The Prostate And Bladder Problems in Maltese

The prostate is a gland that only men have. It is about the size of a walnut and sits below the neck of the bladder, surrounding the bladder outlet (the urethra). The prostate makes a milky fluid, which is part of semen and feeds the sperm.

As men age, the prostate gland gets bigger. This happens over many years and for some men this can cause bladder problems.

Poor bladder control can also happen due to other health issues. Men with poor bladder control can be upset and embarrassed by this problem. If you have changes in your bladder control, or concerns about your prostate gland, talk to your doctor or continence advisor.

Il-prostata hija glandola li għandhom biss l-irġiel. Hija kważi daqs ġewża u tinsab taħt l-għonq tal-bużżieqa tal-awrina, madwar l-iżbokk tal-bużżieqa tal-awrina (l-uretra). Il-prostata tagħmel fluwidu qiesu ħalib, li huwa parti mis-semen u titma’ l-isperma.

Hekk kif l-rġiel jikbru fl-età, il-glandola tal-prostata tkompli tikber. Dan jiġri fuq firxa ta’ ħafna snin, u għal xi irġiel dan jista’ jikkawża problemi tal-bużżieqa tal-awrina.

Kontroll dgћajjef tal-bużżieqa tal-awrina jista’ jkun riżultat ta’ problemi oħrajn tas-saħħa. Irġiel li għandhom kontroll dgħajjef tal-bużżieqa tal-awrina jistgħu jirrabjaw jew jistħu minħabba din il-problema. Jekk għandek bidliet fil-kontroll tal-bużżieqa tal-awrina tiegħek, jew tħassib dwar glandola tal-prostata tiegħek, kellem lit-tabib tiegħek jew lill-konsulent tal-kontinenza.

What are some common prostate problems?

1. Prostatitis is swelling and soreness of the prostate gland and may be due to a bladder infection. It is more common in young men.
2. Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH) is when the prostate gets gradually larger, usually starting in middle age. About one in four men will need surgery for this problem (BPH does not lead to cancer).
3. Prostate Cancer is often found before you have any warning signs. Your doctor may find it with a blood test (called a PSA) and a check of your prostate. It is the most common cancer in men, and you are more likely to get it as you age. However it is one of the most readily treated cancers.

X’inhuma wħud mill-problemi komuni tal-prostata?

1. Prostatite hi nefħau ugigħ tal- glandola tal-prostata u tista’ tiġri minħabba infezzjoni fil-bużżieqa tal-awrina. Hija aktar komuni fil-ġuvintur.
2. Iperplasija Beninja Prostatika (BPH) isseћћ metal-prostata tikber bil-mod il-mod, normalment tibda fl-età tan-nofs. Madwar wieħed minn kull erba’ rġiel se jkollhom bżonn operazzjoni għal din il-problema (BPH ma twassalx għall-kanċer).
3. Il-Kanċer tal-Prostata spiss jinstabqabel ma jkollok xi sinjali ta’ twissija. It-tabib tiegħek jista’ jsibha bit-test tad-demm (imsejjaħ PSA) u eżami tal-prostata tiegħek. Huwa l-kanċer l-aktar komuni fl-irġiel, u inti għandek probabbilità akbar li tlaqtu aktar ma tikber fl-età. Madankollu huwa wieħed mill-kanċerijiet li hu l-aktar faċli tikkurah.

How do I know if I have a prostate problem?

If you have one or more of these issues, you may have a prostate problem:

• trouble starting the flow of urine;
• slow urine stream once started;
• needing to pass urine more often through the day or night;
• leaking after passing urine, or between visits to the toilet;
• needing to pass urine again soon after going to the toilet;
• feeling an urgent need to pass urine;
• burning or pain when passing urine;
• blood in urine; and
• feeling that the bladder is not fully empty after going to the toilet.

Some of these problems may not be due to the prostate. For instance, some medicines may cause the bladder to store up urine. Your doctor or continence advisor can help you find the cause of your problem.

Kif inkun naf jekk għandix problema tal-prostata?

Jekk għandek waħda jew aktar minn dawn il-problemi, int għandek mnejn tbati minn problema tal-prostata:

• issibha bi tqila tibda l-fluss tal-awrina;
• fluss tal-awrina jibda bil-mod hekk kif tibda tagħmel;
• bżonn li tgħaddi l-awrina aktar ta’ spiss matul il-jum jew bil-lejl;
• tqattir ta’ ammonti żgħar ta’ awrina wara li tgћaddi l-awrina u jew bejn żjarat fit-tojlit;
• bżonn li jkollok terġa’ tgћaddi l-awrina ftit wara li tkun mort it-tojlit;
• tħoss ħtieġa urġenti biex tgħaddi l-awrina;
• tħoss ħruq jew uġigħ meta tgħaddi l-awrina;
• demm fl-awrina; u
• sensazzjoni li l-bużżieqa tal-awrina mhix kompletament vojta wara li tmur it-tojlit.

Xi wħud minn dawn il-problemi jistgħu ma jkunux dovuti għall-prostata. Pereżempju, xi mediċini jistgħu jagħmlu l-bużżieqa tal-awrina taħżen Iktar awrina. It-tabib jew il-konsulent tiegħek tal-kontinenza jistgħu jgħinuk issib l-kawża tal-problema tiegħek.

How can my prostate cause bladder problems

Blocking of the urethra (the urine tube): As the prostate grows larger, it may block the bladder outlet and stop the bladder from emptying. In some cases, urine may get stored up until it starts to leak out. If this happens, see a doctor straight away.

An overactive bladder can be caused by the bladder working extra hard to get past a blockage. An overactive bladder can tighten without your control, causing an urgent need to pass urine. After surgery to ease the blockage you may still have an urgent need to pass urine, and it could get worse for a few weeks, until the bladder goes back to normal.

Surgery for prostate problems can damage the muscle and nerves of the bladder outlet in a few cases. This can cause poor bladder control. If it occurs it is almost always short-lived, though major surgery for prostate cancer can lead to long term bladder control problems.

Kif tista’ l-prostata tiegħi tikkawża problemi tal-bużżieqa tal-awrina?

Imblokkar tal-urethra(it-tubu tal-awrina): Hekk kif il-prostata tikber aktar, tista’ timblokka l-iżbokk tal-bużżieqa tal-awrina u żżomm il-bużżieqa tal-awrina milli titbattal F’xi każijiet, l-awrina tista’ tinħażen sakemm tibda tqattar. Jekk jiġri dan, ara tabib minnufih.

Bużżieqa tal-awrina attiva żżejjedtista’ tkun ikkawżata mill-bużżieqa tal-awrina li tkun taħdem ħafna aktar biex tiskapula l-imblokk. Bużżieqa tal-awrina attiva żżejjed tista’ tissikka mingħajr ma tkun trid int, li jirriżulta fi bżonn urġenti li tgћaddi l-awrina. Wara operazzjoni biex ittaffi l-imblukkar inti xorta jista’ jkollok bżonn urġenti li tgћaddi l-awrina, u dan jista’ jiggrava għal ftit ġimgħat, sakemm il-bużżieqa tal-awrina tmur lura għan-normal.

L-operazzjonigħal problemi tal-prostata tista’ tagħmel ħsara lill-muskoli u nervi tal-iżbokk tal-bużżieqa tal-awrina fi ftit każijiet. Dan jista’ jwassal għall-kontroll dgћajjef tal-bużżieqa tal-awrina. Jekk dan iseħħ, dan kważi dejjem jiġri għal żmien qasir, għalkemm operazzjoni maġġuri għall-kanċer tal-prostata tista’ twassal għal problemi fit-tul tal-kontroll tal-bużżieqa tal-awrina.

How can poor bladder control be treated?

First, your doctor or continence advisor will want to look for the causes of your poor bladder control, such as prostate disease, infection, diabetes or some medicines.

There are a few ways that poor bladder control due to prostate disease can be treated.

1. Check up with your doctor

After a talk with your doctor, you may feel that you do not need any treatment. Poor bladder control can get better with time, or with simple changes to your daily habits. See the brochure 'Good Bladder Habits for Everyone'.

2. Medicines

There are a number of medicines that can help with bladder control. Ask your doctor about these.

3. Prostate Surgery

If your prostate is the problem, then surgery can remove all or part of the gland. The type of surgery will depend on the size of the prostate gland.

4. Bladder Training

A program of bladder training can help the bladder to hold more urine without leaks or urgent feelings, even for those with an overactive bladder.

5. Pelvic Floor Muscle Training

Pelvic floor muscle training builds up the muscles that control how well the bladder and bowel work. Learn how to train your muscles before surgery and start as soon as you can after surgery (See the leaflet “Pelvic Floor Muscle Training for Men”).

6. Continence Products

There is a wide range of continence products to help cope with urine leaks (See the leaflet “Continence Products”).

Make sure you know enough about what the problem is, what treatments there are, how well they work, and what might go wrong, so that you can choose the treatment that is best for you, with your doctor’s help.

Kif jista’ jiġi kkurat l-kontroll dgħajjef tal-bużżieqa tal-awrina?

L-ewwel, it-tabib tiegħek jew il-konsulent tal-kontinenza tiegħek ikun irid jeżamina x’inhuma l-kawżi tal-kontroll dgħajjef tal-bużżieqa tiegħek tal-awrina, bħal mard tal-prostata, infezzjoni, dijabete jew xi mediċini.

Hemm ftit modi kif il-kontroll dgħajjef tal-bużżieqa tal-awrina minħabba l-marda tal-prostata jista’ jiġi kkurat:

1. Eżami mediku mit-tabib tiegħek

Wara li titkellem mat-tabib tiegħek, inti tista’ tħoss li m’għandek bżonn ta’ ebda kura. Il-kontroll dgħajjef tal-bużżieqa tal-awrina jista’ jmur għall-aħjar maż-żmien, jew permezz ta’ bidliet sempliċi fid-drawwiet tiegħek ta’ kuljum (Ara l-fuljett “Drawwiet Tajbin tal-Bużżieqa tal-Awrina għal Kulħadd”).

2. Mediċini

Hemm numru ta’ mediċini li jistgħu jgħinu bil-kontroll tal-bużżieqa tal-awrina. Staqsi lit-tabib tiegħek dwar dawn.

3. Operazzjoni tal-Prostata

Jekk il-prostata tiegħek hi l-problema, allura operazzjoni tista’ tneħħi l-glandola kollha jew parti minnha. It-tip tal-operazzjoni se tiddependi fuq id-daqs tal-glandola tal-prostata.

4. Eżerċizzju tal-Bużżieqa tal-Awrina

Programm ta’ eżerċizzju tal-bużżieqa tal-awrina jista’ jgħin il-bużżieqa tal-awrina żżomm aktar awrina mingħajr tqattir ta’ ammonti żgħar ta’ awrina jew li tħoss bżonn urġenti, anki għal dawk li għandhom bużżieqa tal-awrina attiva żżejjed.

5. Eżerċizzji tal-Muskolu tal-Qiegħ tal-Pelvi

L-eżerċizzju tal-muskoli tal-qiegħ tal-pelvi jsaħħaħ il-muskoli li jikkontrollaw kemm il-bużżieqa tal-awrina u l-imsaren jaħdmu tajjeb. Tgħallem kif teżerċita l-muskoli tiegħek qabel l-operazzjoni u ibda malajr kemm tista’ wara l-operazzjoni (Ara l-fuljett “Eżerċizzju tal-Muskolu tal-Qiegħ tal-Pelvi għall-Irġiel”).

6. Prodotti tal-Kontinenza

Hemm firxa wiesgħa ta’ prodotti tal-kontinenza li jgħinuk tkampa meta tesperjenza tqattir ta’ ammonti żgħar tal-awrina (Ara l-fuljett “Prodotti tal-Kontinenza”).

Kun żgur li taf biżżejjed dwar x’inhi l-problema, x’ kuri hemm, kif ukoll kemm jaħdmu tajjeb, u x’jista’ jmur ħażin, sabiex inti tista’ tagħżel il-kura li l-aktar tgħodd għalik, bl-għajnuna tat-tabib tiegħek.

Seek help

Qualified nurses are available if you call the National Continence Helpline on 1800 33 00 66* (Monday to Friday, between 8.00am to 8.00pm Australian Eastern Standard Time) for free:

• Information;
• Advice; and
• Leaflets.

If you have difficulty speaking or understanding English you can access the Helpline through the free Telephone Interpreter Service on 13 14 50. The phone will be answered in English, so please name the language you speak and wait on the phone. You will be connected to an interpreter who speaks your language. Tell the interpreter you wish to call the National Continence Helpline on 1800 33 00 66. Wait on the phone to be connected and the interpreter will assist you to speak with a continence nurse advisor. All calls are confidential.

* Calls from mobile telephones are charged at applicable rates.

Itlob l-għajnuna

Hemm nersis ikkwalifikati jekk iċċempel lin-National Continence Helpline fuq 1800 33 00 66* (mit-Tnejn sal-Ġimgħa, bejn it-8.00am to 8.00pm AEST (Ħin Standard tal-Lvant tal-Awstralja)) mingħajr ħlas:

• Informazzjoni;
• Pariri;
• Fuljetti.

Jekk ikollok diffikulta’ biex titkellem jew biex tifhem bl-Ingliż jista’ jkollok aċċess għall-Helpline permezz tat-Telephone Interpreter Service fuq 13 14 50 b’xejn. It-telefon ikun imwieġeb bl-Ingliż, għalhekk għid liema lingwa titkellem u stenna fuq it-telefon. Tkun ikkonnettjat/a ma’ interpretu li jitkellem il-lingwa tiegħek. Għid lill-interpretu li tixtieq li ċċempel lin-National Continence Helpline fuq 1800 33 00 66. Stenna fuq it-telefon biex tkun ikkonnettjat/a u l-interpretu jgħinek biex titkellem ma’ ners li tagħti pariri dwar il-kontinenza. It-telefonati kollha huma konfidenzjali.

* Telefonati minn fuq telefonijiet mowbajl ikunu ċċarġjati r-rati li japplikaw.