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| BENIGN PROSTATIC HYPERPLASIA (BPH) PATIENT GUIDE |
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Nearly half of men over 55 will develop the condition called benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH).
If you’re a man over the age of 55 and you’re experiencing a weak or interrupted urine stream, inconvenient dribbling after you urinate, or an unexplained feeling that you’ve never quite finished urinating; you should know that those are all symptoms of having developed an enlarged prostate. The medical terms for condition are benign prostatic hyperplasia, BPH, and benign prostatic hypertrophy. |
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Fortunately, BPH is a non-cancerous enlargement of the prostate – the small (walnut-sized) gland that encircles a man’s urethra and produces fluid that’s a component in semen. As men age, their prostate glands become progressively larger, that causes a restriction of the urethra that obstructs the flow of urine.
That obstruction may be the reason for your symptoms. As the prostate grows and grows, that growth puts pressure on the urethra, resulting in hesitancy urinating, a slowdown of the urine stream, the urgent or overly frequent need to urinate and the aforementioned dribbling. It may also result in urine retention, which weaken bladder muscle and increase your risks of developing either UTI’s (urinary tract infections) or kidney stones. In certain severe cases of BPH, urine can also back up into and thereby cause damage to the kidneys or prevent a patient from urinating at all, a situation that requires immediate medical attention.
Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) can also have an affect on sexual function. It can result in painful orgasms, reduced sexual ability overall or impotence. The severity of symptoms will vary from patient to patient and can vary over time.
For most men, BPH won’t be more than a minor or moderate annoyance. Unfortunately for others, it will present a major challenge to the quality of their lifestyle. Benign prostatic hyperplasia is fairly common condition in men of a certain age. Research from the American Urology Association, tells us that 50% of men will experience BPH by the time they’re 60 years of age, and 90% or more will be affected by 80. And though BPH doesn’t cause prostate cancer, they may be found together.
THE PRECISE CAUSE OF BPH OR BENIGN PROSTATIC HYPERPLASIA IS UNCLEAR
Though the research is ongoing, the root causes of benign prostatic hyperplasia have yet to be revealed. Many recent studies have indicated that it may be the result of otherwise normal hormonal changes that occur because of the aging process. Another theory involves the fact that as a men age, the amount of testosterone in their blood steadily decreases, leaving behind a higher concentration of estrogen in their blood. The higher concentration of estrogen may influence cell growth within the prostate gland. One more possible hormonal change involves DHT (or dihydrotestosterone), a testosterone by-product. If levels of dihydrotestosterone accumulate in the prostate, an overgrowth of cells in the prostate may occur.
Of course, those are only theories and as of today, aging is the only identifiable risk factor for the development of BPH. Benign prostatic hyperplasia is quite simply the most common disease among aging males – especially among those over 55. It’s also worth noting that though symptoms of prostate cancer are rather similar to the symptoms of benign prostatic hyperplasia – BPH has never been shown to be a precursor of prostate cancer development.
We do know that benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) isn’t just a case of having developed too many prostate cells. We also know that while there are effective treatments, there is no “cure” for benign prostatic hyperplasia and that once it’s begun, it typically continues until there’s a medical intervention. The prostate growth characterized by the condition involves hormones, it occurs in both muscular and glandular tissues, and it affects different men differently. The best treatment will vary from patient to patient and depend on how the prostate has grown. You see, in one type of BPH, cells develop around the urethra and squeeze it, like you’d squeeze a straw. The other type of BPH growth occurs in the prostate’s middle-lobe, in which cells develop in the urethra and bladder outlet region. This type of BPH usually requires a surgical solution.
TREATMENT OPTIONS FOR BPH INCLUDE RANGE FROM DRUG THERAPY TO MAJOR SURGERY
In each case the goal of treatment will be to substantially improve urinary flow and notably decrease whichever debilitating symptoms of BPH you’ve experienced. Ideally, the treatment will also work to delay or prevent the continued progression of benign prostatic hyperplasia. If your symptoms are relatively mild and don’t affect your quality of life, if you have drug sensitivities or if surgery would represent an undue risk; a treatment strategy known as "watchful waiting" might be called for …which is to say close observation of the growth’s progression combined with lifestyle changes aimed at minimizing it. If you and your doctor opt for "watchful waiting," you’ll have regularly scheduled checkups during which you’ll be tested and able report any intolerable symptoms of BPH. If discomfort-causing symptoms occur – and affect your activity level and lifestyle, or otherwise endanger your health, other treatment options will be recommended.
Drug therapy may also be used to relieve minor urinary symptoms of BPH. So called “alpha blockers” can be employed to either reduce the size of an enlarging prostate gland or slow the growth rate of an afflicted prostate. The drugs used to treat benign prostatic hyperplasia include 5-alpha reductase inhibitors …such as dutasteride (Avodart) or finasteride (Proscar) as well as standard “alpha-blockers,” such as doxazosin (Cardura) and tamsulosin (Flomax).
However, if drug therapy fails to provide satisfactory symptom relief, a surgical approach may be necessary to help retard the prostate gland’s overgrowth. If you’re experiencing severe BPH symptoms …such as chronic urinary retention, recurrent traces of blood in your urine, bladder stones or chronic urinary tract infections, drug therapy may not be the best approach. Advanced symptoms indicate that a surgical approach will be needed to address BPH.
THE SIMPLE, SAFE AND EFFECTIVE SOLUTION TO BPH -- GREENLIGHT LASER PVP
State-of-the-art GreenLight PVP Laser Systems offer a unique and effective solution to the symptoms surrounding benign prostatic hyperplasia. It is a minimally invasive treatment and uses a high-powered GreenLight Laser System to immediately vaporize and precisely remove enlarged prostate tissues – a process known as: Photo Vaporization of the Prostate, or "PVP."
During the PVP procedure, a thin fiber will be inserted into your urethra via a cystoscope – an instrument that will allow your doctor to examine your bladder and your prostate. The fiber will then deliver green-light laser burst that will literally vaporize and remove any enlarged prostate tissues. Your doctor will be able to safely view and control the PVP procedure and area and thereby tailor it to individual nature of your prostate’s growth. Since the benign overgrowth will be vaporized and removed, PVP will leave behind an open channel and natural urine flow will immediately be restored and other urinary symptoms quickly relieved.
Most patients are able to return home only hours after the procedure and are able to get back to a normal, but non-strenuous, activity level within a few days. The GreenLight Laser Photovaporization Solution can be long-tern answer to the urinary symptoms of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). Of course, as with any treatment method for benign prostatic hyperplasia, individual results will vary.
CONTACT US TO LEARN MORE ABOUT BENIGN PROSTATIC HYPERPLASIA AND GREENLIGHT LASER PVP
For additional information about BPH or GreenLight Laser PVP, don’t hesitate to contact us.
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