> Subject: MEN - MY CHILDHOOD; MY MANHOOD; MY PROSTATE.. MUST READ!!

> Ladies and Gentlemen, I am here to share with you this vital information on Prostate.
> The topic is misleading.
> Is prostate strictly for men?
> Yes, ONLY men have prostate and ONLY men over 40years 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, neighbor, 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 100grams.
> As it enlarges, it squeezes the urethra and the man begins to notice changes in the way he urinate.
> 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.

HESITANCY
> 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 long 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 - 60 cl. 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.
> Thought: You have a moral obligation today share it with
others because someone in your friends list might be saved.

Nice information.