Prostate Exam

The prostate is a reproductive organ of a human male body. This organ facilitates the reproduction and storage of the valuable semen. In a healthy adult man, a healthy prostate is measured around three centimeters in length and is twenty grams when weighted. The prostate is found in the Pelvis, downwards to urinary bladder and just in front of the rectum.

This male reproductive organ circumscribes a significant portion of the urethra, the tube that is responsible for transferring urine from the bladder when urinating and semen during the act of ejaculation or excretion. The healthy prostate also contains several small glands that constitute about one-fourth of the fluid that comprises semen.

A prostate exam is a medical term and is commonly known as a DRE or digital rectal exam. This exam takes about 5 minutes for a doctor to accomplish. It is recommended to take long deep breaths during the prostate exam. It is said that concentrating on something else can make this exam, less uncomfortable.

What is prostate exam?

A prostate exam is an evaluation of the rectum. Once the prostate cancer is referred in the patients report, the physician is offered instructions on examining the prostate gland.

The procedure:

This examination is undertaken by a prostate expert. During the exam, the doctor or nurse inserts a gloved and lubricated finger in to the rectum. The doctor or the nurse then checks the prostate thoroughly for any sort of abnormalities that may occur. The doctor may also take a stool sample for further analyzation.

Preparation for the test:

As far as the preparation for the test is concerned, from the patient's side, he needs no special precautions to be taken prior to the exam.

The duration of the exam:

The prostate exam takes about five minutes. The exam is not painful, but the patient may experience slight discomfort during the procedure. He must concentrate on something else, relax and take deep breaths.

Risk involved during the exam: There are no risks involved in or associated to this exam.

What exactly does the doctor examine?

When a prostate exam is conducted, the doctor looks for lumps on or around the prostate, smoothness of the gland, swelling and tenderness that may exist. In this regard, the doctor moves his finger in a circular motion and identifies the lobes and groove of the prostate gland. In a normal sized prostate gland, a doctor would anticipate the prostate to be around 2-4cm long and triangular in shape.