Things That Increase PSA Levels

Things that increase PSA levels may have nothing to do with an unhealthy prostate. In fact, if your prostate gland is naturally very small or very large, your “normal” PSA (prostate-specific antigen) level may be lower or higher than the accepted average.

Although the risk of finding prostate cancer increases as the PSA levels rise, the numbers reflect risk only: many things that increase PSA levels are not related to prostate cancer risk and appear in men who do not have prostate cancer. Of course, your first reaction is “I must have cancer!” but that is not always the case. And a higher than normal PSA  shouldn’t be a reason to immediately run to having a biopsy, which is a highly invasive procedure.

Also, some men with certain genes have a genetically higher base PSA level that can show an increase level of up to 10% above what is considered normal. Only a genetic test can determine whether you have this specific gene or not.

Remember also that a high PSA is not a disease in itself. Your PSA level is a indicator of some form of disorder that is affecting the prostate, cancer, BPH, trauma or something else as detailed below. So you need to treat the underlying condition, not the PSA itself. Many men who have generally declining prostate health suffer from BPH or prostatitis and lifestyle, exercise, nutrition, prostate supplements and other changes can help with restoring your health.

With that in mind, here are 15 things that increase PSA levels: 

1. Advancing age, as PSA tends to rise gradually as men grow older;
2. Having a digital rectal exam (DRE) of the prostate, which can irritate the prostate. So make sure your healthcare provider always takes your PSA BEFORE undertaking a rectal exam;
3. Prostate biopsy or surgery, both of which also can irritate the prostate. Doctors typically wait several weeks after a prostate biopsy to allow PSA levels to return to baseline so that the reading can be more accurate. Imagine what having 12-20 spikes injected in to your prostate must do to PSA levels!;
4. Catheterization (having been recently catheterized because of a surgical procedure or other situation). This can increase PSA levels;
5. Urinary tract infection, which irritates the prostate;
6. Urinary tract surgery (prostate irritation);
7. Use of certain chemotherapy drugs or prostate drugs, such as finasteride, dutasteride, flutamide, nilutamide, and bicalutamide;
8. Recent ejaculation and having too much sex, both of which can cause a mild, temporary rise in PSA. So make sure you abstain from any form of sex which includes ejaculation at least 24 hours before having a test;
9. Riding a bicycle, which may cause a mild, temporary increase in PSA. Avoid bike riding and other similar activities like riding on a tractor or horse;
10. Sports injuries to the pelvic region;
11. Use of sports supplements taken by athletes (especially body builders) that can cause a rise in testosterone level;
12. Pelvic injury or trauma to the prostate;
13. Prostatitis (and the symptoms associated with it). One of the things that increase PSA levels is a prostate infection like prostatitis, and so it can be a diagnostic tool to determine whether you have prostatitis;
14. An enlarged, noncancerous prostate gland (benign prostatic hyperplasia, BPH) (and the symptoms associated with it). An elevated PSA can indicate the presence of BPH;
15. Prostate cancer (and the symptoms associated with it);

So the message is, don’t panic. If your PSA is slightly above normal think of the lifestyle aspects that may have caused this increase. Also, what is important is the base PSA and the fluctuations over time. If you have a constant PSA of 3 for five years for example there generally may be no reason to panic as you may have a constant infection like prostatitis or BPH. If your PSA increases  however from 3 to 10 in a short period then that would require more immediate attention.

Many things influence PSA levels so make sure you look at all the factors that are relevant to you before deciding on whether to undertake more invasive diagnosis to determine whether it is prostate cancer.

http://www.prostate.net/2010/articles/lists/15-things-that-increase-your-psa/