Understanding Your Prostate – Because It Will Get Your Attention Eventually
Frequent trips to the bathroom at night. A weak urine stream. The feeling that your bladder never fully empties. Urgency that makes you anxious about being far from a toilet. Prostate issues affect the majority of men as they age, yet many suffer in silence, either unaware that treatment is available or reluctant to discuss it.
At our practice in Zürich Seefeld, I help men understand and manage prostate health proactively – because early attention leads to better outcomes and better quality of life.
The Three Main Prostate Conditions
Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH): Non-cancerous enlargement of the prostate gland. Affects over 50% of men by age 60 and up to 90% by age 80. As the prostate grows, it compresses the urethra, causing urinary symptoms. BPH is not cancer and does not increase cancer risk, but it significantly impacts quality of life.
Prostatitis: Inflammation of the prostate, which can be bacterial (acute or chronic) or non-bacterial (chronic pelvic pain syndrome). Symptoms include pelvic pain, painful urination, and sometimes sexual dysfunction. Chronic prostatitis is frustrating and often difficult to treat.
Prostate cancer: The most common cancer in men. Usually slow-growing, especially in older men, but some forms are aggressive. Early detection through PSA testing and clinical examination allows for timely intervention when needed.
Symptoms That Should Prompt Evaluation
Urinary frequency (especially at night – nocturia), urgency, weak or interrupted stream, difficulty starting urination, feeling of incomplete emptying, straining, dribbling after urination, blood in urine or semen, pelvic pain, and painful ejaculation.
Our Diagnostic Approach
I perform a thorough history, digital rectal examination (DRE), PSA blood test (with age-appropriate interpretation), urinalysis, and assess urinary symptoms using standardised questionnaires (IPSS). Depending on findings, I may arrange prostate ultrasound, urine flow studies, or referral for further evaluation. PSA interpretation requires nuance – I consider PSA velocity, free-to-total PSA ratio, and individual risk factors rather than relying on a single number.
What We Do: Proactive Prostate Management
BPH management: Lifestyle modifications (reducing evening fluid intake, bladder training), alpha-blockers for symptom relief, 5-alpha reductase inhibitors for larger prostates, and targeted supplements (saw palmetto, beta-sitosterol, nettle root). Referral for minimally invasive procedures when medical management is insufficient.
Prostatitis treatment: Appropriate antibiotics for bacterial prostatitis, anti-inflammatory strategies, pelvic floor physiotherapy, and stress management for chronic pelvic pain syndrome.
Cancer screening and risk management: Personalised screening recommendations based on age, family history, and risk factors. If PSA is elevated, I guide the next steps – repeat testing, MRI, or urology referral – with clear communication about what findings mean and do not mean.
Nutritional support: Lycopene, selenium, zinc, vitamin D, and green tea extract have evidence supporting prostate health. An anti-inflammatory diet reduces overall disease risk.
Hormonal assessment: Testosterone, oestrogen, and DHT levels influence prostate health and should be evaluated in context.
Conclusion
Prostate problems are exceedingly common but highly manageable with proper medical attention. Whether you are dealing with urinary symptoms, have concerns about prostate cancer risk, or simply want proactive screening, I welcome you to our practice in Zürich Seefeld for a thorough, confidential evaluation.
