If you’re approaching the age of 55, you may be nearing the time for your first prostate exam. When 1 in 8 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer within their lifetime, it’s a crucial exam that helps providers detect this cancer in its earlier stages, leading to more successful treatment and a better prognosis. Since the risk of developing prostate cancer increases dramatically after the age of 50, it’s common to begin screening for it around this time.
However, if it’s your first time getting a prostate exam, we understand if you may be nervous or unsure about it. Here, we’ll tell you what to expect for your first prostate exam in St. Augustine, and how our team at Crescent Beach Care enhances your care to help you feel comfortable during this routine exam.
1) Schedule Your Appointment
Your provider will let you know during your annual wellness visit that it is time for you to undergo a prostate exam. We focus on accommodating you as much as we can to help you feel comfortable, so you can either have your exam during your wellness appointment or schedule it for another time.
If you prefer to have a male provider conduct your exam, we can schedule you with one of our male team members to ensure you are receiving quality care while remaining as comfortable as possible.
2) Your Exam
For your prostate exam, your provider will give you privacy while you undress from the waist down and cover yourself with a privacy sheet. Your doctor will return and have you stand and bend over slightly on the exam chair. They will then insert a gloved and lubricated finger into your rectum, feeling for any lumps or bumps on the back of the gland that would indicate the beginnings of cancer. While this may be uncomfortable, it should not be painful. Once completed, they will remove their finger and give you the privacy to get dressed.
3) Results
If your provider has any concerns, they may request another test, known as a PSA (prostate-specific antigen) blood test. You would get this drawn at an outside lab of your choice and have the results sent to your Crescent Beach Care provider. If they believe you do have prostate cancer based on your results, they will refer you to an experienced oncologist for further diagnosis and treatment.
However, if your provider does not find anything concerning during your exam, they will let you know that you seem healthy and cancer-free. Then they will talk with you about scheduling your next prostate exam in St. Augustine.
Stay On Top of Your Health
Cancer is a serious disease, and while tests like these may be uncomfortable, they help you monitor and stay in control of your health. We encourage you to stay diligent and request an appointment with one of our providers, or use our treatment planning tool to see if any of our other primary care services, fat loss treatments, or skin rejuvenation procedures would fit your needs.
