Most men don't like to discuss their health problems and they really are uncomfortable discussing personal matters like an enlarged prostate, a condition that affects urination. Perhaps they'd ease up if they knew that the problem, called benign prostatic hyperplasia, is fairly common.

As we age, BPH occurs to some degree in most men. This is due to changes in the ratio of the male hormone, testosterone, to the female hormone, estrogen. Males who are obese are more likely to have this condition as fat converts testosterone to estrogen.

Inflammation is a common issue for the prostate, often causing it to grow larger and become irritated. Changes that affect how the bladder works can cause the prostate to become enlarged. However, the classic urinary tract symptoms in aging men are associated with prostates of all sizes.

Although sexual problems may be present as well, symptoms typically occur in the bathroom. Men may have frequent urination, difficulty in starting to urinate, have a weak urine stream, urination that awakens them multiple times during the night, painful urination, urgency in passing urine or a feeling that they have to use the bathroom but nothing to show for it.

Don’t be afraid to discuss this with your doctor.

Dr. Martin Resnick, professor and chairman of the urology department at Case Western University, is aware of this. "In my observation, women can discuss sexuality and sexual health issues much more openly than men." Does that mean men avoid the subject altogether? Not exactly. "Certainly men think about it, but women verbalize it." You don't often hear guys engaged in serious, productive talk about urethras or prostate glands. It just doesn't happen. There's a reason guys use euphemisms for their privates.

Dr. Resnick says that the problem is a familiar one: the fragile male ego. "Men are reticent to go to the doctor - any doctor - to begin with. When they need to see a urologist, you have a lot of hesitation. "And if there is a health problem, it's like an attack on the patient's manliness, on his view of himself as an omnipotent male. He feels threatened. A man's image of himself, especially as he gets older, is tied to his sexual health and performance. If he remains sexually virile, perhaps he's not really aging."

There's the potentially scary "bad news" factor, but that's not all. For guys, there's no getting around the thought of the urological physical exam. But is there really anything to worry about?

Men don't have to suffer in silence, though. A top formula for prostate health, Prostate Health Essentials (click here to view), can shrink you enlarged prostate in 5-7 days. It guarantees that you'll get relief from the aggravating symptoms of common prostate problems.

 Don’t fear discussing your health with your family and doctor.  They only want what’s best for you.