Prostate Disorders
Nearly one-third of all men over 50 years suffer from
prostate troubles of one form or another. The percentage rises with age and
reaches 75 after the age of 80 years. Prostate and bladder disorders can lead
to numerous other ailments such as arthritis, kidney disorders and uremia. The
prostate gland is a male gland, comparable in shape and size to a large
chestnut. It is reddish brown in appearance. It measures approximately 3.8 cm.
in width and about 2.5 cm. in length and weighs approximately 25 grams. It is
situated at the base of the urinary bladder and around the commencement of the
urethra, the membranous tube for the passage of the urine. It is thus vital in
relation to the emptying of the bladder and bears a close relationship to the rectum.
The gland plays an important role in normal sexual life and its function is to
secrete a fluid which is added to semen during sexual intercourse.
Various Disorders
There are various types of prostate disorders. Of
these the most important are prostatitis or inflammation in the prostate gland
and hypertrophy or enlargement of the prostate gland. Prostatitis may be acute
or chronic. It is a painful and distressing disorder, but can be cured with proper
treatment without any adverse effects. Enlargement of the prostate gland or
hypertrophy is the most common complaint affecting the gland. This occurs
mostly in men of middle or advanced age. The enlargement develops so gradually
over a long period that it often assumes serious proportions before it is
detected.
Symptoms
There are two warning signals to indicate the
possibility of prostate disorders. The first is the interface with the passage
of urine and the second is the need to void the urine frequently during the
night’s sleep. Other symptoms are a dull aching pain in the lower back and pain
in the hips, legs and feet. Prostate enlargement affects the glandular system
as a whole. The patient experiences all the symptoms of disturbed health such
as lack of energy and physical, mental and nervous disturbances.
Causes
The position of the prostate gland makes it liable to
congestion and other disorders. In an erect position, pressure falls on the
pelvic region just where the prostate gland is situated. With ageing, the body
gets heavier and loses its flexibility which makes the pressure on the pelvis even
greater and increases the vulnerability of the prostate gland. Prolonged
periods of sitting down, as in certain occupations, also increases the pressure
on the pelvic region resulting in congestion of the tissues in and around the
prostate gland. With the passage of time, changes such as inflammation or
enlargement occur in the gland. Acute prostatis may also result from exposure
to cold and chill and from an infectious disease. Chronic prostatis is an
after-effect of the acute condition. It may also result from continual
irritation of the gland due to excessive sexual excitement.
Another important cause of prostate disorders is
constipation. In constipation, the feces become hardened and the rectum or
lower bowel overloaded. This causes undue pressure on the prostate gland. It also
entails a great deal of straining at stools and this adversely affects the prostate
gland due to its proximity to the rectum.
Treatment
To begin with, the patient should forgo all solid
foods and subsist on water only for two or three days. The intake of water
should be as plentiful as possible. Nothing should be added to the water except
a little lemon juice, if desired. The water may be taken cold or hot and it
should be taken every hour or so when awake. This will greatly increase the
flow of urine. An enema may be taken once a day during fasting to clear the
lower bowel of accumulations.
After a thorough cleansing of the bowels, hot and
cold applications may be used directly on the prostate gland and its
surrounding parts. The heat relieves the tissues and a brief cold immersion
tones them up. The patient should take alternate hot and cold hip baths. These
are of great value in relieving pain and reducing congestion. The hot bath
should be taken first for 10 minutes, followed by a cold bath for one minute
daily.
After the short fast, the patient should adopt an
all-fruit diet for three days. The fruits should include apples, pears,
oranges, grape-fruit, grapes, sweet limes, mangoes, melons and all other juicy
fruits. This will help to clear toxins from the body and will also enable
excess fat to be reduced to some extent. The exclusive fruit diet should be
followed by a diet, consisting of two meals of fruits and one of cooked
vegetables for further seven days. The vegetable meal should be taken in the
evening and should consist of all kinds of cooked vegetables, preferably steam
cooked. Thereafter, the patient may adopt a well-balanced diet of three basic
food groups, namely (i) seeds, nuts and grains, (ii) vegetables and (iii)
fruits.
The short lemon juice fast followed by an all-fruit
diet and a further period on fruits and vegetables may be repeated after two or
three months if necessary depending on the progress being made. Pumpkin seeds
have been found to be an effective home remedy for prostate problems and many
patients have been helped by their use. These seeds are rich in unsaturated
fatty acids which are essential to the health of the prostate. Heavy starches, sweet
stimulants and highly seasoned foods are entirely forbidden, as they cause
direct irritation on the prostate gland and bladder.
The diet should also exclude spices, condiments, salt
in excess, sauces, red meats, cheese, asparagus, watercress, greasy or fried foods,
alcohol, tobacco and too much tea or coffee. The patient should avoid hurried
meals and must chew his food thoroughly and slowly. Water should be taken between
meals and not at mealtime. The patient should avoid sexual irregularities in
eating and drinking, long periods of sitting and vigorous exercise. He should
guard against constipation by taking plenty of fruits, bran and nuts. All
efforts should be made to tone up the general condition of the body. With a
general improvement in health, the condition will be greatly relieved. Surgery
should be resorted to only if the condition does not improve even after the
dietary treatment and other measures outlined here.
Source: www.healthlibrary.com through www.scribd.com
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