Enlarged Prostate? Treat It Before It Becomes a Bigger Issue

 By: Thomas Lanchoney, MD

Men, does this sound familiar?

You get out of bed to go to the bathroom – some nights more than once – but can’t seem to urinate much when you get there.

Difficulty urinating is a textbook symptom of an enlarged prostate, also called benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). By age 60 nearly half of all men have BPH. Other symptoms include:

• Incomplete emptying of the bladder
• Straining to urinate
• Sudden urges to urinate
• Weak urine stream
• Urinating more often than normal
• Urine leakage

This short quiz can help you determine if you have BPH.

Here’s Why an Enlarged Prostate Affects Urination

Your prostate, typically about the size of a walnut, sits just below your bladder. Your urethra, which carries urine from the bladder to your penis, runs right through the middle of your prostate. If your prostate is enlarged, it can squeeze the urethra and disrupt the flow of urine. In addition to disrupting your urine, an enlarged prostate can also cause urinary tract infections and bladder stones.

Here’s What You Can – and Should – Do About It

Although BPH is common as you age, you don’t have to live with it. In fact, early treatment can go a long way to preserving the health of your bladder.

The first line of treatment is changes to your lifestyle. You can reduce how often you need to urinate before heading out the door or during bedtime by limiting how much you drink beforehand. You can also decrease the number of times you need to urinate by avoiding or reducing alcohol and caffeine.

Many medications taken for other conditions can make your BPH symptoms worse. Your urologist can help you determine what medication changes, if any, may help.

In addition to lifestyle changes, your urologist may recommend medicines to treat your BPH. Pelvic exercises (Kegels) also may alleviate symptoms.

Don’t Give Up!

If the changes mentioned above don’t adequately improve your BPH symptoms, don’t give up. Treatment options for BPH continue to improve, and new options are frequently introduced. Your urologist can review each option with you and help you decide which is best for you. You don’t have to live with BPH!

An Enlarged Prostate Can Get Serious. So, Take it Seriously.

While for many men an enlarged prostate amounts to no more than a middle-of-the-night nuisance, if left untreated, a growing prostate can eventually compromise your overall health. To prevent this common condition from becoming a serious one, find a MidLantic Urology physician close to you.

Visit our website to learn more about the causes, diagnosis, and treatments we offer for enlarged prostate.