Benign prostatic hyperplasia is something that most old men suffer from. The prostate is simply a small gland under the bladder and around the urethra, which enlarges slowly and is benign but can bring in several urinary symptoms, significantly affecting the quality of life. BPH does not associate directly with cancer, but its effects really stay on an annoying and disturbing level.
Know the Red Flags: Symptoms of BPH
The general trend is that, for the most part, BPH symptoms develop gradually, and the way men experience the symptoms is quite unique. Common ones include:
- The Hesitation of Poor Weakened Stream: Hesitation either at the beginning or during the flow of the stream, combined with the feeling that the bladder is not fully empty, can be time-wasting and annoying.
- Frequency and urgency: There will be increased frequency of urination with urgency, and nocturia, a disturbance in sleep, and then consequent fatigue. Sudden desire to pass water This is an abrupt urge to pass water that can result in accidental leakages.
- Dribbling and Incomplete Emptying: The condition is most embarrassing and irritating when the dribbling of urine occurs post-micturition with incomplete emptying.
- Other symptoms: The most severe cases result in BPH giving rise to other symptoms. Some include hematuria, urinary tract infections, and even the complete retention of urine—a purely medical emergency.
Navigating the Treatment Landscape: Choices of BPH
Luckily, treatment for BPH has several alternatives, and mostly, it will be based on the severity of symptoms, health considerations of the individual, and personal preference.
- Watchful Waiting: If the symptoms are not that problematic, or at times, not a problem at all for the man with the condition, then watchful waiting can be done. In other words, this is keeping a check of one’s status—making sure lifestyle has been altered like reducing the intake of caffeine and alcohol, achieving a healthy weight, and exercises for bladder training.
- Medications: A number of medications are very effective in the treatment of symptoms. The alpha-blockers, such as tamsulosin and terazosin, act by relaxing the muscles around the prostate and the neck of the bladder to ease urine flow. A second class of drugs is the 5-alpha reductase inhibitors, such as finasteride and dutasteride, which gradually reduce prostate growth. This usually starts after several months.
- Minimally Invasive Treatments: These are far less invasive than standard surgery and very often prove to be a good choice for men with moderate to severe symptoms who are not candidates or who do not want major surgery. Alternatives include :
- TUMT: Transurethral microwave therapy. This works in the same way: microwaves heat and destroy extra prostate tissues.
- Transurethral needle ablation (TUNA): Applies radiofrequency energy to cause the death.
- Water vapor therapy: It involves using steam to heat and shrink the enlarged prostate.
In the prostatic urethral lift, two or more implants elevate and hold enlarged prostate tissue to relieve compression on the urethra.
- Surgery: This would be only if all other treatments fail or where such treatments would become very severe. Surgery is through the means of a TURP which stands for Transurethral Resection of the Prostate in this type of surgery, parts of the prostate tissues are cleaned through the urethra. Other surgical methods include the laser surgery, open prostatectomy and robotic-assisted prostatectomy.
On the Right Track: Getting the Best Medicine
It is one of those quests in search of the “best drug for BPH symptoms.” The fact is that there is no universal answer to this question, as it will depend on its benefits against the possible adverse reactions that a certain drug may result in. What proves very effective to one might not be to the other.
Nowhere is this more important than in candid and truthful sharing of everything on your part vis-à-vis your symptoms, pre-existing conditions, other drugs you may be taking, and your personal preferences. This would enable you to discuss exactly what benefits and side effects each medication might present with him or her before you make a decision on what would work for you the best.
This model embraces natural and Ayurvedic treatments.
Apart from orthodox medical treatment, a significant number of men resort to natural remedies and Ayurveda as adjuncts to a management plan for BPH.
- Saw Palmetto: The traditional use of saw palmetto berries was in herbal medicine in the maintenance of good prostate health. A few studies can support this claim for the indication that saw palmetto works for relieving urinary symptoms and reduces frequency of urination at night.
- Pygeum Africanum: the extract of the bark of an African plum tree, which reportedly has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, which perhaps possess some benefits to prostate health or relieve symptoms associated with BPH.
Other Herbal Preparations:
Other than these major ones, today many more herbs are in use—though mainly the aforementioned ones—for the alleviation of symptoms of BPH, all to varying degrees through their pharmacological properties.
Although these natural cures could offer some comfort, you would likely wish to check in with your healthcare provider before adding any new supplement to your regime. You are supposed to discuss it with a health care provider, to learn which of these alternative solutions is safe and proper for you without interaction with other medicinal products you might be using.
Understand: BPH with LUTS : a double dilemma
LUTS refers to a set of syndromic symptoms that involve the bladder, prostate, and urethra. Important causes of LUTS among men include benign prostatic hyperplasia. Other causes are due to urinary infections, bladder stones, and some neurologic conditions.
This means that in such cases, treatment will be oriented when both conditions are simultaneous: the usually benign prostatic hyperplasia inside the prostate and the urinary symptoms that accompany it. Treatment may start from lifestyle changes or even advance to medical, minimally invasive, or surgical procedures in cases of serious grades of BPH and LUTS.
Balancing the risks: The possible side effects
Of course, side effects are remembered to the mind which may arise upon addition to the mix for symptomatic relief and BPH treatment.
- Medications: Side effects from medications are quite diverse, but may include feelings of dizziness, fatigue, sexual dysfunction, or a change in one’s blood pressure.
- Any endoscopy or intervention, including surgery, is potentially associated with the complications of bleeding, infection, urinary incontinence, and impotence.
You’ll then be better placed even to speak with your health care provider about such possible side effects, so that you can begin making good decisions about your care. This is supported by understanding the risks and benefits involved in each decision within the framework of your priorities and values.
Embrace Holistic Approach to your BPH: Journey of Wellness
That really sounds very imposing but, in fact, is quite manageable with the right kind of information and holistic approach. With the ability to know what one can expect in symptoms, one can go through its various treatments either through medication, natural remedies, or a change in lifestyle.
But remember, you’re in this fight together with millions of other men around the world who are navigating through the affliction of BPH. Anyone with enough information and a plan to support treatment can comfortably swim along with this condition, go back to a good life quality.
