Many men are struck with misery over the thought of taking a prostate exam, but they have to deal with the fact that it is essential in evaluating a man's health.
The American Cancer Society states that it is advisable for men over 50 to go through a prostate exam once a year.
In other place such as Europe, once in four years is enough, but it is recommended that each available prostate exam be taken, including the traditional digital rectal examination (DRE), the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test, and the transrectal ultrasound (TRUS).
The digital rectal exam is the prostate exam that has been practiced for many years.
It is simple and does not take much time.
However, it can be rather awkward having a doctor insert a finger into the rectum, even if it's for medical reasons.
The doctor will be able to feel the rear part of the prostate and detect any abnormality.
Men who have been experiencing prostate symptoms would probably have an enlarged gland.
The prostate exam ought to confirm this.
An enlarged gland may point to a variety of diseases, including cancer.
Cancer usually does not produce prostate symptoms until the tumor has grown to a size that causes the gland to press against the urethra thus creating urinary problems.
It is advised the adult men go through a prostate exam.
While more common among older men, prostate problems do not really limit themselves to any age.
It is always a good idea to ensure the health of the gland even if prostate symptoms are not manifested.
While women have been used to internal examinations, their reproductive organs being internal, men are just the opposite and this is why the digital rectal examination does not come naturally to them.
They have to keep in mind though that it is best to relax and take deep breaths while going through one to avoid tension that would contract muscles.
The PSA test is a prostate exam that involves screening the blood for PSA, a substance made by cells in the prostate.
This is usually found in the semen, but a small percentage is also found in the blood.
The ordinary PSA level is under 4 nanograms per milliliter of blood.
If what is found in the test is more than that, it could mean cancer.
The transrectal ultrasound is able to produce an image of the prostate by emitting sound waves that penetrate the prostate and create echo patterns that can be turned into something viewable on the computer screen.
This is not a common prostate exam for detecting disorders, but a device that aids in precision during biopsies.
Each prostate exam has problems in accuracy.
Perhaps this is the reason why taking them together is recommended in other places.
Each one supplies what the other one is missing.
Do not wait for prostate symptoms to occur as they are not essential to the detection of a disease.
Each man should keep his prostate healthy and consult the doctor as soon as trouble is imminent.