How Prostatic Hypertrophy Affects The Well Being Of Men

Prostatic hypertrophy or also known as prostatic hyperplasia is characterized as the enlargement or proliferation of the prostate. This is part of the normal aging process in men, starting from age 30. It evolves slowly and is usually no cause to worry, though in some cases hyperplasia of the prostate has caused considerable amount of discomfort to patients. And if not treated right away it might even cause complete obstruction of urethra. In fact, an estimated 50% of men by age 50 manifest histological evidence of prostatic hypertrophy. This number increases to 75% percent by age 80, 40-50% were found to be clinically significant and only 10% need medical or surgical intervention.

Signs and symptoms may include, but are not limited to: urinary frequency (the need to void more often than usual), dysuria (pain during urination), and urinary incontinence (the involuntary leakage of urine). In the more progressed stages, the disease might even pose as a serious problem. Urinary tract infection, urinary retention (the inability to urinate) and urinary bladder stone formation are a few signs of the disease progression. Some patients who are experiencing chronic urinary retention may eventually progress to renal failure.

Early diagnosis of the disease is very important in order for the doctor to provide prompt treatment to avoid disease progression. The most common diagnostic tool used to diagnose prostatic hypertrophy is through rectal examination, which is done by palpating the prostate through the rectum. Some if not most men might be skeptics about surrendering themselves to such procedure, but do understand that even those who are not experiencing the signs and symptoms of the disease should still keep a watchful eye. An ultrasound of the prostate and its surrounding organs is also often performed to rule out malignancy. An annual medical monitoring is advised for most men with prostatic hypertrophy.

Management of prostatic hypertrophy is often started with lifestyle changes. Minimal consumption of alcoholic and caffeine containing beverages is advised to lessen the signs and symptoms. This is also accompanied by medical interventions. The most common medications used are: alpha-blockers and 5a-reductase inhibitors. Often times, patient may feel the need to stop taking these medications due to its side affects, other treatment options include: transurethral microwave thermotherapy (TUMT) and transurethral needle ablation (TUNA). These treatments are considered minimally invasive and rely on sufficient heat to cause cell death in the prostate. If and when the medical therapies do not work then the patient will then have to undergo a surgical procedure called transurethral resection of prostate (TURP).