Prostate Issues!! Need Help!?!
Question: I recently found that my prostate is swollen, I am 34 years old and my Doc sent me to have a PSA blood test. I'm scared to death. I've researched this and know there is a possibility I have prostate cancer. if this things comes back clean, I promise to start taking care of my prostate, but have no idea how to do this. I have SO many questions.. should I stop masturbating?? can diet help? help!
Answers: I recently found that my prostate is swollen, I am 34 years old and my Doc sent me to have a PSA blood test. I'm scared to death. I've researched this and know there is a possibility I have prostate cancer. if this things comes back clean, I promise to start taking care of my prostate, but have no idea how to do this. I have SO many questions.. should I stop masturbating?? can diet help? help!
First, I am a cancer survivor -- 14 years. I know the fear and helplessness.
Second, the diagnosis isn't back yet. It's always better for your health to assume the BEST not the worst. Your body actually responds to you having a positive attitude. I know it's easy to say "don't worry," and I'm not going to do that. Look to the future, though. The chance that it is cancer is actually pretty low. Most of the time, an enlarged prostate is benign.
Thirdly, masturbating does not have negative effects on your prostate. There are so many, MANY taboos when it comes to masturbation, but it really is a health benefit, as long as it's not excessive. Up to once a day is fine, normal, healthy, good for you, etc.
Things that are damaging to the prostate would be rigorous prostate massage (you should look that up -- I'm uncomfortable describing it in detail if it's not obvious) and things of that nature. It is actually BETTER for the prostate for you to ejaculate fairly often (a couple times a week at minimum).
I have heard that the following foods can help protect against prostate cancer:
cauliflower, grapefruit, peanuts, tomatoes, watermelon
Foods that can protect against cancer in general:
apricots, beans, beets, blueberries, broccoli, cabbage, cantaloupe, carrots, cherries, chestnuts, chili peppers, figs, fish, garlic, grapes, green tea, lemons, limes, mangos, mushrooms, oats, olive oil, onions, oranges, peaches, rice, strawberries, sweet potatoes, walnuts, and plenty of water.
I am curious to know how you realized that you had a problem, though, if you don't mind my asking.
Best of luck, and try very hard to stay positive!
Try to calm down - OK? Your prostate could be (and probably is) swollen due to something (like an undiagnosed infection) other than cancer. Prostate cancer in younger men is quite uncommon and in your 30's it's rare. Supposedly the lycopenes in tomatoes and tomato products are very good for the prostate. As far a masturbating goes...keep at it - it will not harm things at all and may be good for your prostate. Most of all follow your Dr's advice...if he/she is not concerned, you don't need to be concerned either. If you PSA comes back somewhat elevated and there is no sign of an undiagnosed infection, your Dr. may want to take some biopsy samples to get a better idea of what is going on. For now, just try to stay calm.
My friend this happens to alot of males in our age bracket you should be concerned but don't worry yourself excessively its pretty common.
My Dr. said to keep the pipes cleaned out so masterbating is really a good thing to do
Although I'm not a doctor, I seem to recall that heredity plays a big role. Here's Wikipedia's Information:
Prostate cancer is a disease in which cancer develops in the prostate, a gland in the male reproductive system. It occurs when cells of the prostate mutate and begin to multiply out of control. These cells may spread (metastasize) from the prostate to other parts of the body, especially the bones and lymph nodes. Prostate cancer may cause pain, difficulty in urinating, erectile dysfunction and other symptoms. The difficulty with urinating is that your stream becomes weaker. You may notice that younger children have a strong urine stream, which is because of their Prostate. Prostate cancer just weakens the stream even more.
Rates of prostate cancer vary widely across the world. Although the rates vary widely between countries, it is least common in South and East Asia, more common in Europe, and most common in the United States.[1] According to the American Cancer Society, prostate cancer is least common among Asian men and most common among black men, with figures for white men in-between.[2][3] However, these high rates may be affected by increasing rates of detection.[4]
Prostate cancer develops most frequently in men over fifty. This cancer can occur only in men, as the prostate is exclusively of the male reproductive tract. It is the most common type of cancer in men in the United States, where it is responsible for more male deaths than any other cancer, except lung cancer. However, many men who develop prostate cancer never have symptoms, undergo no therapy, and eventually die of other causes. Many factors, including genetics and diet, have been implicated in the development of prostate cancer.
Prostate cancer is most often discovered by physical examination or by screening blood tests, such as the PSA (prostate specific antigen) test. There is some current concern about the accuracy of the PSA test and its usefulness. Suspected prostate cancer is typically confirmed by removing a piece of the prostate (biopsy) and examining it under a microscope. Further tests, such as X-rays and bone scans, may be performed to determine whether prostate cancer has spread.
Prostate cancer can be treated with surgery, radiation therapy, hormonal therapy, occasionally chemotherapy, proton therapy, or some combination of these. The age and underlying health of the man as well as the extent of spread, appearance under the microscope, and response of the cancer to initial treatment are important in determining the outcome of the disease. Since prostate cancer is a disease of older men, many will die of other causes before a slowly advancing prostate cancer can spread or cause symptoms. This makes treatment selection difficult.[5] The decision whether or not to treat localized prostate cancer (a tumor that is contained within the prostate) with curative intent is a patient trade-off between the expected beneficial and harmful effects in terms of patient survival and quality of life.
Heed your doctors advice and you'll probably be O.K. Good luck!