4 Things 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 does this happen?

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: What symptoms we talking about?

For red blooded guys they’re kinda embarrassing actually. You see the prostate lives in tight quarters to begin with. And as it expands it’s girth it starts to press on the urethra. Think what happens whey you put a kink in a garden hose. Things back up right. Output slows to a trickle. Same here. Sufferers experience the need to go frequently, with urgency, only to have trouble when standing in the bathroom. Problem is these symptoms are not all that different from those prostate cancer sufferers experience. Which is why it’s wise to consult with a physician to sort this out with the help of some tests.

QUESTION: Are there tests to 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 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 are the typical BPH treatments?

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.

And for those wanting to find out more about prostate cancer warning signs, get help with understanding PSA, or find out more about the latest prostate cancer treatment should stop by ProblemProstate.com. It’s not necessarily fun but it is necessary to learn all you can.

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