2024-01-17 23:56:00
(CNN Spanish) — King Charles III will go to hospital next week to receive treatment for an enlarged prostate, Buckingham Palace reported this Wednesday.
From the palace they explained that the king sought treatment “as do thousands of men every year” and that his condition is “benign.” In addition, they indicated that the hospital visit is for a “corrective procedure” and detailed that the public commitments of the 75-year-old British sovereign will be postponed for a short period while he recovers.
Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), also known as an enlarged prostate, affects approximately 50% of men between 51 and 60 years y up to 90% of men over 80 years old, according to a National Institutes of Health report of the United States (NIH),
What is benign prostatic hyperplasia?
The prostate is a gland which produces a fluid that goes to semen and this gland surrounds the urethra, which is the tube through which urine leaves the body, explica MedlinePlus.
According to the NIH, benign prostate enlargement means that the gland has grown and, as it increases in size, it presses on the urethra. “As urine passes from the bladder through the urethra, the pressure caused by the enlarged prostate could affect bladder control,” explain the NIH on their official page.
The institutes detail that this condition usually occurs with second phase of prostate growth, which begins around age 25 and continues for most of a man’s life. The first phase occurs at puberty, when the prostate doubles in size.
Additionally, the NIH explains that it is not cancer and generally does not pose a serious health threat. However, the United States National Cancer Institute warns that symptoms of BPH and prostate cancer they can be similar.
What are the symptoms and how do I know if I have it?
Although MedlinePlus notes that Less than half of men with BPH have symptoms, some of them are:
- Frequent and urgent need to urinate.
- Difficulty urinating, even if you feel like it.
- Weak urine flow.
- Little urine every time you go to the bathroom.
- The feeling that you have to urinate more, even though you just did.
- Dripping urine.
- Small amounts of blood in your urine.
According to the US National Cancer InstituteBPH is not considered a serious disease, but caution should be taken because it could lead to a weak bladder, bladder or bowel infections. kidneycomplete blockage of urine flow and kidney failure.
Although it is not clear what causes this disease, some risk factors They are: family history of benign prostatic hyperplasia; medical conditions such as obesity; heart and circulatory diseases; type 2 diabetes; sedentary lifestyle and erectile dysfunction.
Thus, Specialists recommend men have a check-up immediately if they present any symptoms, as well as an annual check-up starting at age 40 if they have risk factors, and starting at age 50 if they do not.
The US National Institutes of Health details that for know the diagnosis, Doctors perform several tests, including:
- Rectal examination.
- Blood test to detect prostate-specific antigen (PSA).
- radiographic images.
- Uroflowmetry (urinating in a special device that measures how quickly urine flows).
- Cistoscopia.
1705546741
#enlarged #prostate #diagnosed #King #Charles #III