subject: Tired Of Waking Up At Night To Go To The Bathroom [print this page] Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia, or BPH affects more than 23 million men worldwide. It is often seen in men who are above 60 years of age. This is essentially a condition where the prostate gland swells up, thus blocking the passage of urine. This is a non cancerous growth of cells in the prostate, so there is no need to worry if your doctor has diagnosed you with it. In most cases, the condition is gone unnoticed, until one faces the problems of frequent urination at night or interrupted urine flow. This is mainly caused because the enlarged prostate partially or wholly blocks the urethra, which carries the urine from the urinary bladder, while passing through the prostate.
Since BPH is rarely seen in men below the age of 60, it is advised to those above the age of 60 and facing any urination problems to consult a doctor immediately and get checked for BPH. There are a number of symptoms associated with an enlarged prostate. Some include, weak urination stream or slow urination, partial clearance of the urinary bladder, frequent urination, passage of urine at irregular intervals, such as the urine stream starts and stops unnaturally and unable of start urination even when you want to urinate.
Although the exact cause and reasons behind this abnormal growth of the prostate is not clearly known, there are several treatment options available that have proven successful in removing this annoying condition.
Medications are one form of treatment for an enlarged prostate. Currently there are two types of medications available. First is Alpha Blockers. They do not cure the condition, but relax the muscles of the prostate and the bladder, so that urine flow is not interrupted. This is an effective measure for treating BPH condition at the lower stages. But the Alpha Blockers do not work on reducing the size of the prostate gland. Hence they are required to be taken twice a day, or as prescribed, so that urine discharge is not harmed throughout the day. However there are a few side effects to these kinds of drugs like headaches, dizziness and fatigue in most cases. So, you should consult your doctor before taking this medication.
Another medication is Alpha Reductase Inhibitors. These actually work by decreasing the size of the prostate gland. They lower the level of the male hormones in the prostate gland that are the major cause of the enlargement of the gland. Hence, the size of the enlarged prostate gradually decreases, thus improving your condition. Alpha Reductase inhibitors are to be taken orally once a day, but are effective only for the low and mid stages of this condition. Apart from this there are great side effects to this medication as they act by reducing the production of the male hormones in the prostate gland. Hence you might be facing erectile dysfunction, or reduced semen in some cases.
The next treatment option available is Surgery. Having surgery will cure the BPH condition by removing the prostate gland by surgical measures. Since the risk factors in cases of surgery are very high, one should only choose surgery if the BPH condition is at an advanced stage, or if the doctor recommends it.
Because an enlarged prostate is a curable disease, contact you doctor for immediate relief. The form of treatment will most likely be based on the severity and the extent to which it affects your daily life. If you have this condition, make sure to have a yearly exam to monitor the progression of your symptoms and determine if any changes in treatment are necessary. Don't let symptoms of an enlarged prostate get in the way of your life. Take action today!
