Prostate

How it works
This humble gland may stay unnoticed your whole life, adding pleasure to your most intimate moments. It may turn sullen and recalcitrant after 40 years, or simply go wrong and kill you. It’s a walnut-shaped gland lurking in that dark, industrial district between your rectum and you bladder. It’s not as glamorous as the heart or as open to abuse as the liver, but its job is vital.

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The prostate manufactures the milky fluid in which your sperm swims. When you get aroused your prostate secretes and stores the fluid, and then the whole lot exits from the penis in search of an egg to fertilised. The prostate compensates for its unassuming domicile by being rich in nerve endings, adding to your enjoyment during sex.

How to look after it

• Stay in shape. Regular exercise is like an insurance policy;
• Empty your bladder. Urinate when you feel you need to. Make sure your bladder is empty before strenuous exercise;
• Have sex: doctor’s orders. Regular ejaculation helps ward off stagnation and inflammation in your prostate. If you drive a heavy vehicle or a motorbike, pay particular attention. The vibration of heavy machinery causes the prostate to secrete fluid, which becomes stagnant if it’s allowed to pool;
• Eat well: A diet of vegetables, grains, leafy greens and fibre will keep your prostate happy. Saturated fats are its big enemy. Foods high in vitamins A, C and E and zinc are good.

What can go wrong
The prostate is very susceptible to cancer and other problems. The cancer can usually be treated if it’s caught early enough, which is why regular check-ups are important. Your doctor will give you a quick and painless rectal examination every two years after your turn 40. If cancer is discovered, treatment depends entirely on how active it is.

The worst thing you can do
Ignoring the danger signs is stupid. Unexplained back pain, the feeling that you’re sitting on a golf ball when you’re not, and a frequent urge to urinate may mean your prostate is playing up. Speak to your doctor. If your prostate is enlarged and has choked off your urethra, it means your urine can’t pass from your kidneys, out through your penis. This spells danger to your kidneys if unchecked.

Myths and misconceptions
Many men worry that the diagnosis on prostate cancer means it’s all over bar the reading of the will. Not so.

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