Prostate BPH - what are the treatments

It is regular for the prostate glands of males to grow significantly during their teenage years. This slows down when they reach 25 and pushes through when they get to 50. By the time they are 80 years old, their prostate glands are very much enlarged. This enlargement of the prostate can occur earlier and it may be frightening since it could be cancerous. But there in another situation, the gland could enlarge, and the person should not be concerned about cancer – this condition is called prostate BPH or Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia.

An enlarged prostate or BPH is not prostate cancer. It is a ordinary condition specially among older men, age 50 years and above. Among those with prostate BPH, only 10 percent would need to be medically or surgically treated. Prostate BPH is also called Benign Prostatic Hypertrophy.

The prostate gland does not actually stop growing. This does not pose any trouble to any man until after he reaches his twilight years. The symptoms are hardly felt by men below 40 , but the men who are aged 60 up can feel the symptoms of prostate BPH.

When the prostate grows bigger and bigger, the tendency of the adjacent tissues is to hinder its further growth. This results to the restraint on the urethra, since the prostate gland is forced upon it. The man’s bladder will get irritated and will begin to contract even if there is just minimal amount of urine in there. After a while , the bladder will fail to function properly causing urine to stay in the bladder.

Prostate BPH shows the following symptoms that you have to watch out for:

Problems with urination – weak stream of urine, leaking, frequent urination at night, straining feeling, sudden urges to urinate
Weak bladder
Kidney failure
Backflow of urine that results to infection on the bladder or kidney

The signs differ and the size of the prostate does not always say how severe the state is. There are men with prostate BPH that shows no obstruction at all and thus, show no symptoms. There are those who have less enlarged glands however they have more severe symptoms because of bigger obstructions.

When you practice any problems urinating, you should inform your doctor at once. Eighty percent of the cases are suggestive of prostate BPH, but the rest could be more grave and will need immediate treatment.

Those that have untreated prostate BPH may develop a lot more serious problems like:
Urinary Tract Infection because of urine retention and straining of the bladder
Bladder damage
Kidney damage
Bladder stones
Incontinence

There are three ways to treat prostate BPH – watchful waiting, drug therapy, or surgery. Watchful waiting includes yearly checkups to observe the gland and its growth. This method restricts alcoholic drinks and caffeine. Patients are asked to empty their bladders whenever urinating. If you need to unload, you shouldn’t keep it waiting. Unload at once and frequently.

As for the drug cure , only your attending doctor can prescribed the medications that can help you with the symptoms . Be wary of those over the counter medicines that can only make things worse.

Surgery is the last option but this is one of the common ways to take care of prostate BPH in the United States. Surgery is best for severe cases.