Prostate cancer is a common men’s cancer with no known cause. The growth and progression of this cancer varies greatly. Prostate cancer affects the prostate gland, but can travel to other areas of the body if not treated. Luckily, this cancer has many visual signs that can result in early diagnosis. To help lower the risk of prostate cancer, doctors recommend a healthy diet full of fruits and vegetables, regular exercise, not smoking, and for patients to maintain a healthy weight.

Also, men should be on the lookout for these common symptoms of prostate cancer:

1. Difficulty urinating
One of the first symptoms that men may recognize if they have prostate cancer is difficulty urinating. Your urinary habits and control will completely change if you have prostate cancer. Men often notice a decreased flow of urine with much less force than they once had. While force does decrease with age, this force can happen very quickly and will likely result in you noticing it.

2. Urinary frequency
Men may also have to visit the bathroom regularly to urinate. You may feel like you need to use the bathroom but when you go only a little amount comes out. This is a very typical symptom of prostate cancer. This results because the prostate gland enlarges and presses against the urethra, which can result in a difficult time urinating. When you notice a change in your urinary habits you should immediately seek help from a medical professional.

3. Pelvic pain
Another symptom that may affect those who have prostate cancer is pelvic pain. If you notice a dull or deep pain in your pelvic area or even stiffness around that area it could be a sign that you have prostate cancer. If you have a tumor in your prostate it could be pressing against your muscles and nerves which could cause pain in the pelvic area, surrounding bones, lower back, and ribs. This causes chronic pain for men and can be a serious issue so you should seek help quickly.

4. Blood in urine
There are several reasons why men may see blood in their urine, but one of the most common reasons why blood is in urine is because of prostate cancer. Blood in your urine is a common symptom of this cancer, but usually only presents itself near the end stages of the disease. It will come as a shock to anyone to see blood in urine and if you notice this you should visit a doctor right away to check your prostate.

5. Chronic fatigue
One of the most commonly found new symptoms of this cancer is chronic fatigue due to low red blood cell count. This is commonly known as anemia and can present itself in nearly 25 percent of all men who have prostate cancer. If you are constantly feeling tired and even exhausted after waking up or taking a nap it could be a sign that something is wrong. Chronic fatigue should be a reason to see your doctor and get a check-up.