The prostate is a doughnut-shaped male sex gland that sits beneath the urinary
bladder. It surrounds the urethra and serves as a passage way for both urine and
semen. The function of the prostate is to add secretions of fluids to the semen
during ejaculation. Prostatic fluid is clear, acidic and makes up the bulk of semen.
Prostate enlargement is one of the disorders that commonly affects men. At age
40 or so, the prostate begins a kind of growth spurt which is believed to be
related to shifts in hormone levels. At this time, the testosterone levels begin to
decrease while the levels of other hormones such as prolactin and estradiol,
increase. This creates an increase in the amount of dihydrotestosterone – a very
potent form of testosterone – within the prostate. This causes an overproduction
of prostate cells, which ultimately results in prostate enlargement, medically
known as benign…