How To Reduce Swelling Of The Prostate Gland
When men reach age 40 and older, its common for their prostate gland to swell and cause some unpleasant effects, such as a frequent need to pass urine and a stream that stops and starts. These effects are not dangerous, but they can be annoying. Luckily there are ways for men to reduce the swelling of their prostate gland to help alleviate the symptoms.
Tips & Warnings
- You may not even need to try to reduce your prostate gland swelling in order to get relief. A study conducted in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, showed that even when men did not take any steps to treat their swelling, they had a 30 percent reduction in their prostate-related symptoms over the course of six months.
A Complete Diet For Prostate Health
Vegetables and Fruits are first on my List. Second is Healthy Fats for Prostate Protection such as Salmon containing Omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3s Prevents and Reduces inflammation within the body. After all, the Prostate has to be Inflammed for it increases in size through swelling.
Aside from Specific foods, Researchers and Dietitians emphasize an entire Healthy Eating Habit.Recommended by the Pros is this New Way of Eating LifeStyle:
The Good
The Bad
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.
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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.
When Is Bph Treatment Necessary
The course of BPH in any individual is not predictable. Symptoms, as well as objective measurements of urethral obstruction, can remain stable for many years and may even improve over time for as many as one-third of men, according to some studies. In a study from the Mayo Clinic, urinary symptoms did not worsen over a 3.5-year period in 73% of men with mild BPH. A progressive decrease in the size and force of the urinary stream and the feeling of incomplete bladder emptying are the symptoms most correlated with the eventual need for treatment. Although nocturia is one of the most annoying BPH symptoms, it does not predict the need for future intervention.
If worsening urethral obstruction is left untreated, possible complications are a thickened, irritable bladder with reduced capacity for urine infected residual urine or bladder stones and a backup of pressure that damages the kidneys.
- Inadequate bladder emptying resulting in damage to the kidneys
- Complete inability to urinate after acute urinary retention
- Incontinence due to overfilling or increased sensitivity of the bladder
- Bladder stones
- Recurrent severe hematuria
- Symptoms that trouble the patient enough to diminish his quality of life
Find a Location
Currently, the main options to address BPH are:
- Watchful waiting
- Medication
- Surgery
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Blood In Urine/bladder Stones
A number of factors associated with enlarged prostate can cause blood in the urine: Enlarged veins in the prostate can rupture, or if youre forcing hard to urinate, that can also rupture veins. Blood in the urine can also be a sign of a UTI. Urine retention in your bladder can also cause bladder stones. These occur when urine becomes concentrated and crystallizes. They can be very painful and can further block the flow of urine. However, its unlikely that bladder stones would be the first noticeable symptom of an enlarged prostate, Dr. Linehan says.
What Foods Are Good For Shrinking The Prostate
A large proportion of males suffer problems with their prostate glands. In most cases, it will be benign prostatic hyperplasia, also known as BPH. In other cases, it will be prostatitis. Prostate cancer is one of the most common types of cancer in males.
Prostate issues are more common in people with a family history. It is also essential to rule out prostate problems in males who experience BPH symptoms.
Lower urinary tract symptoms are usually not due to infections in men. They are not as likely to suffer from urinary infections as women. Thus, prostate enlargement is among on top on the list.
The prostate is located in the bladder neck, surrounding the urethra. Thus, when the prostate is very large, it presses upon the urethra. This growing pressure ultimately causes urinary obstruction and obstructive symptoms-for example, a slow urinary flow and straining to urinate.
Only a few medications can shrink the prostate, and very severe cases are only solved with surgery. However, according to studies and clinical experience, some food choices can reduce urinary symptoms.
What foods shrink the prostate gland? In this article, we will explore the answer to this question.
We will not only consider foods to reduce prostate size. In this list, you will also see others that do not change the size but improve our urinary symptoms.
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Tips For Coping With An Enlarged Prostate
When a man reaches about age 25, his prostate begins to grow. This natural growth is called benign prostatic hyperplasia and it is the most common cause of prostate enlargement. BPH is a benign condition that does not lead to prostate cancer, though the two problems can coexist.
Although 50% to 60% of men with BPH may never develop any symptoms, others find that BPH can make life miserable. The symptoms of BPH include:
- a hesitant, interrupted, weak urine stream
- urgency, leaking, or dribbling
- a sense of incomplete emptying
- more frequent urination, especially at night.
As a result, many men seek treatment. The good news is that treatments are constantly being improved. Patients and their physicians now have more medications to choose from, so if one doesnt do the trick, another can be prescribed. And thanks to some refinements, surgical treatments are more effective and have fewer side effects than ever before.
But there are some things men dealing with BPH can do on their own. When symptoms are not particularly bothersome, watchful waiting may be the best way to proceed. This involves regular monitoring to make sure complications arent developing, but no treatment. For more troubling symptoms, most doctors begin by recommending a combination of lifestyle changes and medication. Often this will be enough to relieve the worst symptoms and prevent the need for surgery
Symptoms Of Benign Prostate Enlargement
The symptoms of benign prostate enlargement are caused by the enlarged prostate placing pressure on the bladder and urethra .
This can affect urination in a number of ways. For example, it can:
- make it difficult for you to start urinating
- weaken the flow of urine or cause “stopping and starting”
- cause you to strain to pass urine
- cause you to need to urinate frequently
- cause you to wake up frequently during the night to urinate
- cause a sudden urge to urinate, which can result in urinary incontinence if you can’t find a toilet quickly enough
- cause you to not be able to empty your bladder fully
- cause blood in the urine
In the later stages, benign prostate enlargement can cause urine retention and other complications such as bladder stones, bladder infections and kidney damage.
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How Do I Know If My Prostate Is Enlarged
If your prostate is enlarged, it may not be a sign of cancer, but it is something that you should discuss with your doctor. Many of the symptoms of an enlarged prostate tend to relate to urination. If you are concerned about an enlarged prostate, here are 7 symptoms to look for:
How Your Doctor Can Help
If you have one or more of these symptoms, its important to talk with your doctor about a treatment plan. Treatments for BPH include medication, minimally invasive therapies, and surgery. You can also try lifestyle changes to control symptoms. And sometimes the symptoms get better even without treatment, according to the Mayo Clinic. The best news? Although they can produce similar symptoms, enlarged prostate has no connection to prostate cancer.
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Causes Of Prostate Enlargement
There are various reasons why a prostate gland may become enlarged. Here are some of them:
- The primary cause of an enlarged prostate is called benign prostatic hyperplasia . This occurs when the cells of the prostate begin to multiply. The extra cells cause the prostate to increase in size and squeeze the urethra, limiting the flow of urine. BPH is considered a normal condition of male aging and is common in many men over the age of 50.Without treatment, the symptoms of BPH can negatively impact your quality of life.
- Prostatitis, an infection of the prostate, is another condition that causes prostate enlargement. This is not related to BPH, which is not an infection. Bacteria often cause prostatitis. It can start suddenly or gradually and is characterized by fever, chills, and nausea.
- Prostate cancer is the most dangerous condition that will cause the prostate to be enlarged. This cancer is usually slow-growing, but in some cases, it has been known to be aggressive. In this instance, it can spread to the rest of the body before it is diagnosed. Research by the US Prostate Cancer Foundation reported that 1 in 14 men between the ages of 60 and 69 are diagnosed with prostate cancer, with the majority being over the age of 65.
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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
Diet For Enlarged Prostate
Now, apart from following these natural remedial approaches, my cousin also found out that making some changes to ones regular diet and lifestyle can hasten the recovery process. When the right type of foods is taken on a daily basis, some of the symptoms associated with an enlarged prostate can be reduced to manageable levels.
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Natural remedies such as saw palmetto, beta-sitosterol, pygeum, rye grass pollen extract and stinging nettle may help relieve enlarged prostate symptoms more research is needed. Herbal remedies can have side effects and interact with other medications. Long term effects are often unknown. Ask your doctor before taking these supplements.
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What Are The Causes Of An Enlarged Prostate
In a vast majority of cases, BPH is idiopathic, meaning it has no known cause. Doctors and researchers are still trying to figure out exactly how and why some peoples prostate cells start to divide abnormally.
But most cases of BPH impact men of at least 40 years of age, most commonly those 50 years of age and older. So most studies suggest that BPH is related to hormonal changes, specifically those that occur naturally with age.
As men grow older, their hormone levels change, especially levels of testosterone, estrogen, and a by-product of testosterone called dihydrotestosterone .
A few studies have shown that changes in the balance of these hormones may trigger some prostate cells to abnormally grow and divide.
Potential risk factors of an enlarged prostate include:
- age
- heart disease
- Asian heritage or descent
Most men have a 50 percent chance of having BPH by the age of 60 years old, and a 90 percent chance by the age of 85 years old.
Several types of foods and nutrients can reduce or trigger BPH and its associated symptoms.
Foods that may be beneficial to BPH include:
Foods people with BPH, or those at risk of developing it, should avoid or limit include:
- caffeine
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How Can Diet Affect Bph
Similar to prostate cancer, BPH is a multifactorial disease. Many hormones and growth factors act in the prostate tissue to cause enlargement. But some epidemiologic studies have also identified dietary factors associated with BPH.
For example, a study in China showed that overeating animal proteins could increase the risk.
Another study from Japan showed that regular milk consumption has the same effect. Thats why a plant-based diet is recommended for preventing prostate enlargement and reducing the number of prostate cancer cells
According to other research, Asian men have a lower incidence of BPH. Such a lower incidence responds to a high-fiber diet compared to Western men . But why is diet so important?
The amount and proportion of nutrients we take influences the function of the body. Among many other things, they modulate hormone concentrations. They also modulate the role of the sympathetic nervous system, which acts directly in the urethra. Thats why changing your diet can improve your urinary tract symptoms if you have them .
In this article, we will discuss 3 foods that shrink prostate gland. The following foods, nutrients and diets are recommended to shrink the size of the prostate gland. You can always look for food sources or prostate supplements that include them in the list of ingredients.