Beneficial Advice On BPH
BPH or benign prostrate hyperplasia, (see why it goes by BPH?) is a non cancerous enlargement of the prostrate. It generally occurs in older men and is believed to be triggered by male hormones like testosterone.
QUESTION: What’s up with that?
In way of background, a man’s prostate likely enlarges twice as men mature. Puberty is the first time. Then when you hit somewhere around 25 years old. But the unlucky enough, and most men turn out to be unlucky well, they get a third round of growth. During middle age their prostate slowly grows once more. Most are not even aware this is going on until the enlarged prostate begins to press against the urethra resulting in some symptoms few view with undiluted pleasure.
QUESTION: What symptoms we talking about?
They symptoms can be rather embarrassing. With your prostate squeezing against the urethra, well, this results in the kinds of problems you’d see if you put a kink in a garden hose. Water backs up while what does come out does so with reduced force. Same with this. You’ll notice the need to use the bathroom takes on some urgency. Feeling the need to use it can increase dramatically. While once you get there the ability to do what you feel you need to is inhibited. These are much the same symptoms you see with prostate cancer. Which is why a visit to your physician is called for to determine what’s what though some tests.
QUESTION: Which tests detect BPH?
The usual tests are simple enough. In the doctors office you’ll undergo a DRE and blood work to measure PSA levels. These are done to rule out cancer more than tell you you’ve got an enlarged prostate.
The DRE involves the bending over part while your doctor probes your prostate with their digit to size it up. Hence the term digital rectal exam. The blood work is looking for the amount of antigen (PSA) in your blood. Since the larger the prostate the more of the PSA will be present. Some may recommend a urine flow rate be done at this point too.
QUESTION: If you are diagnosed with BPH should you worry?
You should pay attention but not be overly concerned. Yes this is an annoying problem. But it can be managed successfully for most. Usually with drugs. But you can not ignore it completely as it can come back to haunt you by damaging your bladder or kidneys down the road.
Here’s a rule of thumb to remember. 40/40/20. For 40%, their symptoms will improve A second 40% will see theirs stabilize. While 20% will experience increasing difficulties. You may be in the last group if you’ve got a lower flow rate, bigger prostate and higher PSA readings. Sorry.
QUESTION: What type of treatment is used for BPH?
Three drugs are commonly prescribed. Flomax or Proscar work on the size of the prostate. While alpha blockers relax the surrounding muscle tissue and as a bonus help with high blood pressure. Those who don’t respond to drugs likely have surgery or something like radio-frequency energy treatments in their future to remove prostate tissue to relieve the problems.
As a men’s health enthusiast Leonard Z Sennish has written extensively about various topics including prostate cancer warning signs plus the latest treatment on prostate cancer. He’s contributed many articles to the leading men’s health site ProblemProstate.com. Why not stop by now?
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