How Do You Treat an Enlarged Prostate in the Elderly?

By the time a man reaches the age of 40, his prostate, a small gland that provides the fluid to carry sperm in the ejaculate, has been on the job for at least a quarter of a century. It's also right about this time that this tiny gland decides it wants to start getting noticed by growing larger, a condition called benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH).

A man with an enlarged prostate first notices that he no longer sleeps through the night because the prostate's pressure against his urethra makes a once or twice a night bathroom visit essential. Other symptoms include urine that leaks or dribbles or in some cases trouble starting a stream of urine after feeling that familiar urge to urinate.

One out of every two men over the age of 60 has an enlarged prostate, with nine out of ten affected by the age of 85. What starts as just an annoying middle of the night trip to the bathroom often turns into an array of annoying symptoms, including more frequent urination and urgency to urinate, a weak urinary stream and trouble starting that stream, dribbling of urine even after urination, a need to return to urinate after finishing, and a feeling that the bladder is never completely emptied.

Blood in the urine, bladder stones, bladder infection, incontinence, and an inability to urinate are more serious health complications that can ensue thanks to an enlarged prostate. Most men put up with the interrupted sleep pattern until more serious and painful symptoms develop which have them putting an appointment with their urologist at the top of their calendar.

The kind of treatment that will provide relief from symptoms of enlarged prostate depends upon the age and overall health of the patient and how deeply the individual's quality of life is affected by the symptoms being experienced.

Some doctors advise a "watch and wait" policy to track the progress of the enlarged prostate's effect on the man's urinary tract and overall health. Then it may be time to consider using medications such as alpha-blockers to relieve the symptoms or 5-Alpha Reductive Inhibitors which can actually help to shrink the size of the prostate and relieve the pressure on the urinary tract.

Drug treatments come with some unattractive side effects for some men, however, including decreased sexual desire, reduced semen volume, and problems maintaining an erection. Herbal treatments may seem less risky for side effects, although most research studies have not concluded that herbs effectively shrink the prostate or eliminate the symptoms.

Several out-patient non-surgical procedures involving laser therapy and microwave thermotherapy are also beneficial treatments for helping to shrink an enlarged prostate. Surgery is the most drastic measure to help relieve the assorted symptoms caused by an enlarged prostate but comes with the most risk including blood loss, erectile dysfunction, and urinary incontinence.

An enlarged prostate is one of the effects of aging on all men and the best treatment for its symptoms should be discussed earlier rather than later with an individual's family physician or urologist to decide the most appropriate course of action.