as you can. Sit on
comfortable chairs. We recommend a divided saddle chair if you must sit long
hours.
DRESSING
Men should avoid tight underwear. It
impacts circulation around the groin and heats it up a bit. While the
physiological temperature is 37 degrees, the groin has an optimal temperature
of about 33 degrees. Pant is a no - no for men. Wear boxers. Wear
breathable clothing.
SMOKING
Avoid smoking. It affects blood
vessels and impact circulation around the groin.
SEX
Regular sex is good for the prostate.
Celibates are more prone to
prostate illness. While celibacy is a moral decision, it is not a biological
adaptation. Your prostate gland is designed to empty its contents regularly.
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Thought: when someone shared
something of value with you and benefit from it. You have a moral obligation to
share it with others because someone in your friends list might be saved.
Even if you are busy, you should look at this message and pass it on to others!
THE LEMON - ADVANTAGES OF ITS USE
"Pieces of lemon in a glass of
hot water can save you for the rest of your life," says Professor Chen
Horin, Chief Executive of the Beijing Military Hospital.
Hot lemons can kill cancer cells!
Cut the lemon into three pieces and
place it in a cup, then pour hot water, it will become (alkaline water), drink
it every day will certainly benefit everyone ..
Hot lemons can once again release an
anti-cancer drug.
Hot lemon juice has an effect on
cancerous tumors and
has shown treatment for all types of
cancer.
Treatment with this extract will only
destroy the malignant cells and will not affect healthy cells.
Second: The acids and mono-carboxylic
acid in lemon juice can regulate hypertension and protect narrow arteries,
adjust blood circulation and reduce blood clotting.
After reading, tell someone else and
pass it on to someone you love and take care of your personal health.
Advice: Professor Chen Horin points out that
anyone who has received this letter is at least guaranteed to save someone's
life ... I have done my part, I hope you will help me to spread it too.
(SOURCE : VIA E-MAIL FROM BB GHAi)
