Correlation Between Erectile Dysfunction And Symptomatic Benign Prostatic Enlargement
The severity of ED was directly related to prostate size and men with larger prostate had ED compared to those with smaller prostate. Braun et al. noted that the prevalence of ED in men with BPE was 72% in their Cologne Male Survey involving approximately 5000 German men and this was similar to the high prevalence of 76.9% in men with BPE observed in this study. This shows that ED is common in men with BPE and further supports the need to consider ED in managing patients with symptomatic BPE. Raymond et al. in another clinic-based population study in Western countries observed that the prevalence of ED in patients with LUTS ranged from 41 to 71% with statistical significance . This finding was similar to that noted in this study with a P value of 0.001 which was statistically significant.
Ngai et al. noted a statistically significant correlation between ED and symptomatic BPE. This was similar to the observation made in this study which shows positive correlation between ED and symptomatic BPE with statistical significance . BPE may be an indicator of ED, and patients should be evaluated holistically due to the high prevalence of ED in men with symptomatic BPE and positive correlation between both pathologies .
Luts And Ed: Two Common Conditions In Aging Men Or Common Etiology
Histologic hyperplasia of the prostate typically occurs in men older than 40 years, with the prevalence increasing with advancing age.1 As the prevalence of histologic stromoglandular hyperplasia increases, so does the incidence of moderate to severe LUTS.4
Similarly, the prevalence of ED also increases with advancing age.5,6 Therefore, it is no surprise that, when queried, many patients presenting to their health care provider with complaints of LUTS will also have ED, and vice versa. This interrelationship has been substantiated in multiple studies demonstrating not only that patients with BPH and associated LUTS have ED but also that the severity of LUTS corresponds with the severity of ED.7
In an epidemiologic study conducted in Germany by Braun and colleagues,8 a validated questionnaire on ED was mailed out to men aged 30 to 80 years 4489 replies were received. Regular sexual activity was reported by 96% of men in the youngest group and up to 71.3% of those in the oldest group. Thirty-one percent to 44% of the responders were dissatisfied with their current sex life, and the overall prevalence of ED was 19.2%, with a steep age-related increase from 2.3% to 53.4%. Of interest, high comorbidity was found between ED and hypertension, diabetes, and pelvic surgery, as well as LUTS.
A strong age-independent relationship between severity of ED and severity of LUTS was also found in an epidemiologic study conducted in France by Macfarlane and colleagues.11
Searching For A Bph Solution That Wont Affect Your Erections Consider Urolift Or Aquablation In Jacksonville Fl
Theres no question that the risk of sexual dysfunction and urinary incontinence prevent countless men from pursuing BPH treatment each year. With breakthrough treatments, like UroLift and Aquablation, however, you no longer have to choose between BPH relief and a healthy sex life. To learn more about the comprehensive array of BPH solutions available at Kasraeian Urology, to schedule your one-on-one consultation with either of our Jacksonville, FL board-certified urologists Dr. Ahmad and Dr. Ali Kasraeian today.
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Ed Pills And Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia
No part of the human body is immune to the effects of aging. Many men face the double whammy of smaller erections and larger prostates as the clock ticks on. Although both erectile dysfunction and benign prostatic hyperplasia become much more common as men age, they are very different problems with separate causes, unique symptoms, and unrelated consequences. Until now, treatments for the two conditions have also been different in fact, medical and surgical therapies for BPH can sometimes even cause ED. But research suggests that the most popular and effective drugs for ED may substantially reduce the symptoms of BPH.
The Link Between Bph And Sexual Problems
Men with BPH have an enlarged prostate — the gland that surrounds the tube that carries urine. Symptoms include:
- Often feeling like you need to urinate
- Trouble starting and stopping urination
- Weak stream of urine
The symptoms may wake you up at night.
Scientists aren’t sure why, but they agree that the worse your BPH symptoms are, the more likely you’ll have sexual issues such as:
- Trouble keeping an erection
- Less sexual satisfaction
It may have something to do with genetics or age. It’s also possible that the sleeplessness or anxiety that can come from an enlarged prostate makes sexual problems worse.
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Enlarged Prostate This Treatment Can Help You Avoid Sexual Side Effects
Benign prostatic hyperplasia , or enlarged prostate, is a common condition in men older than age 50. BPH occurs when the prostate gland becomes enlarged and begins to press on the urethra the tube that carries urine out of the body.
When the prostate continues to grow, it can lead to urinary symptoms that include:
- Leaking or dribbling of urine
- Frequent nighttime awakenings to urinate
- Urinary retention or urgency
- A weak urine stream
BPH is not prostate cancer and it doesnt lead to cancer. However, the two conditions may have similar symptoms in the early stages
So its important that men who experience these symptoms be evaluated by a mens health specialist to rule out cancer and determine the best treatment options to relieve their symptoms.
Without treatment, BPH can lead to serious complications in some men, including incontinence, kidney or bladder damage, urinary tract infections and bladder stones. In some extreme cases, BPH can cause a total inability to urinate and require emergency catheterization.
Enlarged Prostate And Sexual Function
In the process of aging, many will develop a condition called Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia , AKA enlarged prostate, which can cause uncomfortable urinary symptoms and affect erectile function
Prostate enlargement and erectile dysfunction are two health problems which are common in men. However, although both are strongly associated with older age, one causes problems in the bedroom while the other in the bathroom.
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What Are The Treatments For Bph
Not everyone needs treatment for BPH. Treatment options depend on how much your symptoms bother you, your health, age, and the size of your prostate:
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Lifestyle changes may improve mild symptoms. They include:
- Drinking less before bedtime or going out
- Avoiding or cutting back on beverages with caffeine and alcohol
- Bladder training and exercising the muscles that control urine flow
- Preventing or treating constipation
Medicines can help mild to moderate symptoms by:
Sometimes combining 2 types of medicine helps more than taking just one type of medicine.
Medical procedures can help improve moderate to severe BPH symptoms when medicines don’t help enough. There are several different types of procedures. They all use an instrument inserted into the urethra to either:
Surgery may be helpful when symptoms are severe, other treatments haven’t helped, or you have another problem, such as bladder damage. Different types of surgery are used to:
Most BPH surgery is done with tools inserted into the urethra.
Your provider can explain the possible benefits and side effects of your treatment options so you can decide what’s best for you.
Can An Enlarged Prostate Cause Erectile Dysfunction
benign prostatic hyperplasia .
At one time, the relationship between BPH and Erectile Dysfunction was believed to be based solely on age: as men get older, their chances of having BPH increases, and thus so does the risk of erectile dysfunction. Older men are also more likely to have other risk factors for erectile dysfunction, including high blood pressure, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease, or to have undergone a procedure for prostate cancer.
However, several studies have indicated that BPH and the lower urinary tract symptoms that accompany it are associated with an increased incidence of erectile dysfunction. Theres also evidence that many of the treatments for an enlarged prostate can contribute to erectile dysfunction as well.
BPH can cause problems with urination, and some treatments can lead to sexual problems and other side effects.
An enlarged prostate may have a number of effects on a persons health, including their sex life.
An enlarged prostate directly affects a mans ability to urinate. These effects include: a frequent need to urinate a feeling of not emptying the bladder intense urges to urinate a weak urine stream problems starting or stopping urination
Prostate issues can also cause sexual problems. The extent of any sexual problem varies according to the condition of the prostate. Some common sexual side effects include:
- erectile dysfunction
These conditions may also vary according to:
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Blame Aging For Bph And Ed
BPH symptoms usually dont begin until after age 50, and they become more common the older you get. The same thing is true of erectile dysfunction . As you get older, your ability to have and maintain an erection declines. It is common that the men we see with BPH will also have erectile dysfunction, says Jason Hedges, M.D., a urologist at Oregon Health and Science University in Portland. So are the two connected? Its not necessarily that BPH cause ED, or ED causes BPH, but a lot of men will have both, says Dr. Hedges.
A New Treatment Option For Bph
Experts at University Hospitals now offer a new, minimally invasive approach to treat BPH called UroLift®.
Instead of removing prostate tissue, this procedure implants a device that pulls the prostate away from the urethra on both sides and holds it in place. This widens the urethra and restores normal urine flow.
Its like opening a curtain, says UH urologist Irina Jaeger, MD.
This procedure is a nice alternative, because the side effects are very minimal, it can be done in the doctors office in 15 minutes or less and very little sedation is required, she says. And the results are pretty instant.
UroLift®has been in use for six years. Studies have shown that the procedure is safe, effectively relieves symptoms and does not affect sexual function.
The only side effects are a little irritation immediately after the procedure. Patients are typically back to their normal routines within a day or two.
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Can A Swollen Prostate Cause Erectile Dysfunction
Medically reviewed by
Erectile dysfunction can affect your ability to get and maintain an erection.
It is a very common condition around 322 million men globally by 2025 are projected to experience persistent difficulty achieving and sustaining erections.
This condition may be caused by psychological factors like performance anxiety or stress.
Likewise, your medication for managing high blood pressure or ulcers or other conditions could also affect erectile functioning.
However, physical conditions like an enlarged prostate and prostatitis may account for many cases of erectile dysfunction.
Well be examining how a swollen prostate can lead to ED.
Well do this by looking through the links between benign prostatic hyperplasia, prostatitis and erectile dysfunction, their causes, as well as treatment options which may affect erectile abilities.
Presence Of Nitrergic Innervation In The Prostate And Cavernous Bodies
Some authors demonstrated there is intense nitrergic innervation in the prostate glandular epithelium, fibromuscular stroma and blood vessels of normal gland this innervation is diminished in BPH. On the other hand, the importance of nitric oxide in maintaining erectile function is well known .
Lee and colleagues studied a population of 372 men from Taiwan and found that polymorphism of eNOS gene G894T is more frequent in males presenting ED and LUTS/BPH . Such polymorphism was described in exon 7 of the eNOS gene, which encodes the enzymes that produces endothelial nitric oxide. This polymorphism causes a change in the amino acid sequence, resulting in altered activity of the enzyme and reduced production of nitric oxide . This finding shows that there may even be a genetic origin for the association between ED and BPH/LUTS.
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What Are The Symptoms Of Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia
The symptoms of BPH are mainly related to the lower urinary tract. Symptoms vary widely from person to person.
Some people may never get symptoms or have very mild symptoms, and others may eventually develop severe impacts that affect the bladder and kidneys and require medical treatment, including surgery. This often depends on where in the prostate the enlargement is.
Common symptoms include:
-
Pain or a feeling of difficulty urinating
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The feeling that the bladder hasnt completely emptied
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A poor/slow urine stream
What Is Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia
Benign prostatic hyperplasia is the technical term for an enlarged prostate. Its a widespread condition where the prostate gets bigger, often associated with older age. The majority of men will have some form of BPH by the age of 80. The word benign means that this growth is not because of cancer.
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Managing Sexual Concerns If You Have Bph
If you have an enlarged prostate, or BPH, you may experience sexual problems. But there are treatments that can help.
Studies have shown a connection between BPH and erectile dysfunction .
“It’s a complicated story, but men who get BPH often get ED. And men with ED get BPH,” says Kevin T. McVary, MD, urology professor at Southern Illinois University School of Medicine.
What Causes Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia
Its a little hard to say for sure what causes BPH.
What we do know for a fact is that men go through two main stages of prostate growth in their lives first at puberty, where the prostate doubles in size, and then growth begins around the age of 25 and continues during most of a mans life.
BPH is known to surface in this second stage, and mostly affects men above the age of forty. Autopsy data has found evidence of the condition in about 90 percent of men above the age of eighty.
The growth of the prostate in this second stage may be linked to androgens in the body. Men produce testosterone throughout their lives. They also produce estrogen the female hormone but only in small amounts.
When testosterone levels drop as they inevitably do with age a higher proportion of estrogen may remain.
This increase in the ratio of Estrogen or its receptors to testosterone may directly and indirectly affect the growth of prostate cells.
Another possible cause is DHT or dihydrotestosterone. This male hormone is a bit of a villain. It is a major cause of alopecia in men, but is however useful for the development and maintenance of the prostate.
Unfortunately, this role can be dangerous for the adult prostate, as DHT can cause excessive growth.
BPH may also result when there is an imbalance between the production and death of prostate cells. When the imbalance is in favor of cell proliferation, it can lead to BPH.
ED treatments, delivered
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The Elephant In The Room
Lets get to the point. Yes, BPH can affect your sex life.
It can cause a reduced sexual drive, there can be a reduction in sexual satisfaction, and thirdly, it can cause ED or erectile dysfunction. Erectile dysfunction is defined as the inability to attain and maintain an erection for intercourse at least 25% of the time.
Some drugs used to treat BPH can lead to ED. They can also reduce sperm count, lower sperm movement and sperm volume.
Yes, its complicated.
To continue, specifically, Proscar, an anti-testosterone drug prescribed for BPH has been linked to ED in 3.7% of men using it, with 3.3% having diminished libido, whereas alpha-blockers like Flomax can improve the symptoms of BPH with a lower risk of sexual side effects.
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The Basics: How An Erection Occurs
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Image: Hank Grebe/Getty Images |
Its usually difficult for a man to get another erection right away. The length of the interval between erections varies, depending on a mans age, his health, and whether he is sexually active on a regular basis. A young, sexually active man in good health may be able to get an erection after just a few minutes, whereas a man in his 50s or older may have to wait 24 hours. One reason may be that nerve function slows with age.
How Is Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia Treated
The treatment of BPH¹ varies. When diagnosing BPH, doctors can use a specially-designed survey to determine what symptoms youre experiencing and how much your quality of life is affected by it.
If symptoms are mild or do not affect your quality of life much, your doctor might delay treatment and see how the symptoms progress while providing advice about lifestyle changes to manage symptoms. Some changes might include reducing caffeine and alcohol and changing some medications.
Some people’s symptoms are more severe and affect their quality of life, or their mild symptoms might worsen.
In these situations, you may need medication. Your doctor may prescribe several types of medicines depending on how bad your symptoms are and any allergies or other conditions you may have.
Various medications work for different types of BPH. Some people have mainly storage symptoms. Drugs used for this type of BPH include:
Other men have mostly voiding symptoms. Treatments for voiding symptoms include:
Possible associations¹ exist between some medications that treat BPH and sexual problems like ED. These vary from person to person and by drug.
Surgical treatments for BPH are also available. Surgery is often necessary when medication has not relieved symptoms or improved quality of life. Your doctor may suggest it if symptoms are severe and cause other serious health impacts like bladder stones.
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