Enlarged Prostate Gland Can Be a Big Issue Necessitating BPH Treatment

May 2, 2019

It’s become an increasingly common problem in the United States and across the world—men with an enlarged prostate gland. This is especially common among men over age 50, so much so that by age 60, approximately half of all men will have an enlarged prostate, a condition referred to in the medical community as benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). The percentage of men suffering from this condition reaches 90 percent by age 85.

It is important to note that BPH does not come with an increased risk of conditions such as prostate cancer or sexual dysfunction. However, it can have an effect on a person’s quality of life, including problems with urination that can be both annoying and embarrassing. These include more frequent trips to the bathroom, and more waking up to urinate in the middle of the night. BPH treatment can help combat these issues.

Because the condition sets in so gradually, many men simply think this is a part of the aging process, rather than anything they need to be concerned about. Therefore, people often do not realize they have an enlarged prostate until they are diagnosed with the condition by a doctor.

What men often do not realize is that as they age, the prostate can grow from about the size of the walnut to the size of a lemon. Medical researchers are not entirely sure why this happens, but there is a belief that there are some male hormones that start to have a stronger effect on the prostate gland later in their lives.

The prostate is positioned right underneath the bladder in your body, so the larger the prostate becomes, the more pressure it places on the urethra, which carries urine away from the bladder and out of the body. This is why an enlarged prostate is associated with urination problems. You could have problems with starting to urinate or with dribbling, or might feel like you’re unable to empty your bladder entirely. It’s also possible that you’ll experience pain in your urination, or that you’ll have to go to the bathroom more frequently.

Treatment possibilities

The most common form of treatment offered by doctors for an enlarged prostate is medication, and there are a variety of possibilities here. Doctors frequently prescribe alpha blockers and 5-alpha-reductase inhibitors (5-ARIs).

Alpha blockers relax the muscles located around the prostate to allow the urine to flow more easily through the bladder and urethra. This medication can help some common BPH symptoms clear up within just a couple days. 5-ARIs, meanwhile, shrink the prostate gradually so it stops placing pressure on the urethra. After six months to a year, the drug can reduce the prostate’s size by about 25 percent.

If you believe you may be suffering from BPH and are interested in learning more about the causes of the condition and the various BPH treatments that may be available to you, we encourage you to contact Epilobium Inc. today and to schedule an appointment with your doctor as soon as you can.

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