Large Prostate With Significant Symptoms
For patients who have moderate or severe symptoms that have failed medical therapy from very enlarged prostates, the optimal treatment is often surgery. For very enlarged prostates, there are four main surgical options:
Various Treatments For Enlarged Prostate
Before opting for treatment, your doctor will do a few tests to see if the prostate enlargement is severe. If your condition isnt good, the doctor will recommend the following treatments. Along with the disease, the doctor will consider your prostate size, age, health, and if you suffer from any other medical conditions.
- Alpha-Blockers for BPH. The doctor will recommend this to loosen the bladder neck muscles and its fiber in the prostate. When the power is relaxed, it is easier to pee, and there will be an increase in urination. You will not pee frequently. It is effective after two days of taking the alpha-blocker. Some of the alpha-blockers are Hytrin, Uroxatral, Flomax, Rapaflo, and Cardura.
- 5- Alpha-Reductase Inhibitors for BPH. It is one of the ways on how to shrink the prostate. It blocks hormones that grow the prostate glands, thus reducing the prostate size. There are two types of 5- alpha-reductase inhibitors, namely Avodart and Proscar. These inhibitors are effective after three to six months.
- TUNA Treatment. TUNA is a short form of transurethral needle ablation and is one of the trusted prostate enlargement home remedies. This treatment procedure uses two needles, which carry high-frequency radio waves that inflame a particular region in the prostate. The treatment allows men to have good urine flow and decreases the BPH symptoms. You can do the treatment at home the doctor will use an anesthetic to prevent burning sensation.
What Medications Are Used To In The Treatment Of Bph
Several types of medications have been approved for treatment of urinary symptoms secondary to prostate enlargement. Men with severe symptoms may require treatment with a combination of these medications. Your doctor will determine the optimal combination for your condition:
Alpha-blockers, such as terazosin , prazosin , or doxazosin , relax the muscles in the prostate and thus may relieve symptoms. Newer alpha-blockers, such as tamsulosin , alfuzosin , and silodosin, are more commonly prescribed because they may have fewer side effects.
Finasteride or dutasteride can cause the prostate to shrink. As a result, the urinary symptoms may improve. These drugs are most helpful in men who have at least moderate enlargement of the prostate.
Tadalafil has recently been approved for the treatment of BPH.
Bladder calming medications that help with the symptoms related to bladder irritability from prostate blockage: oxybutynin , solifenacin , darifenacin , trospium , and mirabegron .
Once your doctor has given you a medical plan, you should stick to it and follow up as recommended. Sometimes men need follow-up with a urologist.
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What If I Cant Have Surgery
Surgery isnt always an option you may not be fit or well enough for an operation, or you may not like the idea of it. If surgery isnt suitable for you and lifestyle changes and medicines havent worked, your doctor or nurse may suggest using a catheter. This is a thin, flexible tube used to drain urine from your bladder. The catheter may be permanent or temporary.
A permanent catheter is passed up into the bladder through your penis, or through a small cut in your abdomen. The catheter is usually attached to a drainage bag, which you strap on to your body under your clothing. Your doctor or nurse will usually change your catheter every 12 weeks.
A temporary catheter is where you put a catheter in yourself when you need to urinate, rather than leaving one in all the time. Your doctor or nurse will show you how to put the catheter in and tell you how often to use it. Some men can urinate quite well without a catheter and only use it once a day to make sure they empty their bladder regularly. Other men need to use a temporary catheter several times a day.
You can lower your chances of getting a urine infection by keeping your catheter and the area around it clean. You may find the following tips helpful.
Let your nurse know if your catheter isnt draining properly. If urine hasnt drained from your bladder for 2 to 3 hours, contact your GP or district nurse straight away.
Risk Factors For Prostate Cancer
Some risk factors have been linked to prostate cancer. A risk factor is something that can raise your chance of developing a disease. Having one or more risk factors doesn’t mean that you will get prostate cancer. It just means that your risk of the disease is greater.
- Age. Men who are 50 or older have a higher risk of prostate cancer.
- Race. African-American men have the highest risk of prostate cancerâthe disease tends to start at younger ages and grows faster than in men of other races. After African-American men, prostate cancer is most common among white men, followed by Hispanic and Native American men. Asian-American men have the lowest rates of prostate cancer.
- Family history. Men whose fathers or brothers have had prostate cancer have a 2 to 3 times higher risk of prostate cancer than men who do not have a family history of the disease. A man who has 3 immediate family members with prostate cancer has about 10 times the risk of a man who does not have a family history of prostate cancer. The younger a man’s relatives are when they have prostate cancer, the greater his risk for developing the disease. Prostate cancer risk also appears to be slightly higher for men from families with a history of breast cancer.
- Diet. The risk of prostate cancer may be higher for men who eat high-fat diets.
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What If I Can’t Have Surgery
Surgery isnt always an option you may not be fit or well enough for an operation, or you may not like the idea of it. If surgery isnt suitable for you and lifestyle changes and medicines havent worked, your doctor or nurse may suggest using a catheter. This is a thin, flexible tube used to drain urine from your bladder. The catheter may be permanent or temporary.
A permanent catheter is passed up into the bladder through your penis, or through a small cut in your abdomen. The catheter is usually attached to a drainage bag, which you strap on to your body under your clothing. Your doctor or nurse will usually change your catheter every 12 weeks.
A temporary catheter is where you put a catheter in yourself when you need to urinate, rather than leaving one in all the time. Your doctor or nurse will show you how to put the catheter in and tell you how often to use it. Some men can urinate quite well without a catheter and only use it once a day to make sure they empty their bladder regularly. Other men need to use a temporary catheter several times a day.
You can lower your chances of getting a urine infection by keeping your catheter and the area around it clean. You may find the following tips helpful.
Let your nurse know if your catheter isnt draining properly. If urine hasnt drained from your bladder for 2 to 3 hours, contact your GP or district nurse straight away.
Why The Procedure Is Performed
An enlarged prostate can make it hard for you to urinate. You may also get urinary tract infections. Removing all, or part, of the prostate gland can make these symptoms better. Before you have surgery, your doctor may tell you changes you can make in how you eat or drink. You may also try some medicines.
Prostate removal may be recommended if you:
- Cannot completely empty your bladder
- Have repeat urinary tract infections
- Have bleeding from your prostate
- Have bladder stones with your enlarged prostate
- Urinate very slowly
- Took medicines, and they did not help your symptoms or you no longer want to take them
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Natural Ways To Treat An Enlarged Prostate
Symptoms of an enlarged prostate gland are most of often mild at first, but usually will get more bothersome over time. Its very reasonable and safe to just keep an eye on it until it becomes bothersome enough to justify further treatment.
If the symptoms are getting worse, you and your doctor can then discuss medications. If you begin to have serious complications like urinary retention, it may be time to have a surgical procedure.
In follow-up visits every six to twelve months, your primary care doctor or urologist will measure your symptoms and perform a physical exam . He or she may also do a bladder scan after you use the bathroom to urinate to be sure your bladder is emptying as it should. This test measures what is called post void residual.
Your doctor also may order blood and urine tests. Blood tests could include a blood urea nitrogen and creatinine to check your kidney function and a prostate specific antigen . He or she might also ask for a urine sample to be sure there is not any prostate inflammation or infection.
A Guide To Prostate Massage
Caitilin Kelly, MD, is a clinical physician at Indiana University Health Bloomington Hospital and is board-certified in internal medicine.
Prostate massage is a procedure in which a finger is inserted into the rectum to stimulate the prostate gland. The goal is to release excess seminal fluidthe fluid that mixes with sperm to create semenfrom the ducts of the prostate gland.
Alternative medical practitioners claim that prostate massage can ease prostate inflammation while alleviating pressure on the urinary tract. Among the conditions prostate massage is said to treat are:
- Benign prostatic hyperplasia : enlargement of the prostate
- Prostatitis: inflammation of the prostate
- Urinary hesitancy: difficulty urinating
- Erectile dysfunction: difficulty getting or keeping an erection
Prostate massage is also used for sexual stimulation to help achieve arousal, enhance an erection, or relax the rectum in advance of anal sex.
This article will discuss the medical and sexual purposes of prostate massage. It also covers how the procedure is done, along with the risks and side effects that may come with it.
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Different Natural Home Remedies For An Enlarged Prostate
Prostate enlargement does not need medical treatment if it isnt severe as there are natural remedies for enlarged prostate. However, ensure you consult your doctor before implementing any home remedies.
These remedies are efficient especially if you are looking for how to shrink the prostate.
These treatments can be located in your homes. Green tea is one of the best natural remedies for enlarged prostate. It contains many antioxidants components that assist in decreasing prostate enlargement.
What Matters Most To You
Your personal feelings are just as important as the medical facts. Think about what matters most to you in this decision, and show how you feel about the following statements.
Reasons to have surgery for an enlarged prostate
Reasons not to have surgery
I don’t want to keep taking medicine every day for my symptoms.
I don’t mind taking daily medicine.
I’m willing to try surgery because my symptoms bother me so much.
I don’t like the idea of having surgery.
I don’t think medicines are helping my symptoms.
Medicines are helping my symptoms.
I don’t think the side effects of surgery will be as bad as my symptoms.
I think the side effects of surgery would bother me more than my symptoms do.
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What Is Enlarged Prostate
Enlarged prostate refers to the state in which the prostate is enlarged but not cancerous.
Hormonal changes and cell growth resulting from the aging process may cause the prostate to swell, often impinging upon and compressing the urethra. This causes the bladder walls to become thicker and can prevent the bladder from emptying completely.
How To Reduce Prostate Size
This article was medically reviewed by . Dr. Litza is a board certified Family Medicine Physician in Wisconsin. She is a practicing Physician and taught as a Clinical Professor for 13 years, after receiving her MD from the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Medicine and Public Health in 1998.There are 13 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been viewed 65,131 times.
The prostate gland is a part of the male reproductive system that can enlarge with age, putting uncomfortable pressure on the urethra. This can cause urinary difficulties, urinary tract infections , and even bladder stones. By making lifestyle changes and using medication, most men can reduce their urinary troubles. A few men, though, may need to consider minimally invasive or traditional surgery options to feel their best.
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What Treatments Are Available For An Enlarged Prostate
For men diagnosed with benign prostatic hyperplasia , there are various treatment optionsfrom lifestyle changes, medication, to surgery. Men may be overwhelmed by the amount of options available and fearful of potential side effects. Urologist Dr. Stephen Summers explains what treatments are available and which options may work best for you.
How Is Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia Treated
Patients who have mild symptoms may not require treatment other than continued observation to make sure their condition doesnt get worse. This approach is sometimes called watchful waiting or surveillance. There are a number of treatment options available if your symptoms are severe.
Medications
Finasteride and dutasteride work by decreasing the production of the hormone dihydrotestosterone , which affects the growth of the prostate gland. These appear to be most beneficial for men with larger prostates.
Drugs that relax the muscle in the prostate are more commonly used. These include terazosin , doxazosin , tamsulosin , alfuzosin , and silodosin . The most common side effects are lightheadedness, weakness and retrograde ejaculation.
Medications are sometimes combined to help treat symptoms and improve the flow of urine. One such medication is dutasteride and tamsulosin .
Surgery
Several different types of surgery can be used to remove the prostate tissue that blocks the flow of urine, including:
Minimally invasive treatments
Last reviewed by a Cleveland Clinic medical professional on 03/10/2020.
References
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How To Manage An Enlarged Prostate
About half of intact male dogs will develop some form of prostate disease by the age of 5, and 95% by the age of 9. And even neutered dogs are not spared from this. Male dogs of any size, from middle-aged to senior, can experience an enlarged prostate.
Heres what you need to watch for and what you can do if your dog experiences prostate problems.
Treating Benign Prostate Enlargement
Treatment for an enlarged prostate is determined by the severity of your symptoms.
If you have mild to moderate symptoms, you won’t receive any immediate medical treatment, but you’ll have regular check-ups to carefully monitor your prostate.
You’ll probably also be advised to make lifestyle changes, such as limiting your caffeine and alcohol intake, and exercising regularly, to see if they improve your symptoms.
As well as lifestyle changes, medication is usually recommended to treat moderate to severe symptoms of benign prostate enlargement. Finasteride and dutasteride are medications that are commonly used. They block the effects of a hormone called dihydrotestosterone on the prostate gland, which can reduce the size of the prostate and improve associated symptoms.
Alpha blockers may also be prescribed. They help to relax your bladder muscles, making it easier to pass urine. Tamsulosin and alfuzosin are two alpha blockers commonly used to treat benign prostate enlargement.
Surgery is usually only recommended for moderate to severe symptoms of benign prostate enlargement that have failed to respond to medication.
Read more about treating benign prostate enlargement
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Diagnosing Benign Prostate Enlargement
To find out whether your prostate gland is enlarged, you’ll need to have a few tests.
Some tests will be carried out by your GP and others will be carried out by a urologist .
First, your GP will ask about your symptoms. If it seems that you have symptoms of benign prostate enlargement, the next stage is to calculate your International Prostate Symptom Score .
How To Prevent Enlarged Prostate In Dogs
Your dogs immune system is the key to good health. You need to support his immune system with a whole food, raw meat diet to prevent infections from prostate disease. When you remove processed food, you give your dogs other organs more opportunity to detox and fight bacteria instead of the chemicals and toxins from their food.
Antioxidants can assist the prostate in preventing infections along with improving the health of mucous membranes. Vitamin C is a natural anti-inflammatory and can help shrink the prostate to its original size.
Adding probiotics to your dogs diet increases the beneficial bacteria in your dogs gut, which is the foundation of 90% of his immune system.
If you notice your dog has difficulty in peeing or pooping, you can gather a urine or stool sample and have it tested for possible infection. Then you can usenatural antibiotics to eliminate the infection before it becomes serious.
If your dog has prostate problems it might not be obvious, or you might start to notice these things.
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