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What Can You Do To Help An Enlarged Prostate

Herbal Therapies For An Enlarged Prostate

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Several herbal supplements are marketed for enlarged prostates. Saw palmetto, beta-sitosterol, and pygeum are all are widely used in Europe. They are available in the U.S. and don’t require a prescription.

However, researchers and doctors are cautious about advising patients to try herbal supplements. Because they are not FDA-regulated, there are concerns about a product’s quality from batch to batch, according to the NIH’s Office of Dietary Supplements. Also, the safety of an herbal product depends on many things — the chemical makeup, how it works in the body, how it is prepared, and the dosage.

Something else to consider: Like any drug, a herbal remedy can affect how other medications or treatments work, or interact dangerously with your other medications. They can also have side effects. And, the AUA points out, they have not been well-studied for effectiveness or safety.

Before trying any alternative treatment, learn as much as you can about it, the AUA says. Most importantly — talk to your doctor before you try an herbal remedy. Many doctors consider alternative therapies like saw palmetto to “have no effect on symptoms, except as expensive placebos,” Slawin tells WebMD.

Beta-sitosterol: This compound is extracted from pollen of rye grass. There has been some evidence that it provides relief from urinary symptoms. However, in four studies the supplement did not increase urinary flow rates, shrink the prostate, or improve bladder emptying.

Questions To Ask Yourself About Enlarged Prostate Treatment

When you discuss the treatment options for an enlarged prostate with your doctor, keep these points in mind:

  • How much are my symptoms bothering me?
  • Do they keep me from doing things I enjoy?
  • How long do I want to deal with them?
  • Am I willing to accept small risks to improve my symptoms?
  • Do I understand the risks?
  • Am I ready to do something about this problem?

How Bph Is Treated

A number of medications can relieve symptoms of BPH. However, these medications may cause sexual side effects, such as ejaculation problems and erectile dysfunction.

Other nonsurgical therapies include transurethral microwave thermotherapy and water-induced thermotherapy. Both use heat to destroy prostate tissue and reduce or resolve urinary symptoms.

If medications and/or thermotherapies are unsuccessful, surgery may be recommended.

Excess prostate tissue often can be surgically removed using a transurethral approach, which does not require an outside incision.

A more traditional, open surgery, which does require an incision, may be necessary if the prostate gland is very large or when the bladder has been damaged and needs to be repaired.

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Can An Enlarged Prostate Be Cured

An enlarged prostatealso referred to as benign prostatic hyperplasia is a common condition among men as they grow older. It is characterized by the natural enlargement of the prostate, a small gland situated between the bladder and penis. The urethra, or the tube that carries urine from the bladder to the penis, is surrounded by the prostate, and often becomes squeezed and compressed as a result of prostate enlargement. This can cause a weakened urine stream and related issues like a frequent urge to urinate and difficulty sleeping through the night.

Prostate enlargement tends to come with age. While its difficult to completely reverse an enlarged prostate, there are several treatments that can relieve symptoms, reduce the size of the prostate and help restore normal urine flow. In fact, many men with prostate enlargement are able to achieve a positive quality of life with non-surgical treatments.

Minimally Invasive Treatments For An Enlarged Prostate

Signs of an Enlarged Prostate

When medications don’t help your enlarged prostate, several procedures can relieve symptoms — without surgery. They are performed in a doctor’s office. “These procedures use various types of heat energy to shrink a portion of the prostate,” explains Westney. “They are very effective.”

TUMT : This therapy for mild to moderate blockage reduces urinary frequency, urgency, straining, and intermittent flow — but does not correct any bladder-emptying problems. In this procedure, computer-regulated microwaves are used to heat portions within the prostate to destroy select tissue. A cooling system protects the wall of the urethra during the procedure. TUMT is performed in a doctor’s office and requires only topical anesthesia and pain medications.

Possible side effects include painful urination for several weeks. Temporary urgency and frequency of urination is also possible. There may be less semen ejaculated. Many men must have this procedure repeated, either because symptoms return or do not improve.

TUNA : This procedure also destroys prostate tissue to improve urine flow and relieve symptoms. It involves heating the tissue with high-frequency radiowaves transmitted by needles inserted directly into the prostate . The procedure does not require a hospital stay. Possible side effects include painful, urgent, or frequent urination for a few weeks.

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Surgical Treatment For Enlarged Prostate

  • Transurethral resection of the prostate . In this surgery, the inner portion of the prostate is removed. Used 90% of the time, this is the most commonly used surgical procedure for BPH.

  • Open prostatectomy .The surgeon makes an incision and removes the enlarged tissue from the prostate.

  • Laser surgery –Laser surgery uses laser energy to destroy prostate tissue and shrink the prostate.

  • Transurethral incision of the prostate .This surgery does not involve removing prostate tissue. A few small cuts are made in the prostate gland to reduce the prostate’s pressure on the urethra, making urination easier.

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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How Is Yale Medicines Approach To Treating Enlarged Prostate Unique

“Urologists at Yale Medicine can give you a personalized approach to prostate care for both benign and malignant conditions,” says Dr. Honig.

Doctors at Yale Medicine work closely with specialists across all disciplines at Yale New Haven Hospital. Our doctors are dedicated to providing the latest treatmentsall personalized to meet the needs of each patient. This collaboration between different departments and teams sets Yale Medicine apart in its standard of care.

Surgery For An Enlarged Prostate

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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 isn’t painful,” she tells WebMD. “It shouldn’t 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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When To See A Doctor

If you don’t see a reduction in symptoms or if your symptoms worsen, you may need to undergo a different treatment plan.

Prescription Medications

The first higher-level treatment is to begin taking prescription drugs for an enlarged prostate. One class of medication is an alpha blocker. These medications, such as Flomax, Rapaflo, and Cardura, work by relaxing the affected muscles around the prostate to encourage urine flow.

Another type of medication is a 5-alpha reductase inhibitor. Examples of these medications include Proscar and Avodart, which are long-term medications that help to block the production of dihydrotestosterone and shrink the size of the prostate.

Surgery and Minimally Invasive Procedures

For moderate to severe BPH, you may need a medical procedure to relieve your symptoms. There are a variety of procedures, including laser therapy, microwave heat, or prostate tissue compression. Partial prostate removal and full removal are more invasive but may be necessary for extremely large prostate glands.

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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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:

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

How Your Doctor Can Help

How to treat prostate enlargement naturally?

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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Is It Easy To Orgasm This Way

Lets say it may take some practice and patience.

Actual clinical research on prostate-induced orgasms is seriously lacking, so we dont know how common it is or if its possible for everyone with a prostate to have this type of orgasm.

Every body is different, so some experimenting to see what feels good is in order. If you do manage to have one, reproducing it will be easy.

What Is The Prostate

The prostate is a walnut-shaped gland that is part of the male reproductive system. The main function of the prostate is to make a fluid that goes into semen. Prostate fluid is essential for a mans fertility. The gland surrounds the urethra at the neck of the bladder. The bladder neck is the area where the urethra joins the bladder. The bladder and urethra are parts of the lower urinary tract. The prostate has two or more lobes, or sections, enclosed by an outer layer of tissue, and it is in front of the rectum, just below the bladder. The urethra is the tube that carries urine from the bladder to the outside of the body. In men, the urethra also carries semen out through the penis.

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What Is The Prostate Gland

The prostate is a gland about the size of a walnut. It is part of the male reproductive system and wraps around the tube that carries urine out of the bladder. It grows larger as you get older. If your prostate gets too large, it can cause health issues. Having prostate problems does not always mean you have cancer.

Sometimes a doctor may find a problem during a routine checkup or by doing a rectal exam. If you think there is something wrong with your prostate, see your doctor right away.

How To Prevent Prostate Enlargement

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This article was medically reviewed by Luba Lee, FNP-BC, MS. Luba Lee, FNP-BC is a board certified Family Nurse Practitioner and educator in Tennessee with over a decade of clinical experience. Luba has certifications in Pediatric Advanced Life Support , Emergency Medicine, Advanced Cardiac Life Support , Team Building, and Critical Care Nursing. She received her Master of Science in Nursing from the University of Tennessee in 2006.There are 11 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been viewed 16,404 times.

Prostate enlargement can lead to urinary tract problems, so of course you want to prevent it if you can. Unfortunately, there are no sure-fire ways to do so. However, you can get regular checkups in hopes of catching the issue early and heading it off with treatment. Otherwise, try exercising and watching your weight, as those factors can put you at risk for developing an enlarged prostate.

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Prostate Milking There You Have It

Okay, so now you know that prostate milking can have several health benefits for you and your prostate. And in addition, it can be very erotic and lead to some incredible orgasms even without any additional sexual stimulation.

But we are willing to agree that many guys will not quite be comfortable with this concept even if it can lead to some mind-blowing climaxes! So knowing that there will be a certain amount of guys who ARE NOT comfortable with prostate milking we should mention that there are natural climax intensifiers that will help increase your orgasm intensity AND increase your semen output as well.

So, for the faint of heart that are not OK with the idea of prostate milking here is a cheat sheet of products that can also help improve your orgasms.

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What Are Common Prostate Problems What Are The Symptoms And Signs

Here are some examples of non-cancer prostate problems:

Benign prostatic hyperplasia, or BPH, means your prostate is enlarged, but is not cancerous. It is very common in older men. An enlarged prostate may make it very difficult to urinate or cause dribbling after you urinate. You may feel the need to urinate a lot, often at night. See your family doctor for an exam. Treatments for BPH include:

  • Watchful waiting, also called active surveillance. If your symptoms are not too bad, your doctor may tell you to wait before starting any treatment to see if the problem gets worse. Your doctor will tell you how often you need to return for checkups. You can start treatment later if your symptoms worsen.
  • Medications. There are medicines that can help shrink the prostate or help relax muscles near your prostate to ease your symptoms. Talk with your doctor about possible side effects.
  • Surgery. If nothing else has worked, your doctor may suggest surgery to help urine flow. There are many types of BPH surgery. Talk with your doctor about the risks. Regular checkups are important after surgery.
  • Other treatments. Sometimes radio waves, microwaves, or lasers are used to treat urinary problems caused by BPH. These methods use different kinds of heat to reduce extra prostate tissue.

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How Can Alcohol Affect An Enlarged Prostate

  • As a diuretic, alcohol further exacerbates urinary frequency, causing you to feel the need to go even more often. The toxin downregulates the production of the anti-diuretic hormone, more formally known as vasopressin. The function of vasopressin is to tell the body, specifically the kidneys, to reabsorb water. However, it now signals to the brain that you’re ready to go
  • Alcohol can potentially cause the neck of the urinary bladder to constrict, leading to urinary retention and a feeling of incomplete voiding as the bladder retains fluid, despite increasing the need to pee.
  • When alcohol is broken down, it forms products such as acetaldehyde. This toxic byproduct then gets converted into acetate, which is further broken down into water and carbon dioxide so it can be expelled. Acetaldehyde is a known carcinogen and heavy consumption is associated with an increased risk of developing prostate cancer.
  • Alcohol depletes many key minerals in the body. This includes minerals such as magnesium, zinc, and many of the B vitamins, especially thiamine or B1. These perform key functions in the body, and research has demonstrated that zinc can inhibit 5-alpha-reductase, the enzyme responsible for converting testosterone into dihydrotestosterone. Zinc also seems to show some ability to inhibit these androgens from binding to receptors in the prostate, which could explain its ability to reduce symptoms of BPH.
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