Treating Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH)
What is BPH?
Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH) is the most common prostate problem. Basically, it means that you have an enlarged prostate. When this happens, it can press against the urethra and make it difficult for urine or sperm to pass through. BPH usually occurs between the ages of 50 and 60. 90% of those with a prostate will experience BPH symptoms by age 85, and half of this population will need treatment for those symptoms.
What are the treatment options for BPH?
The good news is that it is not cancerous and there are a variety of treatment options for it. If your symptoms are severe, your doctor may suggest the following options. Finasteride, Proscar and dutasteride, Avodart. Both of these drugs reduce the production of the hormone dihydrotestosterone, DHT, which causes prostate growth. They work well if you have a large prostate. Medications that relax the prostate muscle are a more common treatment. They work by reducing tension on the urethra. Some of these drugs include terazosin, Hytrin, doxazosin, Cardura, tamsulosin, Flomax, and alfluzosin, Uraxatrol.
What are some surgical options used to treat BPH?
Having surgery for BPH can seem quite intense, but there are several options, including minimally invasive ones, to treat this condition. Here are some. With transurethral resection of the prostate, or TURP, a urologist will remove any tissue blocking the urethra with a small, tube-like tool that uses an electrical current to cut away the tissue. While the TURP takes about an hour, you'll need to stay in the hospital for a day or two. Recovery time can be four to six weeks.
The GreenLight laser removes excess prostate tissue with, well, a laser. The advantage of this procedure is that there is less bleeding during and after it is completed. The EroLift uses small implants to push back any tissue that is blocking the flow of urine. This option can be done in the doctor's office, under light sedation.
Rezum is minimally invasive and is performed by going up through the urethra with an instrument that turns water into steam. The steam delivery lasts just seconds and helps shrink the prostate. The tissue is destroyed and reabsorbed by the body over a period of three months. This procedure can also be done in the doctor's office under light sedation.
Holmium Laser Enucleation of the Prostate, or HoLEP, is ideal for larger prostates. A laser is used to remove the tissue that is blocking the flow of urine. Another device is then used to remove any remaining tissue. HoLEP does not require incisions and recovery time appears to be much faster than traditional surgery options.
Treatment doesn't have to be overwhelming. Your doctor can guide you through the options for managing BPH and answer any questions you may have. And if you start to notice symptoms, call your doctor if you notice any of these symptoms, such as pain in your stomach or genitals when you urinate, pain, fever, and/or chills when you urinate, blood in your urine, or inability to urinate, contact your doctor right away.
