Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) or benign enlargement of the prostate is the most frequently diagnosed urologic disease in men over 50 years of age. Its causes are not yet fully known but this condition seems to be connected with hormonal changes that support growth of the prostate. As the prostate gradually grows, it compresses the urethra and irritates the bladder, which can negatively affect the quality of urination.
Which symptoms may be related to BPH?
Enlarged prostate can affect urination in different ways, and the combination of symptoms plus their "severity" may differ individually as well. In addition, there is no direct relation between the size of the prostate and the subjective urination problems.
Symptoms can be divided into the following groups for better understanding:
Voiding symptoms:
- weaker urine stream
- difficult start of urination (the stream takes more time to start, there is need for more push, etc.)
- intermittent urine stream
- bifurcated or splashing stream of urine
- prolonged end of urination
- the feeling of full bladder even after you have finished urinating
- dribbling at the end of urination or shortly after urination
Storage symptoms:
- more frequent need to urinate than in the past
- frequent night bathroom trips (known as nocturia)
- sudden urges to urinate
- involuntary leakage of urine (incontinence).
Support of the prostate function and treatment
Watchful waiting
If you are diagnosed with benign prostate enlargement, but do not suffer from annoying problems during urinating, which would negatively affect your quality of life, the doctor will usually recommend so-called watchful waiting. In other words, he will explain the nature of the disease, suggest options for changing your lifestyle aimed at reducing the symptoms and will invite you to regular check-ups at several months´ intervals. This way he will monitor your condition in the course of the following months (or even years) and if symptoms get worse, he will start treatment in time. Since the first symptoms appear, it is recommended to take food supplements to support proper function of the prostate and urinary tract.
Herbal preparations
These preparations are made from plant extracts which have proven (either by scientific studies and/or by traditional use) positive effect on the function of the prostate and urinary tract with mild or moderate signs. The most widely used extracts are e.g. from saw palmetto and nettle. The undeniable advantage of these natural ingredients is also the fact that their use does not bring basically any serious side effects.
Prescription medication
When symptoms worsen, the doctor may with respect to your overall health recommend prescription medication. The most commonly recommended group of drugs are so-called alpha blockers, which help to relieve the symptoms by relaxing the smooth muscles of the prostate and the bladder neck. This improves the urine flow and alleviates the feeling of bladder irritation.
Another option are the so-called 5-alfa-reductase inhibitors, which not only contribute to relieving of the symptoms, but also help to gradually shrink the prostate. Due to potential side effects on sexual function the treatment is usually recommended to men with more severe symptoms.
Surgical solution
Only in case of serious complications (e.g. urethral obstruction) the doctor will consider one of the surgical solutions. Thanks to the recent development in medicine, the urologists can choose for example so-called minimally invasive methods that have minimal risk of complications and allow for a shorter period of convalescence.