7 BPH Treatments To Try Before Surgery

BPH, or benign prostatic hyperplasia, is a condition many men deal with as they get older. An enlarged prostate gland creates multiple issues for men both during the day and at night. Before you resort to surgery, here are 7 BPH treatment options you may want to consider.

Symptoms Of BPH

This common condition affects approximately 50% of men in their sixties and 90% after the age of seventy. An enlarged prostate causes issues with urination that range from urgent feelings to difficulty beginning and ending. BPH can also wake you up multiple times during the night to urinate, causing a number of restless nights.

You can’t just ignore it, yet you don’t have to rush into surgery to treat the symptoms right away.

Get Ahead Of The Problem

What does that mean? If you had young children, you probably remember telling them to pee before they left the house to forego needing to stop later. Well, this advice now applies to you.

Another piece of similar advice is to “hit the restroom” before you feel the need to go. If you are out and about and notice a restroom, urinate even if you don’t feel the urge at that moment. Take advantage of the opportunity and you’ll avoid any problematic situations.

Another similar idea is to “double void” meaning when you think you have finished peeing, wait a minute or two and try again. This is another example of getting ahead of the problem.

Cut Back On Fluids

Alcohol and coffee are two notorious drinks that can activate the prostate, though for you it may be some other liquid. Drink less of these fluids, and eliminate most fluids after dinner to prevent multiple trips to the bathroom during the night.

Modify Your Diet

Eat more fruits and vegetables and increase your intake of omega-3 fatty acids. Consume more cold-water fish like salmon, or you can rely on supplements.

Relax

Easy to say, right? When someone is upset or stressed, they seem to urinate more often. If you can reduce your stress level, you may be able to control how much, and how often, you need to pee. Exercise more frequently, even if it’s just walking to help relieve stress.

One simple tip is to try yoga or meditation. Don’t feel the need to become an expert, but start with simple things around the house and gradually increase from there!

Strengthen Specific Muscles

This is an easy one. Kegel exercises work on the muscles you use to prevent urinating. Squeeze those muscles and hold for 10 seconds. Relax and repeat about 10 times. Do this several times a day to help with bladder control.

Watch Out For OTC Meds

Some decongestants and antihistamines can make BPH worse. Certain prescription meds can also do the same.

See  Interventional Radiology at the Kansas University Medical Center

In addition to doing these at-home treatments, see  Interventional Radiology at the Kansas University Medical Center if the problem persists, especially if you are unable to urinate or seem to get urinary tract infections frequently.

Your urologist may prescribe some additional medications to shrink or relax the prostate gland so it doesn’t block the bladder and to relieve the symptoms of BPH.