An enlarged
prostate can affect a person's ability to urinate, which can impact on their
quality of life. Treatment options for an enlarged prostate include watchful
waiting, medication, minimally invasive procedures, and surgery. Certain
lifestyle changes can also help to prevent or improve symptoms.
In this
article, we look at treatment options, lifestyle changes, and promising natural
treatments for an enlarged prostate.
What is an
enlarged prostate?
The prostate
is a small gland that sits between the penis and the bladder. It functions as
part of the male reproductive system.
If the
prostate becomes enlarged, it can place pressure on the bladder and the
urethra, which is the tube that carries urine from the bladder out through the
penis. The medical term for an enlarged prostate is benign prostatic
hyperplasia, or BPH.
BPH is a
common health condition in older people. In the United States, according to the
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases,
BPH affects:
- around 50 percent of men aged 51–60 years
- up to 90 percent of men over the age of 80
Common
symptoms of BPH include:
- needing to urinate more than eight times a day
- being unable to delay urination
- waking up frequently at night to urinate
- straining to urinate or having difficulty starting urination
- having a weak or intermittent urine stream
- being unable to empty the bladder completely, which is called urinary retention
- urinating accidentally, or urinary incontinence
- dribbling after urinating
Treatment options
BPH is a
progressive condition, which means that if a person does not get treatment,
their symptoms may get worse over time. Treatment options for BPH include:
Watchful
waiting
The primary
stage of BPH treatment is usually called watchful waiting. During watchful
waiting, the affected individual will be:
- learning about BPH
- making positive lifestyle changes, such as becoming more physically active
- taking no further action until their symptoms change
A doctor will
also work with the individual and keep a close eye on their condition. Many
people with an enlarged prostate remain at this level of care for some time.
Medication
When BPH
becomes more advanced, a doctor may recommend medication. Medication can help
to control the growth of the prostate and reduce the symptoms of BPH. Common medications for BPH include:
Alpha blockers. These can relax
prostate muscles and improve the functioning of the urinary system.
Phosphodiesterase-5 (PDE5) inhibitors.
Doctors primarily prescribe these for erectile dysfunction.
However, PDE5 inhibitors can also relax muscles in the urinary tract to help
relieve symptoms of BPH.
5-alpha-reductase inhibitors.
These may help to limit the growth of the prostate gland in people with BPH.
Combination medications. A
doctor may recommend the concurrent use of two or more different types of
medication to help improve BPH symptoms.
Minimally
invasive procedures
When
medication alone does not relieve the symptoms of BPH, the next level of
treatment typically involves minimally invasive procedures. During these
procedures, a doctor will insert an instrument into a person's urethra or
rectum to either destroy excess prostate tissue or widen the urethra.
Surgery
If medication
and minimally invasive procedures are unable to improve the symptoms of BPH
sufficiently, a doctor may recommend surgery. A person may also require surgery
if their symptoms become severe or if complications develop. Potential
complications include:
- pain or severe difficulty with urination
- recurrent urinary tract infections
- blood in the urine
- sexual dysfunction
- stones in the bladder
- kidney damage
Surgery is
not uncommon for people with BPH. According to the Urology Care Foundation,
around 150,000 men in the U.S. undergo transurethral resection of
the prostate (TURP) for BPH each year. TURP is the most common type of surgery
for BPH in the U.S., but there are now several other surgical options.
Some
procedures can take place under local anesthetic on an outpatient basis, but
others are likely to require full anesthesia and a hospital stay.
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