|
The prostate is a man's joy and curse. It has only one purpose, to create a thin secretion that is needed for fertilization. This secretion helps the sperm cells to swim quickly and easily to the female's egg.
|
|
 |
|
1. Urine bladder 2. Prostate
3. Urethra 4. External sphincter
|
|
The prostate is located inside the body, just below the bladder, around the urethra itself. The urethra, through which all urine passes when you urinate, goes straight through the prostate. And this is what causes the problem. When the prostate grows, which it does in older men, it squeezes the urethra. This makes it hard to pee.
About the prostate
Before puberty, the prostate weighs approximately 1.6 g. During puberty its weight increases and reaches about 21 g by the age of 20-30. By then it is about the size of a walnut.
The prostate can then grow even more. By the age of 50, one in two males experiences prostate enlargement and by the age of 80, this figure reaches about 90%.
Why men's prostates become enlarged is uncertain, but the known risk factors are age and functioning testes. In other words, testicles that still produce sperm and the male sex hormone testosterone.
|