The Most Common Prostate Problem Among Men Over Age 50 This Condition Can Cause Embarrassing Urination Issues
While BPH does not increase your risk of getting prostate cancer or having sexual problems, it can affect quality of life, specifically by causing annoying and embarrassing urination problems.
Since prostate enlargement happens gradually, men often think more frequent trips to the bathroom are a natural part of aging, says Dr. Howard LeWine, chief medical editor at Harvard Health Publishing and an assistant professor of medicine at Harvard-affiliated Brigham and Womens Hospital. But a little medication can help relieve symptoms, meaning less urinary urgency and fewer nighttime awakenings to use the bathroom.
What Are The Symptoms Of Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia
Lower urinary tract symptoms suggestive of benign prostatic hyperplasia may include
- urinary frequencyurination eight or more times a day
- urinary urgencythe inability to delay urination
- trouble starting a urine stream
- a weak or an interrupted urine stream
- dribbling at the end of urination
- nocturiafrequent urination during periods of sleep
- urinary incontinencethe accidental loss of urine
- pain after ejaculation or during urination
- urine that has an unusual color or smell
Symptoms of benign prostatic hyperplasia most often come from
- a blocked urethra
- a bladder that is overworked from trying to pass urine through the blockage
The size of the prostate does not always determine the severity of the blockage or symptoms. Some men with greatly enlarged prostates have little blockage and few symptoms, while other men who have minimally enlarged prostates have greater blockage and more symptoms. Less than half of all men with benign prostatic hyperplasia have lower urinary tract symptoms.3
Symptoms Of Swollen Prostate
The swelling of the prostate or enlargement of the prostate results in symptoms affecting the urination as a result of significant obstruction of the urethra. It also results in other manifestations. Symptoms include:
- Urinary frequency The obstruction in the urethra leads to incomplete emptying of the bladder, leading to frequent need for urination.
- Urinary urgency There is also an unavoidable need or feeling to urinate because of accumulation of urine in the bladder.
- Nocturia Nocturia is the frequent voiding at night. The enlarged prostate distends and compresses the bladder leading to reduced volume of the bladder. This stimulates the bladder for urination.
- Urinary hesitancy Hesitancy is the condition wherein the patient needs to wait until the urinary stream starts. This results from the obstruction in the neck of the bladder as a result of swelling of the prostate.
- Straining during voiding Straining may also be experienced because of difficulty to pass urine.
- Urinary intermittency There is frequent stopping of the urine stream during voiding also as a result of impediment in the urethra.
- Urinary dribbling Urinary dribbling is the occurrence of drops in the urine and the feeling of urge to urinate following voiding.
- Dysuria Dysuria or pain during urination may be a result of irritation in the urethra because of inflammation.
Swollen Prostate
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Surgery For An Enlarged Prostate
For most men with very enlarged prostates, surgery can relieve symptoms but there are both risks and benefits with each type of operation. Discuss them with your doctor. After a careful evaluation of your situation and your general medical condition, your doctor will recommend which is best for you.
TURP : This is the most common surgery for an enlarged prostate, and considered to bring the greatest reduction in symptoms. Only the tissue growth that is pressing against the urethra is removed to allow urine to flow easily. The procedure involves an electrical loop that cuts tissue and seals blood vessels. Most doctors suggest using TURP whenever surgery is required, as it is less traumatic than open surgery and requires shorter recovery time.
With the TURP procedure, patients can expect to have retrograde ejaculation afterwards, says Westney. This is a condition in which a man ejaculates backward into the bladder instead of through the urethra. Retrograde ejaculation generally isnt painful, she tells WebMD. It shouldnt be an issue unless fertility is a concern. Other possible side effects include blood loss requiring transfusion , painful urination, recurring urinary tract infections, bladder neck narrowing, and blood in the urine.
After TURP, the odds of erection problems range from 5% to 35%. However, this is often temporary and the ability to have an erection and an orgasm returns after a few months.
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What Is Prostate Enlargement
Enlargement of the prostate occurs when the prostate gland cells begin to multiply and cause the prostate gland to swell. This swelling tends to compress the urethra, limiting urine flow and causing symptoms known as lower urinary tract symptoms . BPH is a condition that many men encounter with aging.
Most of the symptoms of BPH are associated with urinary function. They are:
- Frequent need to urinate
- Urinary retention inability to empty the bladder
- An intense urge to urinate, even shortly after urinating
- A weak urine stream or an interrupted urine stream
- Difficulty starting or stopping urination
While BPH itself is not a directly linked cause of sexual problems, most men that suffer from it do indeed find it affects sexual performance. Some common sexual side effects of BPH are:
- Inability to maintain an erection
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What Causes Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia
The cause of benign prostatic hyperplasia is not well understood however, it occurs mainly in older men. Benign prostatic hyperplasia does not develop in men whose testicles were removed before puberty. For this reason, some researchers believe factors related to aging and the testicles may cause benign prostatic hyperplasia.
Throughout their lives, men produce testosterone, a male hormone, and small amounts of estrogen, a female hormone. As men age, the amount of active testosterone in their blood decreases, which leaves a higher proportion of estrogen. Scientific studies have suggested that benign prostatic hyperplasia may occur because the higher proportion of estrogen within the prostate increases the activity of substances that promote prostate cell growth.
Another theory focuses on dihydrotestosterone , a male hormone that plays a role in prostate development and growth. Some research has indicated that even with a drop in blood testosterone levels, older men continue to produce and accumulate high levels of DHT in the prostate. This accumulation of DHT may encourage prostate cells to continue to grow. Scientists have noted that men who do not produce DHT do not develop benign prostatic hyperplasia.
Surgical Treatments For Bph
While many doctors claim to treat prostate enlargement with surgery, such claims are almost always related to improving urinary function. Since the prostate surrounds the urethra, symptoms of BPH almost always involve urinary function. If a man has severe urinary issues or blockage, surgery may help.
Some doctors recommend removing the prostate to resolve the urinary issues in severe cases. The prostatectomy will likely resolve the urinary issues, but the surgerys side effects will surely deteriorate the mans quality of life.
Surgery should never be the first choice to relieve problems associated with BPH. Any urologist recommending surgery as a first-line treatment for BPH is not providing patients with the best advice. Every surgery has side effects. Some can be minor and others life-altering. Many solutions can make BPH more tolerable without destroying a mans quality of life.
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Foods To Avoid: Sugary Foods
Refined sugar is another no-go for those with prostate problems as this can increase inflammation.
Sugar is abundant in some obvious sources such as fizzy juice and cake, but don’t forget it is also added to processed foods to give them extra flavour. This includes ready meals, crisps, some cereals, white bread and ready-made sauces. You could try cutting down your intake of these things in order to reduce the pressure on your prostate.
They say fresh is best for a reason, so try swapping these processed foods for wholegrain products, fresh fruit, vegetables, nuts and seeds. Not only are these better for the prostate, they are also highly nutritious and healthy too!
Foods To Avoid: Caffeine
Avoiding or limiting your caffeine intake, including coffee, tea, energy drinks and fizzy drinks, is another thing that can make a big difference to your urinary health.
Caffeine has a diuretic effect which means it can increase the urge to go to the toilet. On top of this, drinking these beverages, especially late at night, can irritate the bladder and so will make it more likely that youll need to use the loo. As it is difficult for men with an enlarged prostate to empty their bladder completely anyway, consuming caffeinated drinks will only add to the problem.
There are now so many caffeine-free drinks available that it shouldnt be too much of a challenge to swap your usual brew for something a little kinder to your bladder.
Chamomile tea is particularly beneficial as it has anti-inflammatory properties. If you favour coffee, though, then Bambu, our caffeine-free coffee, is a great alternative.
On top of this, another important drink for your prostate is water. Its vital you stay well hydrated if you suffer from the condition but remember not to drink anything at least 2 hours before bedtime.
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Symptoms Of Prostate Cancer
- Frequent urge to pass urine, especially at night
- Weak or interrupted urine stream
- Pain or burning when passing urine
- Blood in the urine or semen
- Painful ejaculation
- Nagging pain in the back, hips, or pelvis
Prostate cancer can spread to the lymph nodes of the pelvis. Or it may spread throughout the body. It tends to spread to the bones. So bone pain, especially in the back, can be a symptom of advanced prostate cancer.
When Should You Call A Doctor For Bph
Urinary symptoms related to enlarging prostate initially affect the quality of life, and if no complications exist, as mentioned above , the decision to treat is optional and is left to the patient. This means that if you dont feel bothered enough to take a medicine or undergo a procedure for it, youll need to follow up with your doctor to ensure the symptoms are stable, and the bladder empties well. This can be assessed by prostate symptom questionnaires and a measure of the strength of the urinary stream and residual urine in the bladder. If complications develop, however, or if the bladder starts holding increasing amounts of residual urine after urination, treatment should be started.
If you experience bladder pain or burning with urination, blood in the urine associated with fever/chills or nausea/vomiting, or if the prostate enlargement condition worsens and symptoms such as blood in the urine or lower back pain are present, consult a doctor immediately. If you cannot reach your doctor when these symptoms are present, seek evaluation at a hospitals emergency department.
For acute symptoms such as acute urinary retention , you should immediately go to the closest emergency medical facility for bladder drainage, usually with a catheter, which is a tube inserted into the bladder.
Men over 50 years of age should have their prostate checked annually by their physician even if they have no symptoms.
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Can Hemorrhoids Affect Your Prostatitis
The blood vessels, nerves and lymph vessels of the prostate and anorectum are linked. Prostate and anorectal arteries are branches of the inferior rectal artery. Prostate vein clump and hemorrhoid venous plexus are consistent with each other, and then feed into the superior rectal vein. Not only that, the lymphatic vessels and nerve of the prostate and anorectum are connected with each other. Therefore, the incidence, etiology, pathogenesis, pathological process and clinical symptoms are very similar. Prostatitis patients also have the symptoms of urinary frequency, urgency, and often accompanied by the anus mouth discomfort, tingling, tenesmus and endless defecate or bleeding symptoms. Although the possibility is not big for man, all these may become the reason that hemorrhoids may causes prostatitis.
Both of hemorrhoids and prostatitis bloods are supplied by the rectal artery, and go into the same note inferior rectal veins. Thus, hemorrhoids and prostatitis might influence each other. Pathogens may spread through the blood and lymph vessels because of the interaction between nerve. Thats why hemorrhoids might cause prostatitis. For the prostatitis, patients can take diuretic and anti-inflammatory pill, which is a kind of pure natural medicine, and has no side effect. By the way, please pay attention that if the hemorrhoids are blooding, please do not eat this pill, for it has the function of activating blood circulation.
Can Alcohol Increase The Risk Of Developing Enlarged Prostate
Quite the opposite is true!
Current research indicates that consuming alcohol is negatively correlated with the risk of BPH. A meta-analysis from 2009 looked at 19 studies spanning a total of 120,091 male participants who consumed greater than 1.2oz of alcohol a day. This intake was associated with a 35% reduced risk of developing BPH. However, before you get excited about getting a hall pass to indulge, it’s important to remember the myriad of risks associated with chronic alcohol intake. In the case of urinary concerns and this study, while the risk of BPH dropped, the risk of developing a lower urinary tract infection rose with alcohol consumption.
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Symptoms Of Benign Prostate Enlargement
The prostate is a small gland, located in the pelvis, between the penis and bladder.
If the prostate becomes enlarged, it can place pressure on the bladder and the urethra, which is the tube that urine passes through.
This can affect how you pee and may cause:
- difficulty starting to pee
- a frequent need to pee
- difficulty fully emptying your bladder
In some men, the symptoms are mild and do not need treatment. In others, they can be very troublesome.
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What Are The Diseases That Cause The Prostate To Enlarge
There are at least seven diseases affecting the prostate.
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What Are The Symptoms Of Prostatitis
These are the most common symptoms of prostatitis:
- Need to urinate often
- Burning or stinging while urinating
- Pain when urinating
- Less urine when you urinate
- Rectal pain or pressure
- Fever and chills
- Pain in your lower back or pelvis
- Discharge through the urethra during bowel movements
- Erectile dysfunction or loss of sex drive
- Throbbing sensations in the rectal or genital area
The symptoms of prostatitis may look like other medical conditions or problems. Always see your healthcare provider for a diagnosis.
Natural Remedies For Enlarged Prostate
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The prostate grows
The prostate is a walnut-shaped gland that wraps around the urethra, the tube that urine flows out of. The prostate is part of the male reproductive system. One of its main jobs, along with other organs, is to add fluid to semen. This is the fluid that carries sperm.
The prostate gland starts out small and has two main phases of growth. It doubles in size during the teenage years, then continues to grow again after age 25 throughout the rest of a mans life.
An excessively enlarged prostate results in a disease known as benign prostatic hyperplasia . Eventually, an enlarged prostate can clamp down on the urethra and restrict the flow of urine from the bladder. This leads to problems such as:
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Rare And Unusual Testicular Swelling Causes
The following, although possible, are the least likely causes of swollen testicles.
- Rare parasitic worms which can migrate into the scrotum: Especially in third-world countries.
- Tumor or other abnormal growths: Either benign or malignant
This list does not constitute medical advice and may not accurately represent what you have.
What Are The Signs And Symptoms Of An Enlarged Prostate
An enlarged prostate is the most common cause of urinary problems in men as they get older. Possible symptoms include:
- a weak flow when you urinate
- a feeling that your bladder hasnt emptied properly
- difficulty starting to urinate
- dribbling urine after you finish urinating
- needing to urinate more often, especially at night
- a sudden urge to urinate you may sometimes leak before you get to the toilet.
You may not get all of these symptoms, and some men with an enlarged prostate dont get any symptoms at all. These symptoms can also be caused by other things, such as cold weather, anxiety, other health problems, lifestyle factors, and some medicines. Blood in your urine may be a symptom of an enlarged prostate. But this is rare and is usually caused by something else.
If you have any of the symptoms above, you should visit your GP to find out what may be causing them.
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