at what age should a male get a prostate exam?

Question

and what exactly are they for

Answer 1

A male should get a prostate exam at 50 years of age. The exam is meant to see if you have any signs of an enlarged prostate which could be a potential cause for urinary problems. If treated early Benign Prostatic Hypertrophy (BPH) can be prevented as well as prostate cancer. Seeing that prostate cancer is the number one cancer in men, you should get it checked out.

Answer 2

A prostate is a gland sitting beneath the bladder and around the urethra (water pipe) and it helps mix the semen on ejaculation. It is however, a troublesome little fellow and can become enlarged after the age of 40 (some earlier and some later and some not at all!)
It is a good idea to have a blood test after you are 40 called a PSA level test. This will tell you how active the gland is. A higher than normal reading (higher than 3 or 4) and additional tests should be carried out.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prostate

Hope that helps!

Answer 3

With prostate cancer the most frequently diagnosed cancer in the United States, the American Cancer Society now recommends prostate exam for men starting at age 40, rather than at age 50.

The doctor moves their finger in a circular motion in order to identify the lobes and groove of the prostate gland. In a normal sized prostate gland they would expect to find the prostate around 2-4 cm long and triangular in shape. They would also expect the prostate to feel firm and rubbery.

It is used to detect cancer, urinary problems (The doctor will also check to see if your prostate is enlarged, a common problem in men who are middle-aged or older. If you've noticed problems with urination -- an urgent need to relieve yourself, a weak stream or leaking, or unusually frequent urination, especially at night -- you may have an enlarged prostate that's blocking the urine flow from your bladder) and any nodules forming.

Answer 4

A male should get a prostate exam when he reaches his 40s.

Answer 5

Doctors recommend at 40 yrs old. Don't think about it and do it. The end result will be a peace of mind.The doctor checks your prostate gland for abnormalities.

Answer 6

Around 50 to see if it has enlarged and if it is BPH (or enlarged prostate than thay can give you something like Flomax or Avodart. But if it's cancer it's best to be detected early.

Answer 7

At age 40 or older.

Answer 8

Probably around 40-50

They are for, kidney stones. You don't want to get kidney stones. So I suggest, you drink plenty of water everyday.

Answer 9

30+ it,s to find out if you have cancer.