Prostate health: These are the symptoms men should not ignore

Share Add Us On Google Add as a preferred source on Google ( Aging Untold ) — The prostate can have a big impact on men’s health as they get older. Dr. Rhea Rogers, a board-certified physician, said the prostate is a small gland that slowly enlarges with age, and men should not ignore the changes that come with it. What the prostate does and how it changes “It’s a small gland, but it plays a huge role in men’s health. And it sits right at the base of the bladder,” Rogers said. How an enlarged prostate can affect daily life As the prostate enlarges, it pushes in on the bladder, and men start to have a frequent need to urinate. Because the bladder is being pushed on, it may not empty all the way, Rogers said. “You increase your chances of urinary tract infections because bacteria can just be sitting there,” Rogers said. Rogers said the effects can reach beyond the bathroom. “When you’re not sleeping well, because you’re going to the restroom all night, now you’re impacting the whole sympathetic nervous system that has other medical implications,” Rogers said. That includes insulin resistance. Symptoms men should not ignore The gland grows so slowly that many men tend to dismiss the signs, Rogers said. “Because it’s so slow growing, a lot of guys, they just kind of ignore it,” Rogers said. “They should not ignore those symptoms or the hesitancy and nighttime urination.” Gerontologist “Sam” Cradduck described the gland as being like a donut around a straw. When the donut is squeezed, she said, the straw, which represents the urethra, holds urine behind it. “Don’t just get used to frequent urination,” Cradduck said. “Don’t just say, ‘Oh well, I’m a little older, so I go more frequently.’” Signs that should prompt a call to a doctor: not getting urine out, getting up two or three times a night, feeling back pressure while going and getting frequent urinary tract infections, Cradduck said. “Go to your doctor,” she said. “Go to a urologist.” Prostate cancer can have no symptoms An enlarged prostate can also be a sign of prostate cancer. “Prostate cancer a lot of times is without any symptoms,” Rogers said. “So usually we take a look at everything that’s going on and don’t simply ignore it, but go seek medical attention.” Aging expert Amy O’Rourke said that because there may be no symptoms, men should be proactive. “They could have cancer and not have any symptoms,” O’Rourke said. “Really be proactive, because you’re not going to get a sign until maybe it’s too late,” she said. Cradduck said prostate cancer does not have to be a death sentence, but it can be because it can metastasize. She said people may hear “prostate cancer” and think it is common and not a big deal. “It is a great big deal when it metastasizes and it spreads,” Cradduck said. “Why would you even allow that? Get yourself checked.” Rogers said prostate cancer has different scores, including a Gleason score. That is a grading system to evaluate the aggressiveness of prostate cancer, according to Mayo Clinic. Many men will die with the disease, Rogers said, and some men can die from it, depending on how aggressive it is and what the score is. What PSA is and what a high number can mean O’Rourke shared that her husband’s PSA level was not where his doctor wanted it to be. “He said, just eat more leafy green vegetables. And darned if that didn’t lower the PSA level,” O’Rourke said. Prostate-specific antigen, or PSA, is a protein the prostate gland produces, according to the Prostate Cancer Foundation. “It’s a protein, so because of that, many things can cause it to elevate,” Rogers said. “Just because it’s elevated doesn’t mean you have cancer. You can have an infection, prostatitis and things like that.” She said doctors often look at the interval over time to see the percentage of increase. There are other measures and more specialized tests that can show whether a PSA reading indicates high-grade cancer. Rogers said inflammation is a factor in many cases. She said she has seen a person’s PSA drop quickly after inflammation was addressed in another part of the body. “It really is inflammation,” Rogers said. “But you want to make sure it’s not a mask for something.” Talk about it and get support O’Rourke posted a challenge to men to talk to one another. She challenged men to ask each other whether they are getting annual exams, having trouble urinating, noticing changes in their sex life, not sleeping or feeling fatigued. “Get support to go to the doctor to get it checked,” O’Rourke said. “Be proactive, but get your support system with the other guys,” she said. “Don’t be too embarrassed to talk about it.” Key takeaways The prostate sits at the base of the bladder and slowly enlarges as men get older. It acts like a hose clamp on urine flow. Don’t ignore urinary changes. Weak streams, frequent urination, hesitancy and nighttime bathroom trips should not be treated as normal. Talk to a doctor. Talk with a doctor. Prostate cancer often has no symptoms, so screening and early detection matter. This program is provided for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute providing medical advice or professional services. The information provided should not be used for diagnosing or treating a health problem or disease, and those seeking personal medical advice should consult with a licensed physician. Always seek the advice of your doctor or other qualified health provider regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have seen on this program. If you think you may have a medical emergency, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room immediately. No physician-patient relationship is created by this program or its use. Aging Untold/Gray Media, nor its employees, contractors or agents, nor any contributor to this program, makes any representations, express or implied, with respect to the information provided herein or to its use. Copyright 2026 Gray Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved.