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The prostate is a little like your car - as long as it's not causing any problems you don't think about it much. But when it does, it can be a small problem that is easily fixed, or a big problem that requires a lot of time and energy to fix... but either way it becomes something you have to think about a lot.
Unlike a car, a prostate is free. Men are born with a prostate gland. It starts to enlarge around the age of 45 or 50 and may cause bothersome symptoms such as needing to get up more at night to urinate or a weak urine stream as it gets bigger. Some men never have any problems with this until they are much older. Chances are if your dad or brothers had an enlarged prostate you probably will, too but whether or not you will have symptoms is completely unpredictable.
Prostates can also get inflamed or infected in any age man. If this happens, you might experience pain with urination, pain in around your rectum or pain with ejaculation. This can be pretty severe pain accompanied by a fever or even inability to urinate in really bad cases. You will definitely need to see your doctor for any problems like this, the sooner the better.
Besides getting larger with time, prostates can also develop cancer. The two main risk factors for prostate cancer are being male and age, neither of which can be controlled. A close relative such as your father or brother with prostate cancer makes it more likely that you could develop cancer as well.
Just like preventative maintenance on a car, there are certain recommendations for "prostate maintenance". The American Urological Association recommends yearly screening for prostate cancer in men with no symptoms at age 50. This is involves a digital rectal exam and a PSA test which is performed on a blood sample. Men at higher risk, such as African American men or men with a family history of prostate cancer should be screened earlier, often starting at age 40. The decision when to start screening should be discussed with your doctor as many factors besides just age go into the decision.
Your urologist is the best person to have a detailed discussion about specific questions you may have about your prostate. The Mayo clinic has an excellent page about prostate cancer screening which you might want to read. You can access it at the following address:
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