Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia

What Is Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia?

Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia, commonly known as an enlarged prostate, is a common factor in older men. However, anyone with a prostate can face such issues. According to the clinical reports, 60% of the BPH patients are above the age of 60 years; 30% is above the age of 50 and less than 60; and only 10% is below the age of 50 years.

What Happens When You Experience BPH?

However, the ailment is not too much problematic at the initial stage, but as it grows, it can cause several issues. The prostate usually produces semen, a thick layer of milky substance that allows the sperm in a man to float. As it grows in size, it puts pressure on the bladder and the penis, too. In such a condition, you might face issues like:

• You can face issues with your bladder emptying
• You may have to urinate frequently and
• You can face issues at the starting of urination.

However, as the size becomes bigger, the effects also increase and the intensity of the effect too. There you can face issues like:

• Blood with urine
• Erectile dysfunction (ED), or
• Prostate Cancer.

Causes Of BPH

BPH can be caused by many issues, such as:

• It is often found when a man becomes old, and he faces issues with high blood pressure. High blood pressure won’t allow the blood to be transmitted to the prostate, and that causes pressure on the walls, forming an enlarged prostate.
• It can also be caused by lifestyle issues. Too much alcohol, junk foods, and diabetes can cause the same in the same way – reducing blood flow to the area.
• In certain cases, it might happen that for some heart disorders, men face reduced blood flow to the prostate, and that in turn causes BPH.

Diagnosis Of BPH

At first, you will be asked some questions related to your urination difficulty and difficulty at the time of intercourse, if your doctor suspects BPH in you. You need to answer each of the questions seriously, as identification of the ailment will then only be possible.

If your doctor finds that your answers are indicating BPH, he will write some tests, including some blood tests, for you. He can also ask sample for urine culture. In the blood tests, if your doctor finds some PVR results and PSA results, he will confirm that you are having BPH.

In the case of PSA, there must be a higher level of Prostate-specific antigen as an indicator of BPH. And in case of PVR tests, he will examine the amount of urine left in the bladder after urination.

Treatment Of BPH

There are three stages of treatment for BPH:

1. Basic Treatment:

In case it is found that your BPH is at the basic level, you will be given some exercises (Kegel exercises), cycling exercises, and might be some yoga poses. Alongside the exercise, you will be given some diet guidelines that will ease your blood pressure and that will manage the PSA level in your blood. You will be said to stop taking alcohol, if you are taking such things.

2. Medicinal treatment:

If it is found that your BPH has reached the next level and your heart and liver condition are fine enough to take the medicines, you will be either given some Alpha blockers, or you will be prescribed certain PDE5-inhibitors like Tadalafil. In both the cases, your blood pressure is lowered, and more blood flow is allowed to your prostate. In the case of Tadalafil, the PDE5 enzyme is restricted, and thus, you can find more blood flow to the pelvic area.

3. Surgery:

This is only prescribed for you if your BPH condition is at the last stage, and if not treated, it can form cancer. Here are the surgeries that are usually carried out:

• TURP: The urologist will insert a resectoscope through your urethra and remove the prostate tissue.
• TUIP: Here urologist will make two insertions, one from the urethra and the other from the bladder neck, to enlarge the width of the prostate vein and increase the flow of urine.
• Another few methods are there like laser treatment and warm water treatment, where your prostate nerves are heated and rectified by the urologist.

In some critical cases, there can be some other mechanism of treatment too. This process is called Invasive treatment. Here, the dead cells of the prostate are eliminated to cure the condition. Usually, this is done in such cases when a urologist finds that your prostate enlargement is going towards prostate cancer, and you are well enough aged that you don’t need semen secretion anymore.

Complications In BPH Treatment

Although BPH can be well treated, there remain some complications in the treatment, such as:

1. Heart issues:

Since BPH treatment is mostly carried out at the old age, issues of heart condition almost remain in all cases. This makes the treatment complex, and that is the reason why doctors go for the surgical treatments, although alpha blockers and PDE5 inhibitors can well manage the enlarged prostate.

2. Existing illness:

In several patients, there remain liver issues, and hence, when treated with PDE5 inhibitors, they can face liver impairment. In many patients, there already remains glaucoma due to their old age, and hence, treatment with the medicines becomes complex. Both alpha blockers and tadalafil can cause blindness in patients having glaucoma.

3. Failing to exercise:

Since most of the men undergoing the treatment of BPH are old enough, maintaining proper exercise and diet becomes an issue. Thus, surgery is the only left out treatment for the condition.

4. Diabetes:

In certain cases, patients are preoccupied with diabetes, and that worsens the BPH condition and leads it towards prostate cancer. This again forms issues in curing the BOH conditions.

5. Complications of Age:

Patients of young age facing such issues counts less, but treatment in them becomes much easier. However, very few of such patients report to the clinic. Mostly, young men facing issues of ED, which resulted from BPH reports to the clinic, and then it is found that they are having BPH. Hence, the treatment that would have been easier for young age becomes tougher at the old age.