Worried about Enlarged Prostate? Get it checked right away

The Diagnosis.

Visit Best Kidney Hospital Punjab, Ludhiana for a thorough diagnosis of enlarged prostate. Before visiting a urologist or a kidney care and super specialty hospital you might want to consider the frequency of your symptoms and how they are affecting your daily life. Is the discomfort manageable or tending to increase.

For a proper diagnosis, it will be a good idea to maintain a written record of the type of fluid you are drinking and its quantity, how much urine you are passing and the time of urination.

The initial suspect would not straight away be a Benign Prostatic Cancer (BPE) or Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH). The doctor would first rule out other health issues that might be causing these symptoms. You might be asked if you are diabetic or on any form of medications like blood pressure, anti depressants etc. The symptoms sometimes can also be triggered in people with lifestyles involving a heavy intake of alcohol or drinks inclusive of caffeine. It is important that you proper self observation so that you can narrate with utmost clarity the symptom you are experiencing and how much are they bothering you. You will be asked to undergo some initial set of test.

The Tests

URINE TEST

The test is done to find out if the cause your symptoms is simply a urine infection. The test also identifies if there is any blood in the urine. The infection is treated with  a course of antibiotics.

BLOOD WORK

A simple blood test is performed to check if the kidneys are working correctly. A specific blood test like a prostate specific antigen (PSA) may also be performed to examine the PSA levels in the blood. PSA is a protein which is produced by cells in the prostate. If you are having an enlarged prostate then the PSA levels will rise in your blood. However, there are other causes that may lead to an increase in the PSA levels like age, infection, inflammation and prostate cancer.

PHYSICAL EXAMINATION

The doctor may examine your abdomen and penis and might also do a digital rectum scan (DRE) to check for any hard or irregular areas in your prostate and well as get an idea of its size being in the normal range as per your age.

SYMPTOM QUESTIONNAIRE

You will be asked to fill out a standardized questionnaire to check the severity of your symptoms and how much are they affecting your lifestyle.

URINE FLOW TEST

This test is carried out to assess the flow rate or speed of the urine. A person with enlarged prostate has slower urine flow rate compared to a healthy person. A full bladder is needed for the test.

ULTRASOUND SCAN

This test is to reveal how much urine can your bladder hold and also checks if the bladder is emptying properly. This test can also assist for checking up for any abnormalities in the kidney.

FURTHER TESTS

If the above set of initial test signify the possibility of having Benign Prostatic Cancer (BPE) or Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH) then you will be asked to undergo further test to identify exactly what is causing your symptoms.

BLADDER PRESSURE (URODYNAMIC) TEST

This test is to assess how well is the bladder working. It is carried out with the doctor inserting a thin tube up the penis and filling the bladder with a clear liquid. Thin tubes are also placed in the rectum. These tubes measure the pressure in the urethra, bladder and rectum. The patient is then asked to urinate with the tubes measuring the pressure simultaneously. This test is generally performed if a person wants to undergo surgery to treat an enlarged prostate or if the symptoms haven't improved and are getting worse after the surgery. 

FLEXIBLE CYSTOSCOPY

This test identifies for any abnormality like the presence of a blockage or anomalous  tissue in the bladder or urethra. The doctors introduced a thin tube into the bladder through the penis. An anesthetic gel is applied for comfort. The end of the tube has a light so the doctors can see inside the bladder. It may have an eye piece for the doctor to see or a camera so that the inside of the bladder and urethra are visible on the screen. This test is carried out in case of severe urinary symptoms, pain and blood in the urine or repeated urinary infections. The doctor may also carry out this test in-case he/she feels that the opening of your bladder is too small or narrow, also referred to as a stricture.

PAD TEST

This test works out the amount of urine being leaked. The doctor or a nurse will give you an incontinence pad to wear for a certain amount of time. The pad will then be weighed to check how much urine is leaked. This test is carried out if a person is leaking urine occasionally.