Urination is an important part of keeping your body healthy and eliminating waste. However, it can become frustrating if you find you need to go more often as you age. And, in some situations, this health problem could be a symptom of prostate cancer. But don't be alarmed! Most cases of frequent urination are not caused by cancer, so read on to discover more about what else may cause it.
Frequent Urination May Be a Cause of Alarm
As you age, your bladder still struggles to maintain the same level of control that it had when you were young. Therefore, you may simply urinate more often because of age-related symptoms. However, people who find that they have to pee multiple times in an hour may have a more serious issue to consider.
In many cases, the first symptom of prostate cancer is frequent urination because the cancer will swell your prostate and make urination more necessary. However, this problem doesn't automatically mean that you have prostate cancer, which is something that you have to keep in mind before you panic and get tested for cancer.
Symptoms of Prostate Cancer
Although frequent urination is an annoying situation, there are many other situations that may cause it besides prostate cancer. For example, simply drinking too much water or caffeinated drinks may cause this problem. You may also have kidney stones or a swollen bladder, which may occur if the bladder has been used too frequently.
So make sure you keep track of symptoms, such as bloody urine, erectile dysfunction, pain while you urinate, or difficulty sitting due to an enlarged prostate. The moment that you notice any of these symptoms, you need to get treatment. Otherwise, you're likely to urinate even more frequently and experience even worse symptoms, such as pain, fluid buildup, weight loss, or death.
When to Get Care
If your frequent urination is paired with those other symptoms and you don't think that your age has anything to do with the situation, you should visit a cancer specialist right away to get tested. Prostate cancer is a very treatable condition if you catch it early and may only require a few radiation therapy treatments to manage.
However, if your frequent urination came too late to spot stage I cancer and you're now at stage II or III, you need treatment even more readily. In most cases, prostate cancer can be very easily managed using chemotherapy and even the removal of pelvic lymph nodes. This should not only stop your cancer in its tracks but manage your frequent urination.
After your cancer has been successfully managed or at least slowed, you should still stay in touch with a professional to ensure that your recovery is tracked. These specialists will make sure that the tumor doesn't come back by tracking potential growths and eliminating them early.
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