There are a number of effective BPH treatment options available for men suffering from an enlarged prostate. The appropriateness of any treatment will depend upon the severity of the symptoms, how negatively they affect one’s quality of life, and if there are any other significant medical conditions involved. These BPH treatment programs can be broken down into three main categories:
- “watchful waiting” and changing lifestyles
- herbal and other medications
- surgical procedures.
“Watchful waiting” includes both making lifestyle changes and having an annual physical examination to determine any needed treatment options. Easily made behavioral changes considered effective in dealing with BPH (benign prostatic hyperplasia) include:
- Avoiding fluids (particularly coffee and alcohol) at least two hours before bed
- Urinating whenever convenient and just prior to bed
- Avoiding decongestants or antihistamines
- Sitting in aisle seats in theatres or when traveling
- Staying warm in colder climates and exercising regularly
- Using stress control techniques
- Including sources of zinc in your diet
Men choosing either medication or surgical treatment usually follow a staged approach in which the complexity of the treatment is relative to the patient’s level of discomfort. Attempting to remove as much subjectivity from the treatment process, many physicians now use the standardized IPSS questionnaire as a benchmark for determining the severity of enlarged prostate cases.
For “mild” symptoms (scores of 7 or less), herbal supplements and prescription medications are good choices. All-natural herbal supplements such as Prostate 9 Complex™ or prescription medications (alpha 1-blockers including terazosin, alfuzosin, and doxazosin, and anti-androgens such as dutasteride and finasteride) seem to work well. Herbal supplements usually contain saw palmetto extracts and other natural antioxidants that have been shown to relieve enlarged prostate symptoms. Alpha 1-blockers relax urinary tract and prostate muscles to help improve urine flow rate, while anti-androgens work instead on blocking the conversion of testosterone to another male hormone – dihydrotestosterone – which stimulates the prostate. Possible side effects from prescription treatments include a number of allergic reactions, decreased sex drive, impotence, enlarged breasts, breathing difficulties, and others.
For “moderate” symptoms (scores of between 8 – 19), many men often respond as well to the same BPH treatment options that “mild” sufferers do. As the effectiveness of drug therapy has improved over the years, it has allowed some men to defer the more serious surgical approach to a later date.
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