The prostate is the prostate gland most often affected by elderly men. Unfortunately, the problem with the prostate is related to another – if left untreated, the symptoms continue to worsen, and treatment often causes sexual disability. Can you deal with it somehow? Does today’s medicine allow you to enjoy a successful sex life even during treatment?
The most common cause of prostate disease is its enlargement. Symptoms of this disease are observed in up to 50% of men over the age of sixty. One of the effects is difficulty urinating, which is caused by the growth of glandular cells in the prostate. They cause pressure on the urinary tract, as a result of which excretion is difficult. Some, though rare, develop a cancer called “benign prostatic hyperplasia.” It is not a malignant tumor and can be cured. Symptoms of an enlarged prostate include:
- Getting up at night at least 2-3 times to urinate (this is usually one of the first symptoms that draws the patient’s attention),
- Feeling of an urgent need to urinate, even though only a few drops are passed
- Leakage of urine from the urethra (requiring more frequent washing and changing of underwear).
Impact on sex life
Overgrowth itself does not mean problems with sex. Efficiency in this regard may be completely undisturbed, however, a disorder of the seminal vesicles may cause some discomfort during intercourse. This discomfort is not noted in all patients. Therefore, the prostate itself will not affect the quality of sex life.
Treatment and sex
Unfortunately, it is the therapeutic therapy that makes intercourse difficult here. Nevertheless, treatment of the prostate cannot be delayed and pharmacotherapy should be applied as soon as possible. Untreated prostate causes complete closure of the urinary tract and permanent changes in the kidneys.
Medications weaken the mechanism of erection, also cause fertility disorders and generally make it difficult to have intercourse. However, in most cases, these symptoms disappear after the end of treatment. If treatment fails, surgery is necessary, where fertility and sexual performance depend on the extent of the lesions. In practice, about 50% of men after treatments in these areas have more or less problems with sexual performance. However, the effects of untreated prostate are definitely worse and therefore it is not worth delaying. When the prostate is completely removed, ejaculation becomes impossible, but erection and orgasm remain the same.
How to avoid?
More interestingly, therapists and sexologists point out that the risk of prostate cancer is lower in people who have sex often. They justify this by saying that regular ejaculation removes excess zinc from the prostate, which in large amounts can cause the formation of cancer cells. However, this information is not confirmed by urologists, so it is not known whether to believe it. However, it is a credible fact that people taking statin anti-cholesterol drugs are less likely to develop prostate cancer.