Site search
sponsored by
News
Sports
Even before the “dash to the men's room” TV ads started being common, most middle-aged and olden men realized their prostate glands were subject to a “growing” problem.
Urgent and frequent trips to the bathroom, including several during the night, a weaker stream, straining, dribbling and other urinary problems are the ominous signs of trouble in the prostate.
Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is a non-cancerous condition that does not increase the risk of prostate cancer. Nevertheless, some men are confused as to why their prostate is causing urinary problems.
In the past, treatment was often invasive. Ads today suggest that treatment of an enlarged prostate is as easy as taking a pill, and sometimes it is.
All pills have side effects, however, and for some men the pills aren't enough.
Early treatment — when trips to the bathroom are merely a nuisance — may not be as urgent as the ads suggest. Unless the symptoms are bothering you, the American Urological Association advises considering a period of watchful waiting.
Studies indicate that mild symptoms clear up on their own in about a third of cases.
BPH can be a progressive disorder, however, with serious consequences. Ken, 78, is one who ignored a severe problem for too long. One evening, he was simply unable to urinate, despite the urgency and discomfort of an overly-filled bladder. He was taken to the emergency room for insertion of a catheter.
The prostate gland is located just below the bladder, where urine is stored, and part of it surrounds the urethra, the tube through which urine passes out of the body.
When the gland enlarges, it presses against this tube, slowing the movement of urine out of the body.
Ken's prostate had grown to the point that it was tightly clamping the urethra, and the problem was made worse by an over-the-counter cold remedy. He suffered what is known as acute urinary retention, a medical emergency.
More common, but less painful, is chronic urinary retention — an obstruction great enough to make it difficult to start urination and nearly impossible to completely empty the bladder. While chronic urinary retention is not an emergency, it definitely requires medical attention.
But what if your “growing problem” merely means too many trips to the toilet while you're on the golf course and two or three that wake you up in the middle of the night? One study concluded that for men without bladder obstruction, “there is no evidence to support the need for early treatment… beyond the obvious target of improving the patient's life.”
Men with early symptoms usually are able to manage them with lifestyle changes.
Don't wait too long when you feel the urge to urinate and empty the bladder completely each time. Stay physically active and lose weight. Go easy on caffeine and alcohol, and don't drink too much in the last hour or two before bedtime.
Not all urinary problems are caused by an enlarged prostate. Studies have found that among older persons, troubling lower urinary tract symptoms are about equally prevalent among men and women.
The medications currently approved for treating BPH are of two types: Proscar Avodart works by inhibiting the hormone that is most directly involved in the growth of the prostate. Hytrin, Cardura, Flomax and Uroxatral relax the smooth muscles of the prostate and the neck of the bladder.
A relief from the constant “dash to the men's room” is bound to sound appealing, but that appeal must be balanced against an understanding that all treatments, including drugs, come with short- and long-term side effects that are not always desirable.
Benign prostate hyperplasia is a disorder with symptoms that are readily noticed. It is important not to over react to early symptoms, but to use them as a guide in managing the condition and heading off the most serious consequences.
Urgent and frequent trips to the bathroom, including several during the night, a weaker stream, straining, dribbling and other urinary problems are the ominous signs of trouble in the prostate.
Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is a non-cancerous condition that does not increase the risk of prostate cancer. Nevertheless, some men are confused as to why their prostate is causing urinary problems.
In the past, treatment was often invasive. Ads today suggest that treatment of an enlarged prostate is as easy as taking a pill, and sometimes it is.
All pills have side effects, however, and for some men the pills aren't enough.
Early treatment — when trips to the bathroom are merely a nuisance — may not be as urgent as the ads suggest. Unless the symptoms are bothering you, the American Urological Association advises considering a period of watchful waiting.
Studies indicate that mild symptoms clear up on their own in about a third of cases.
BPH can be a progressive disorder, however, with serious consequences. Ken, 78, is one who ignored a severe problem for too long. One evening, he was simply unable to urinate, despite the urgency and discomfort of an overly-filled bladder. He was taken to the emergency room for insertion of a catheter.
The prostate gland is located just below the bladder, where urine is stored, and part of it surrounds the urethra, the tube through which urine passes out of the body.
When the gland enlarges, it presses against this tube, slowing the movement of urine out of the body.
Ken's prostate had grown to the point that it was tightly clamping the urethra, and the problem was made worse by an over-the-counter cold remedy. He suffered what is known as acute urinary retention, a medical emergency.
More common, but less painful, is chronic urinary retention — an obstruction great enough to make it difficult to start urination and nearly impossible to completely empty the bladder. While chronic urinary retention is not an emergency, it definitely requires medical attention.
But what if your “growing problem” merely means too many trips to the toilet while you're on the golf course and two or three that wake you up in the middle of the night? One study concluded that for men without bladder obstruction, “there is no evidence to support the need for early treatment… beyond the obvious target of improving the patient's life.”
Men with early symptoms usually are able to manage them with lifestyle changes.
Don't wait too long when you feel the urge to urinate and empty the bladder completely each time. Stay physically active and lose weight. Go easy on caffeine and alcohol, and don't drink too much in the last hour or two before bedtime.
Not all urinary problems are caused by an enlarged prostate. Studies have found that among older persons, troubling lower urinary tract symptoms are about equally prevalent among men and women.
The medications currently approved for treating BPH are of two types: Proscar Avodart works by inhibiting the hormone that is most directly involved in the growth of the prostate. Hytrin, Cardura, Flomax and Uroxatral relax the smooth muscles of the prostate and the neck of the bladder.
A relief from the constant “dash to the men's room” is bound to sound appealing, but that appeal must be balanced against an understanding that all treatments, including drugs, come with short- and long-term side effects that are not always desirable.
Benign prostate hyperplasia is a disorder with symptoms that are readily noticed. It is important not to over react to early symptoms, but to use them as a guide in managing the condition and heading off the most serious consequences.
