Managing Prostatic Hypertrophy

Benign prostatic hyperplasia, sometimes known as prostatic hypertrophy, is the condition that is commonly characterized by the inflammation of a person?s prostate. The increase of size of the prostate causes many different effects to a person. It will often make a person urinate often, feel pain and discomfort when urinating and will have an increased risk of urinary tract infections.

Focusing on ways to manage prostatic hypertrophy, there are different ways that doctors advise. There are methods that stem from changes in lifestyle to surgical procedures. These all aim to try and correct the problem and help the patient achieve a normal lifestyle once again.

Regarding lifestyle changes, a person who has prostatic hypertrophy should try and lessen fluid intake. This is not only because of the discomfort that he experiences when urinating, but it will also lessen the chance that he will acquire infections. Alcohol and caffeine consumption should be avoided; or at the very least controlled. Some patients are also advised to follow a specific schedule of eliminating waste.

Another management method that can be used is through medication. Some medications like alpha blockers are made to help the muscle relax and become a little smooth. When they are smooth, there is less chance of irritation and diseases. Other medicine includes inhibitors that take longer to have an effect but they gradually try to decrease the size of the prostate. They stop the hormone that is responsible for the enlargement of the prostate.

For those who do not fare well with medications, there are minimally invasive methods that can help them get better. Transurethral microwave thermotherapy and transurethral needle ablation are two procedures that generally aim to produce heat that will cause death of the cells in the prostate. When the cells die, they cannot regrow and the prostate shrinks.

If all else fail, then the patient with prostatic hypertrophy can undergo surgery. There are different surgical procedures that have emerged in the past years but the best way is still transurethral resection of prostate. It means that the prostate or part of if will be removed through the urethra. Sometimes, if possible, the prostate will be shocked to shrink down its size. The effect is supposed to be permanent but depends on the adaptation of the patient.