Straight Talk About

PROSTATE HEALTH FOR MEN OVER 40

SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF BPH - (Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia)

BPH symptoms range from mild to severe and are classified as obstructive or irritative. BPH is not a cancer and cannot lead to cancer although both conditions can exist together.

Obstructive - symptoms include:

1. Weak or Interrupted urine stream

2. Difficulty starting urination

3. Straining while urinating

4. Dribbling following urination

5. Incomplete emptying

Irritative - symptoms include:

1. Frequency of nighttime urination

2. Frequency or urgency in needing to urinate

3. Difficulty or pain during urination

4. Urge incontinence (inability to hold back urine)

FINDING THE RIGHT BPH TREATMENT

Side effects

All medications have a risk of side effects. Your doctor can help determine the most appropriate treatment for you. No matter what medication your doctor recommends, it is important to take it exactly as prescribed.  Symptoms may return if the medication isn't taken regularly.

THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT BPH

BPH affects you life, whether it's the fear of suddenly needing to use the bathroom, interrupted sleep because of frequent urination, or a problem with your sex life. But while BPH can affect your life, it doesn't have to control it.

BPH symptoms and your sex life.

BPH can affect sexual function. A recent survey of 14,000 men showed a relationship between severity of BPH symptoms and decreased sexual function.

What are my treatment options?

You don't have to endure the symptoms of BPH. Prostate enlargement is treatable.  Your option range from medication to office procedures to traditional surgery.

Is one treatment better than another?

Each treatment has advantages and disadvantages, and all medical procedures have potential risks and complications. You should talk to your doctor about all of your options.

Medication is usually the first treatment for BPH. There are several medicines that relieve the symptoms in most men, at least initially. For some, medications loses its effectiveness over time or causes undesirable side effects such as dizziness, low blood pressure or impotence.

Surgery is the most traditional long-term treatment which cuts away the enlarged prostate tissue. Transurethral Resection of the Prostate (TURP) is the most common BPH surgery. Another surgical option, open prostatectomy, requires an abdominal incision and is therefore typically reserved for severely enlarged prostates.

Advanced Technology treatments were developed in effort to provide long-term relief with fewer risks and side effects than traditional surgery, medical science has developed and refined other BPH treatments in recent decades. Among these modern options, one of the most advanced is the Indigo Laser, from Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Inc., a Johnson & Johnson company.