> > > One Crazy Prostate Trick All Men Over 40 Should Try
Symptomatic treatment of an enlarged prostate usually involves a combination of medication and lifestyle changes. A diet rich in fruits and vegetables may be the best option if you suffer from chronic urination. It will help the body adjust to the increased size of the prostate. Also, taking regular urination intervals will help retrain the bladder to function properly. Inactivity also contributes to urine retention, and cold temperatures can increase the urge to urinate.
Invasive treatment of enlarged prostate includes medication that relieves the pressure on the urethra and bladder. However, if the condition is severe, it may require surgical intervention. If treatment is not successful, the enlarged prostate can become a potentially life-threatening disease. As the hormone levels in the body change, the enlarged prostate can lead to various complications, including urinary retention and even cancer. This is why it is critical to see a doctor for further evaluation.
Drugs Can Clear Congestion Without Punishing Prostate
- PEOPLE’S PHARMACY Joe and Teresa Graedon
Q. I control my symptoms of enlarged prostate with medication. The trouble with prostate problems is that you can’t take decongestants with a cold, because they can make it hard to urinate.
I usually rely on a vaporizer when I catch a cold, but with the last one I had horrible chest congestion. In desperation, I took Mucinex DM for the congestion, and then realized that I might be in for difficulties urinating.
To my great surprise, I was able to urinate normally. In addition, I found that it opened my nasal passages. I’m so glad to have found something I can use for a cold.
A. Decongestants can indeed cause urinary difficulty for men with enlarged prostates. Mucinex DM contains the expectorant guaifenesin and the cough suppressant dextromethorphan. These compounds are unlikely to cause prostate problems.
Otc Meds And Urinary Symptoms In Men With Enlarged Prostates
You may have heard that urinary problems, such as the inability to pee, can occur when you take cold medications. Or, perhaps, you took a cold medication and are wondering why you aren’t able to urinate.
Prostate problems and medications for an enlarged prostate don’t always mix with medications for the cold or flu, as these common over-the-counter cold meds can cause urinary retention, making it harder for your body to release urine.
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What If I Forget To Take It
If you miss a dose of tamsulosin, and you remember within 6 hours, take the missed dose as soon as you remember. If it’s more than 6 hours, skip the missed dose and take your next dose at the usual time the next day.
Do not take a double dose to make up for a forgotten dose.
If you forget doses often, it may help to set an alarm to remind you.
You could also ask your pharmacist for advice on other ways to help you remember to take your medicine.
Tests Used To Check The Prostate
This first step lets your doctor hear and understand the “story” of your prostate concerns. You’ll be asked whether you have symptoms, how long you’ve had them, and how much they affect your lifestyle. Your personal medical history also includes any risk factors, pain, fever, or trouble passing urine. You may be asked to give a urine sample for testing.
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Men With Prostate Trouble Should Avoid Some Cold Medicines
4 Min Read
With cold and flu season in full swing, experts are warning men who have an enlarged prostate to avoid medicines containing antihistamines and decongestants.
Its very important that men with enlarged prostate avoid cold medicines with pseudoephedrine or phenylephrine. Those are ingredients in decongestants and they constrict the prostatic capsule and lead to urine retention, said Dr. Gregory T. Bales, a urologist at the University of Chicago Medical Center. Antihistamines arent quite as bad, because they work more on the bladder muscle, but they can cause bladder contractility.
Enlargement of the prostate, formally known as benign prostate hyperplasia , results from increased cell growth in and around the prostate gland. The increased growth can constrict the urethra and decrease urine flow. Men with the progressive disease often have difficulty urinating and the urge to go more frequently.
BPH is more common in older men, because as men age their prostate continues to grow. Nearly 80 percent of men age 50 and older will be diagnosed with some degree of the disease, said Dr. William Catalona, a urologist with Northwestern Universitys Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago.
We dont know what causes benign prostatic enlargement, its one of the great mysteries, and we really wish we did because its such a prevalent condition, Catalona told Reuters Health. Sometimes men need to get up every hour at night.
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We think the warning on pseudoephedrine-containing OTC decongestants is inadequate. It reads: Ask a doctor if you have trouble urinating due to an enlarged prostate gland. Many men who dont normally have trouble urinating can still end up in trouble after taking this decongestant.
Q: As far back as I can remember, my stool has floated. I never worried about it until I saw something on the web about pancreatic cancer and floating poop.
I did some research and found that if you have pale poop that floats, it could be serious. There might be something wrong with the gallbladder, liver or pancreas. Since I have lived with this for decades, I reasoned that it probably wasnt pancreatic cancer, or I would be long gone.
Additional searching turned up celiac disease as another possibility. I have experienced quite a few symptoms of celiac disease besides tan, floating poop, though my doctors have dismissed my problems when Ive asked.
Ive stayed off wheat for several weeks and feel better. What else should I be doing?
A: Celiac disease is an inability to digest the protein in wheat, barley and rye. Such foods destroy the lining of the small intestine in those who have celiac disease.
Q: I suffered for years with chronic canker sores. I read that SLS in toothpaste can trigger this painful problem. How do I find toothpaste without SLS?
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Is Your Cold Medicine Worsening Your Enlarged Prostate
With winter looming just around the corner, most of you are probably already feeling the effects of the colder weather, with colds and flus slowly invading your workspace. However, did you know that some cold medicines can upset BPH? In this blog, I talk about the different types of medicines that might affect your condition and offer safer alternatives.
Dr. Jen Tan
What Medications Should I Avoid If I Have An Enlarged Prostate
Many popular nonprescription cold and allergy medications contain decongestants that can cause the bladder neck to contract. This restricts urine flow and can lead to the complete closure of the bladder opening and cause acute urinary retention. For this reason, these cold and allergy medications are labeled with warnings against their use if a person has benign prostatic hyperplasia — enlarged prostate. While short-term use of these medicines is unlikely to be a significant problem, chronic use should be avoided. Antihistamines also can cause problems because they may interfere with the ability of the bladder to contract. If you think you need medications for allergies, talk to your primary healthcare practitioner about prescription medications that do not cause urinary symptoms.
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Prostate Medications And Cold Medications May Not Mix Well
If you are taking a medication for an enlarged prostate, it’s important to know which category of medication you are using, whether it is an alpha-blocker or a 5-alpha-reductase inhibitor.
If you are taking an alpha-blocker, combining these drugs with cough or flu medications isn’t a good idea. Since cold medications such as pseudoephedrine work on alpha-adrenergic receptors, taking a cold medication that blocks the receptors negates any effect of your prostate drug. The cold medicine blocks the signal to the smooth muscle in the prostate to keep the channel open. In essence, you’re waging a pharmaceutical war against yourself! As an example, alpha agonists like Sudafed , work directly against alpha-blockers like Flomax.
Medications that are classified as alpha-blockers include:
Those that are used only for prostate issues include:
The Initial Causes Prostate Friendly Cold Medicine
One of the first symptoms of prostate issues is pain or tenderness in the groin or lower back. This can be the result of a noncancerous condition called enlarged prostatic tissue, or it could be an infection of the bladder. In either case, its important to see a doctor as soon as possible. If youre suffering from prostate pain, you may want to consider reducing your caffeine intake.
Another symptom of a potentially enlarged prostate is difficulty starting a stream of urine, leaking, or dribbling. These symptoms are not serious, but theyre still alarming. Most men put up with an enlarged prostate for years before seeking medical attention, but they typically seek treatment as soon as they notice symptoms. Even if you dont have symptoms, its worth getting checked to determine if you have any prostate issues.
If you experience nightly bathroom runs, you may be experiencing an enlarged prostate. You may be having difficulty starting a stream of urine, or you may even be dribbling or leaking during the day. These problems arent life-threatening, but can become a nuisance. You should not ignore these signs and seek treatment as soon as you notice them. If you feel any of these symptoms, you should consult a doctor.
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Remedies For An Enlarged Prostate
Even if you have an enlarged prostate, that does not mean you must live with the symptoms for the rest of your life. Your doctor might advise one of several approaches to coping with BPH, including lifestyle changes, medication changes, and other treatments. The remedies and treatments available will depend on your own health situation and how disruptive the symptoms have become.
Get Sufficient Exercise
Exercise can improve with your overall fitness, as well as benefit your prostate health. Studies have shown a connection between increased physical activity and reduced risk of BPH, with exercise of any type having some degree of benefit.
Seated activities, such cycling, can put pressure on the perineum and groin. This can lead to numbness or pinched nerves. To avoid these issues, make sure you utilize a wide seat and engage in a variety of activity types.
You can also try Kegel exercises to strengthen your pelvic muscles and reduce urine dribbling. To do these exercises, squeeze the muscles that affect urine flow and then release, repeating several times to train the muscles.
Slow Down
When you head to the bathroom, make sure you slow down. When you relax your muscles and leave time to account for delayed urine and possible dribbling, you’re much more likely to completely empty your bladder. Urine that remains in the bladder because of an enlarged prostate can lead to urinary tract infections or painful bladder stones.
Reduce Caffeine and Alcohol Consumption
What You Need To Know About The Prostate Cold Medicine Enlarged Prostate
A enlarged prostate can also cause blockages in the urethra. A blocked urethra can also damage the kidneys. A patient suffering from an enlargement of the prostate may have pain in his lower abdomen and genitals. If pain is present, a digital rectal examination will reveal hard areas. A doctor may prescribe surgery or perform an endoscopic procedure. If the enlarged prostate is not completely removed, it will shrink.
While the size of an enlarged prostate will influence the extent of urinary symptoms, men may experience a range of urinary symptoms. Some men have minimal or no symptoms at all. Some men will have a very enlarged prostate, whereas others will have a mild enlargement. Generally, the symptoms can stabilize over time. Some men may have an enlarged prostate but not notice it. If they have an enlarged colon, their physician can perform a TURP procedure.
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The Common Cold: Advice For The Patient
We all get a cold from time to time, and we wonder how to get rid of it. The bad news: there is no cure . . . yet. The good news: you can prevent colds. If you do get a cold, however, you can treat the symptoms. The common cold is caused by 1 of more than 200 known viruses, so antibiotics are not effective treatments. Symptoms appear gradually and include congestion, sneezing, sore throat, and sometimes a cough.
Is It a Cold or the Flu?
Once you start feeling bad, it is important to determine whether your symptoms are caused by the common cold or the flu. If you become sick quickly, have joint pain or aches, or have a high fever, chances are you have the flu, which is caused by the influenza virus. The best way to prevent the flu is to get a yearly flu shot. Like the common cold, there is no cure for the flu, and antibiotics are not helpful in treating the flu either. Some over-the-counter products and remedies, however, can help you feel better and make dealing with the flu or a common cold a little bit easier.
An Ounce of Prevention
Because there is no known cure for the common cold, prevention is key to keeping colds away. Most of the time, you acquire a cold virus by touching your eyes, nose, or mouth with an object that has the cold virus on it. Therefore, to help avoid catching a cold:
The Course of a Cold
Medications and Symptom Relief
What Are the Ingredients in Cold Medicines?
When to Call Your Doctor
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> > > All Natural Technique Fixes Enlarged Prostate Watch Here< <
Surgical procedures to remove the diseased prostate are usually necessary. Surgical procedures are not always necessary. If the disease is caused by bacterial infections, a doctor can treat the symptoms using alpha-blockers or surgery. Physical therapy, relaxation exercises, and warm baths are all recommended. A physician may also prescribe antibiotics to cure the infection. A bacterial infection can also cause a recurrence of the condition.
An enlarged prostate can be uncomfortable for both men and women. Some of the symptoms of an enlarged male reproductive organ include a weakened urine stream, urgent need to urinate, and urinary tract infections. BPH can also cause damage to the kidneys. A sudden inability to urinate can be life-threatening, as it can lead to bladder and kidney damage. Unfortunately, most men with enlarged prostrates put up with the symptoms for years before they seek treatment. However, many of the men with symptoms finally decide to go to a doctor for proper gynecological evaluation and to begin enlarged prostatic therapy.
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Do All People With Bph Require Medication
A person may not need treatment for a mildly enlarged prostate that is not causing significant symptoms. In such cases, a person may need to visit a urologist for regular checkups and may need treatment only if the symptoms become problematic.
If the symptoms of BPH begin to bother a person, a doctor may prescribe medication to shrink the prostate or stop its growth. This may reduce associated symptoms such as:
Prostate Medications That Don’t Interfere Directly With Cold Medications
There are prostate medications which do not directly interfere with cold medications. These drugs, known as 5-alpha reductase inhibitors include:
- Proscar or Propecia
Keep in mind that these drugs will not interfere directly with cold medicines , but taking cold medications could still result in urinary retention.
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Alternate Treatments That Wont Affect The Prostate
Vapor rubs using topical preparations containing camphor, menthol, eucalyptus and other aromatic oils may be applied to the neck and chest at bedtime or vaporized in a machine during sleeping hours. There is some evidence that the use of aroma therapy can help relieve symptoms of the common cold. Vapor therapy does not cause urinary difficulties.
Medicines Herbs And Supplements
Your health care provider may have you take a medicine called alpha-1- blocker. Most people find that these drugs help their symptoms. Symptoms often get better soon after starting on the medicine. You must take this medicine every day. There are several medicines in this category, including terazosin , doxazosin , tamsulosin , alfusozin , and silodosin .
- Ask your provider before taking sildenafil , vardenafil , and tadalafil with alpha-1- blockers because there can sometimes be an interaction.
Other drugs such as finasteride or dutasteride may also be prescribed. These medicines help shrink the prostate over time and help with symptoms.
- You will need to take these drugs every day for 3 to 6 months before your symptoms begin to improve.
Watch out for drugs that may make your symptoms worse:
- Try NOT to take over-the-counter cold and sinus medicines that contain decongestants or antihistamines. They can make your symptoms worse.
- Men who are taking water pills or diuretics may want to talk to their provider about reducing the dosage or switching to another type of drug.
- Other drugs that may worsen symptoms are certain antidepressants and drugs used to treat spasticity.
Many herbs and supplements have been tried for treating an enlarged prostate.
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