Nearly Everything You Wanted To Know About BPH

BPH refers to an enlargement of your prostate. Medically termed it goes by benign prostrate hyperplasia but BPH is easier to say not to mention remember. This condition strikes older men and testosterone plays a role in its development.

QUESTION: Why is that?

It’s thought the prostrate enlarges twice during a man’s lifetime. First during puberty and then again when you reach around 25 years of age. But for the unlucky ones sometime during mid life their prostrate begins growing again – but very slowly. This slow progression is again a result of testosterone. You may not even recognize you’ve got an enlarged prostate until it starts pressing against the urethra producing some rather undesirable symptoms.

QUESTION: Exactly what are the symptoms?

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: Are there tests to detect BPH?

Usually the testing is straight forward. PSA blood work and a DRE. Both done more to rule out cancer than anything in most cases.

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 BPH is diagnosed, should you be worried?

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.

Originally posted 2009-09-30 05:18:24. Republished by Blog Post Promoter