What Are The Symptoms Of Enlarged Prostate
When the prostate becomes enlarged, it can block the urethra and impair bladder function. Symptoms that may indicate this is happening include:
- Urinating many times a day and being unable to hold off urination
- Problems starting a urine stream or a weak or interrupted stream, followed by dribbling at the end
- Waking at night to urinate and accidental loss of urine
How Is Yale Medicines Approach To Treating Enlarged Prostate Unique
“Urologists at Yale Medicine can give you a personalized approach to prostate care for both benign and malignant conditions,” says Dr. Honig.
Doctors at Yale Medicine work closely with specialists across all disciplines at Yale New Haven Hospital. Our doctors are dedicated to providing the latest treatmentsall personalized to meet the needs of each patient. This collaboration between different departments and teams sets Yale Medicine apart in its standard of care.
Causes Of Benign Prostate Enlargement
The exact cause of benign prostate enlargement is unknown, but research suggests that hormones probably play an important role in the condition’s development.
Hormones are powerful chemicals that can have a wide range of effects on the cells of the body.
One theory is that as some men get older, the levels of a type of hormone called dihydrotestosterone increases, which may stimulate the growth of the prostate.
Another theory suggests that two hormones, testosterone and oestrogen, play a role. Younger men produce high levels of testosterone and much smaller levels of oestrogen. But as men get older, their levels of testosterone decrease, which means they then have a higher proportion of oestrogen in their body. It’s been suggested that the relative increase in oestrogen may stimulate prostate growth.
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How Do You Prepare To Give A Prostate Massage
When it comes to sex, there are two kinds of safety: physical and psychological. Psychological safety starts with permission, Hong explains. Prostate stimulation is not something you surprise withit takes some preparing, Lexx Brown-James, Ph.D., L.M.F.T., tells SELF. That means bringing it up verbally before getting down to business. A simple You know, theres something Ive been really excited about trying… can help start the conversation, Brown-James says.
If you and your partner both agree to try it, youll also need to account for physical safetywhich boils down to avoiding anal trauma. So it might be helpful to learn a few best practices before you talk to your partner, TBH. This way you can discuss any concerns they or you might have.
The first step in safe prostate play is washing your hands with good old soap and water. You can use these handy instructions from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention . As you probably know from the new coronavirus pandemic, keeping your hands clean is one way to avoid spreading germs on your hands to the eyes, nose, or mouth. Its also a good time to mention that you dont need any special antibacterial soap for this. As SELF has previously reported, tried-and-true hand soap will do the trick.
Home Remedies For Enlarged Prostate
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If you are not fully rested when you get up in the morning because you made 3, 4 or more trips to the bathroom during the night, it is probably time to consider that you have a problem. A major sign of prostatitis or enlarged prostate is frequent urination. You can get control over the issue by making use of one or several of our 15 home remedies for enlarged prostate and get back to enjoying a restful nights sleep.
Keep in mind that an enlarged prostate could be an indicator of a more serious condition and these remedies are not all-inclusive cures. You should consult a health care professional if the condition persists for proper advice and treatment.
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Natural Ways To Shrink The Prostate
If you are one of the 14 million men who suffer from an enlarged prostate due to benign prostatic hyperplasia , it is understandable that you would like to find a way to shrink your prostate or at least reduce its symptoms. You may wonder how to take the prostate back to a younger, more normal size that doesnt keep you running to the bathroom all night long.
When enlarged, the prostate gland can put pressure on the urethra and cause symptoms such as frequent urination and nighttime urination. The growing prostate can also keep the bladder from completely emptying and can affect the flow of urine, making for a weaker flow, starting and stopping of the flow, and urinary tract infections. More severe cases of BPH can make it difficult to urinate.
Even though BPH is not cancerous, it does affect a man and his familys quality of life. If you are waking up several times a night to urinate, chances are you are waking up your family members at least some of the time. Having to stop activities due to urinary urgency can have an effect and cause stress and annoyance for everyone involved.
Growth of the prostate with age is normal. One-third of men experience symptoms of an enlarged prostate by age 50. By age 70, 70 percent of men are affected, according to Johns Hopkins. So what can you do about it? Actually, there is a lot you can do.
Supplements That Show Promise
Other supplements show hopeful signs of helping in studies so far, but thereâs less research on these than the more common options.
Pumpkin seeds: These and pumpkin seed oil extract seem to help with BPH symptoms and may shrink the size of the prostate. It may also be helpful when used along with other supplements such as saw palmetto.
Stinging nettle: This is a type of herb, and its root may help with urine flow and waking up a lot at night to pee. Itâs sometimes used along with other supplements to treat BPH symptoms.
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Additional Supplements To Help Relieve Symptoms Of An Enlarged Prostate
Another great supplement is the stinging nettle root. The nettle root contains similar anti-inflammatory and antioxidants as the pygeum and saw palmetto. Most times the nettle root is combined with saw palmetto.
Beta-sitosterol, a compound similar to cholesterol, is found in some plants and seeds like pumpkin seeds. This compound has been shown to improve urine flow. It can also reduce the amount of urine left in the bladder after one urinates. Issues with urination are a symptom of an enlarged prostate.
According to some studies, taking 10 grams of pumpkin seed extract daily can help with BPH symptoms. One study suggests that lycopene a naturally occurring pigment found in many fruits and vegetables may slow the progression of an enlarged prostate.
The richest source of lycopene available to most people is tomatoes. There are a few other vegetables and fruits that contain lower levels of this antioxidant. Generally speaking the deeper red or pink fruit or vegetable is in color the higher the lycopene content is.
The mineral zinc can reduce the likeliness of an enlarged prostate. Increasing the dietary intake of zinc could help reduce urinary issues associated with an enlarged prostate. People can find zinc in seafood, poultry, and many types of nuts and seeds. For example, sesame or pumpkin seeds.
Caffeine stimulates the bladder causing the sudden urge to urinate. This could potentially worsen BPH symptoms.
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Large Prostate With Few Symptoms
Patients with very enlarged prostates may have few symptoms or mild symptoms. Doctors verify that there are no problems with kidney or bladder function. If not, they know that the enlarged prostate is not harming the body. In this case, doctors may recommend just watching the prostate or doing non-surgical treatments. Options include changing certain eating and drinking habits and urinating less often. Patients can take medications that relax the prostate, such as tamsulosin, or shrink the prostate, such as finasteride or dutasteride. Patients also may try supplements like saw palmetto to help their symptoms.
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How Bph Is Treated
A number of medications can relieve symptoms of BPH. However, these medications may cause sexual side effects, such as ejaculation problems and erectile dysfunction.
Other nonsurgical therapies include transurethral microwave thermotherapy and water-induced thermotherapy. Both use heat to destroy prostate tissue and reduce or resolve urinary symptoms.
If medications and/or thermotherapies are unsuccessful, surgery may be recommended.
Excess prostate tissue often can be surgically removed using a transurethral approach, which does not require an outside incision.
A more traditional, open surgery, which does require an incision, may be necessary if the prostate gland is very large or when the bladder has been damaged and needs to be repaired.
How To Naturally Reduce Prostate Size
An increasing number of studies have shown how important the role of good nutrition is when it comes to maintaining a healthy prostate.
A diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and healthy fats may to protect the prostate by maintaining hormone balance, thereby reducing the risk of developing prostate disease.
There are even some foods and natural remedies for an enlarged prostate which have been shown to help with reducing prostate size naturally which we will now look at below.
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Symptoms Of Benign Prostate Enlargement
The symptoms of benign prostate enlargement are caused by the enlarged prostate placing pressure on the bladder and urethra .
This can affect urination in a number of ways. For example, it can:
- make it difficult for you to start urinating
- weaken the flow of urine or cause “stopping and starting”
- cause you to strain to pass urine
- cause you to need to urinate frequently
- cause you to wake up frequently during the night to urinate
- cause a sudden urge to urinate, which can result in urinary incontinence if you can’t find a toilet quickly enough
- cause you to not be able to empty your bladder fully
- cause blood in the urine
In the later stages, benign prostate enlargement can cause urine retention and other complications such as bladder stones, bladder infections and kidney damage.
Personal And Family Medical History
Taking a personal and family medical history is one of the first things a health care provider may do to help diagnose benign prostatic hyperplasia. A health care provider may ask a man
- what symptoms are present
- when the symptoms began and how often they occur
- whether he has a history of recurrent UTIs
- what medications he takes, both prescription and over the counter
- how much liquid he typically drinks each day
- whether he consumes caffeine and alcohol
- about his general medical history, including any significant illnesses or surgeries
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How Can Diet Affect Bph
Similar to prostate cancer, BPH is a multifactorial disease. Many hormones and growth factors act in the prostate tissue to cause enlargement. But some epidemiologic studies have also identified dietary factors associated with BPH.
For example, a study in China showed that overeating animal proteins could increase the risk.
Another study from Japan showed that regular milk consumption has the same effect. Thats why a plant-based diet is recommended for preventing prostate enlargement and reducing the number of prostate cancer cells
According to other research, Asian men have a lower incidence of BPH. Such a lower incidence responds to a high-fiber diet compared to Western men . But why is diet so important?
The amount and proportion of nutrients we take influences the function of the body. Among many other things, they modulate hormone concentrations. They also modulate the role of the sympathetic nervous system, which acts directly in the urethra. Thats why changing your diet can improve your urinary tract symptoms if you have them .
In this article, we will discuss 3 foods that shrink prostate gland. The following foods, nutrients and diets are recommended to shrink the size of the prostate gland. You can always look for food sources or prostate supplements that include them in the list of ingredients.
Vitamin D Deficiency: Health Complications
Additionally, vitamin D deficiency can increase cardiovascular risk factors. Some of them increases the risk of BPH. These parameters are inversely related to prostate volume. In other words, as obesity or hypertension becomes worse, the prostate gland tends to increase.
Another vitamin D deficiency risk that causes prostate enlargement is oxidative stress. In an environment with excess free radicals, the structures of the molecules start to change. The prostate tissue undergoes changes as well and starts to grow in response.
Thats why a recent study evaluated all of these associations, and the authors gave their opinion. They suggest that vitamin D deficiency counts as an independent risk factor for BPH. In other words, you can have normal health, but vitamin D deficiency alone will cause BPH. The authors of this study published in the journal Urology recommend vitamin D as a therapeutic target and a potential marker of BPH .
Similarly, other studies have evaluated the effect of vitamin D levels in the incidence of prostate cancer. The authors report that vitamin D levels are lower in patients with BPH. However, they are still lower in patients with prostate cancer. As vitamin D levels were reduced, the Gleason score and the aggressiveness of cancer increased .
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Foods High In Curcumin
In this case, we are talking about a spice instead of a nutrient. Thus, we do not have a long list of foods that contain curcumin. The primary source is turmeric, but you can also find curcumin as a powder in the market. Its what gives mustard its yellow color, too.
However, since the daily dose is rather high compared to what we usually have, we recommend using a supplement instead. Other ways you can increase your intake of curcumin is through one of these daily hacks:
- Turmeric smoothie: They taste great if you add whey powder, almond milk, peanut butter, and 2 tablespoons of turmeric powder.
- Turmeric salad dressing: Mix one tablespoon of turmeric powder with apple cider vinegar, olive oil, and any other spices that go along with the taste.
- Curry sauce recipes: Its an Indian sauce you can find already made in the market or do it yourself with turmeric, margarine, peanut oil, ginger, black pepper, cinnamon, coriander, cilantro, chili peppers, and yogurt.
Understanding The Importance Of Your Prostate
Many men do not understand what their prostate does and how it can impact their lives. The prostate is a small gland that is about the size and shape of a walnut that is located below the neck of the bladder. The urethra runs through the center of your prostate, from the bladder through the penis, letting urine flow out of the body.
Your prostate can become larger as you age, and usually begins to grow around the age of 40-50 this is a normal part of aging. Eventually, this growth can lead to Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia, better known as BPH.
As the prostate enlarges, it presses on and blocks the urethra, causing bothersome urinary symptoms such as:
- Frequent need to urinate both day and night
- Weak or slow urinary stream
- A sense that you cannot completely empty your bladder
- Difficulty or delay in starting urination
- Urgent feeling of needing to urinate
- A urinary stream that stops and starts
If you suffer from the above symptoms, you are not alone. BPH is the leading reason men visit a urologist.3
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Questions To Ask Yourself About Enlarged Prostate Treatment
When you discuss the treatment options for an enlarged prostate with your doctor, keep these points in mind:
- How much are my symptoms bothering me?
- Do they keep me from doing things I enjoy?
- How long do I want to deal with them?
- Am I willing to accept small risks to improve my symptoms?
- Do I understand the risks?
- Am I ready to do something about this problem?
Large Prostate With Significant Symptoms
For patients who have moderate or severe symptoms that have failed medical therapy from very enlarged prostates, the optimal treatment is often surgery. For very enlarged prostates, there are four main surgical options:
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Blood In Urine/bladder Stones
A number of factors associated with enlarged prostate can cause blood in the urine: Enlarged veins in the prostate can rupture, or if youre forcing hard to urinate, that can also rupture veins. Blood in the urine can also be a sign of a UTI. Urine retention in your bladder can also cause bladder stones. These occur when urine becomes concentrated and crystallizes. They can be very painful and can further block the flow of urine. However, its unlikely that bladder stones would be the first noticeable symptom of an enlarged prostate, Dr. Linehan says.