If you do not have prostate problem, chances are, you will. Statistics points to the fact that if a man lives long enough, he will develop prostate problem. Most prostate problems are benign in nature, although very uncomfortable and inconvenient. However, the symptoms can be hiding something more sinister like prostate cancer, which is one of the most common cancers. Prostate cancer if it is not detected and treated at the early stage is often fatal. That is why prostate examination is so important, especially for men in the high risk age group of forty and above.

Medical procedures can sometimes be overwhelming to the average person. Many men avoid having a prostate examination because of the invasive nature of the test but it is a very necessary test. Most men will experience enlarging of the prostate around the age of fifty. Ignoring the problem will have detrimental effects on one's general health and may even lead to the late treatment of prostate cancer.

The Type of Prostate Examinations

The common examination for prostate health is digital rectal examination (DRE). Basically, the doctor will insert a finger to check on the size, shape and surface texture of the prostate. DRE can also detect possible symptoms of prostate cancer. DRE is often performed as part of annual health screening for men above the age of fifty. If there is something amiss detected from the DRE, the doctor may order a prostate specific antigen (PSA) test.

The PSA test can alert doctor to the presence of early stage prostate cancer. PSA test can also detect other prostate conditions, such as infections. The PSA test measures the level of protease, which is basically a protein secreted by the prostate gland. If the levels of PSA in the blood are high, this is a possible indication of prostate cancer or benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH). There are conditions whereby the prostate specific antigen test will show a very low reading. In this case, the PSA test will be complemented by another test, namely the monoclonal antibody technique. Through this method, all the PSA present in the blood including those that are bonded to other tissues can be measured. The correct PSA reading is the total sum of both these tests. The healthy reading should not exceed 4.5 ng/ml. If it does, then the doctor may order a biopsy to confirm the presence of cancer.

The PSA test is also used to monitor the growth of the prostate cancer once it is detected. When taking a prostate specific antigen test, you have to aware that drugs and some herbal products can affect the accuracy of the test. Do inform your doctor if you taking health supplement particularly those promoting prostate health.