Management and Treatment of BPH
Benign prostatic hyperplasia can not be cured, so treatment is focused on reducing your symptoms. The choice of treatment is based on the severity of your symptoms, the extent to which they affect your daily life, and the presence of other medical conditions. Take a Prostate Symptom Self-Assessment here using a simple Prostate Symptom Calculator - you will get an index score that will describe the severity of your symptoms so that you can discuss them with your doctor.
BPH Treatment options include:
Watchful Waiting
While conservative this is often used if the symptoms are minor, do not bother you or cause you to modify your daily routines, and if you do not have a history of prostate cancer or a prostate infection. For some men, symptoms can lessen without other treatments so watchful waiting can be used before turning to prescription drugs or considering surgical procedures.
While many treatments will not stop the prostate from enlarging, they can help you reduce the symptoms. Treatments for BPH include:
Self care
Dietary
Zinc is believed to be important to prostate health as the highest accumulation of zinc in a health man’s body is in the prostate.
A recent study associated a lower risk of BPH with a diet rich in fruits, and a higher risk with a diet heavy in butter.
Avoid alcohol and caffeine, especially after dinner, as they make your body get rid of water and can make you urinate more often
Some evidence suggests that cranberry juice may be helpful in the prevention of urinary tract infections for those who are prone to developing them.
Some evidence suggests that green tea may benefit prostate health. (Green tea is one of the main ingredients in URINOZINC® Prostate Tea
Avoiding Medications
Avoid medications that can make urinating difficult. These can include
- antihistamines, such as diphenhydramine hydrochloride (the active ingredient in Benadryl)
- decongestants, such as pseudoephedrine hydrochloride (the active ingredient in Sudafed)
- nasal sprays, such as oxymetazoline (Afrin)
- antidepressants
- water pills or diuretics
- testosterone (in various forms including implants, injections, and gels)
- pain medications (narcotics)
- Check with your pharmacist or doctor regarding the medications you take and their effects on BPH.
Kegal Exercises
Kegel exercises are used to strengthen the PC, or pubococcygeus muscle, the same for men and for women. The PC muscle stretches from the pubic bone to the tail bone, forming a floor which supports the organs of the pelvis and helps the function of the sphincter muscles in both men and women.
Kegel exercises are recommended for treating the pain that sometimes results from BPH. It is also recommended for men to treat incontinence and premature ejaculation.
To perform Kegel exercises, to the following:
- Find your PC muscle by trying to stop the flow of urine while urinating. The muscle that you feel tightening when doing this is the PC muscle
- Once you have found the muscle, you can perform Kegel exercises by squeezing the muscle the same way when you are NOT urinating. Squeeze the muscle, hold it, and release it - repeating this ten times. When doing the exercise correctly, you should see or feel the testicles lift.
- By doing Kegal regularly throughout your days, you will notice that you will be able to build up to holding the squeeze for 10 seconds at a time, repeating the “squeeze, hold, and release” 10 times. Do this 3 to 5 times per day.
Other Practices for Optimal Prostate Health
While urinating:
- Do not try to rush your urination. Try to relax while in the bathroom.
- Practice “double voiding” – urinate as much as you can, relax for a few moments, and then try to urinate again.
- Urinate while sitting down instead of standing
Take every opportunity to use the bathroom, even if you do not feel that you have to go.
Spread out your fluid intake during the day. Do not limit your fluid intake to avoid urinating, as this can cause dehydration which can lead to other problems.
As the need to urinate is often greater during the evening, causing you to have to get up to go, limit the fluid intake in the evening. Empty your bladder before going to sleep.
Some people believe that regular ejaculations will help avoid enlargement of the prostate (BPH) but there is no scientific proof that regular frequent ejaculations help.
>> Return to Prostate Health Center
