Picture your prostate

MANILA, Philippines -  A lot of men may only be prompted to learn about their prostate when they feel a sudden change in their urination patterns. Some even say it’s easy to tell if a man has hit his 50s: He starts seeking advice on the state of his prostate.

 “The prostate gland is a chestnut-like structure located below a man’s bladder where urine is stored. It usually weighs around 20-25 grams surrounding the male prostatic urethra where urine is expelled out of the body. The importance of prostate gland is it secretes a fluid that helps nourish the sperm,” says Dr. Joseph Lee, a surgeon/urologist at Healthway. “As men grow old through the years, our prostate commonly increases in size. This condition is called benign prostatic hyperplasia or BPH. The prostate grows larger due to hyperplasia, an increase in the number of cells in male prostatic tissue.”

Lee adds that it is important for men in their 40s and up to have their prostate checked because an untreated enlarged prostate can block the flow of urine out of the bladder. “In some cases, this blockage may cause repeated urinary tract infection that could possibly lead to bladder or kidney damage or worse, a sudden inability to urinate,” he adds.

Other factors that contribute to troubled prostates are genetic predisposition, obesity, hormonal imbalance caused by stress, anxiety and depression, cell growth factor, decline in testosterone level, and deficiencies in minerals like zinc. “Zinc causes the prostate to enlarge,” Lee says. “This may be due to aging or uncontrolled diet with excessive alcohol drinking.”

Flexible cystoscopy is becoming a popular diagnostic modality for those who want to have their prostate checked. It is a procedure that uses a flexible cystoscope, a thin lighted fiber-optic tube that doctors insert into the bladder through the urethra to view and further examine its inner lining. Flexible cystoscopes can view and record images of the bladder. It may also be used for taking tissue samples, removing tumors as well as directing infusion of antibiotics in the affected area.

“With flexible cystoscopy’s accuracy, we can detect for various prostate diseases, bladder and urethral infections. It would also give us a signal if the patient is ready for a possible operation or is good for a medical treatment,” says Lee. “Cystoscopy could also give you other aspects of diagnostics such as doing biopsy, bladder washing, etc.”

Flexible cystoscopy is exclusively available at Healthway Medical, Alabang Town Center.

“Healthway has always been active in promoting a healthy and preventive lifestyle. We bring convenience to our clients because all our clinics are mall-based. All our doctors are board passers and are highly skilled,” says Carmie De Leon, Healthway vice president for sales and marketing.

For more information on flexible cystoscopy, log on to www.healthway.com.ph or call 751- 4929 (HWAY).