Last updated on November 28th, 2023 at 07:50 pm
A benign prostatic hyperplasia or BPH is an enlargement of the prostate gland. In simple terms, it is known as enlarged prostate. BPH isn’t cancerous but can be inconvenient for men. If you are experiencing BPH, the first thing that will come to your mind is how to cope with the condition to make it more tolerable.
So, without any delay, we will discuss how you can cope with an enlarged prostate and improve your way of life.
Tips For Managing Enlarged Prostate Symptoms
Use the tips we will share below as a guide to managing your symptoms:
Take Proper Medication Prescribed By Your Physician
Your doctor will likely prescribe you a medication that will help you manage the symptoms of BPH. Common medications given to patients with an enlarged prostate are phosphodiesterase inhibitors, alpha-blockers, and alpha-reductase inhibitors.
- Alpha-blockers: This medication helps relax the bladder, neck, and prostate muscles and is a common prescription for BPH patients. One typical example of an alpha-blocker medication for BPH is Flomax. If you are prescribed Flomax, you should immediately get a Flomax Coupon to lessen the cost of your medication. Alpha-blocker medications for BPH, including Flomax, are expensive, and having a coupon will provide significant savings.
- Phosphodiesterase inhibitors: This medication helps blood vessels to relax and widen, which improves circulation. It treats various medical conditions, including erectile dysfunction or moderate lower urinary symptoms. Although Phosphodiesterase inhibitors show some improvements to the symptoms, they demonstrate no changes in BPH patients’ urine flow.
- Alpha-reductase inhibitors: This medication helps any further growth of the prostate. This drug can even help shrink your enlarged prostate over time and lower the risk of urinary retention. It is mostly given to men with larger prostates and the surgery requirement. You will notice a significant difference after six months of taking this medication.
Your doctor might also advise you to take a combination treatment that includes an alpha-blocker and alpha-reductase inhibitor. The combination treatment is usually given to men with severe symptoms and a large prostate and doesn’t improve after taking a high dose of alpha-blockers.
Reduce Stress
If you’re nervous and anxious, you tend to feel the urge to urinate more. Therefore, you should learn how to manage your stress and reduce it. You can do many ways to decrease the stress you are experiencing.
Follow these techniques below and reduce your stress to lessen your trip to the bathroom.
- Get outside and appreciate nature.
- Set boundaries, especially at work.
- Exercise regularly.
- Don’t forget to enjoy yourself and take some time off.
- Write down negative emotions that cause stress.
- Get a good night’s sleep.
- Learn breathing techniques to help you calm down.
- Avoid social media or technology as much as possible.
- Consider meditation.
- Enjoy a little bit of music.
- Don’t forget to laugh.
- Get a massage or spend time at the spa.
- Practice time management.
Start making the suggestions above, and you will notice a difference in how you feel and manage stressors around you.
Change Your Lifestyle
A lifestyle change has a huge impact on coping with BPH. The changes you need to make should include avoidance of caffeinated and alcoholic drinks as well as not drinking any fluids close to bedtime.
For most men, the changes they need to make can be challenging, especially if they are used to a lifestyle full of alcohol and caffeine. But if you want to lessen the inconvenience of your condition, you should follow this tip no matter how hard it can be.
Symptoms of Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia
If you aren’t familiar with the symptoms of BPH yet, here is a list of warning signs that you should watch out for:
- Difficult to start a pee
- Incontinence
- Dribbling or slowness of pee
- The urgent need to pee
- You can’t completely empty the bladder
- Changes in the pee’s color
- You will notice an odd smell of the pee
- Pain when peeing or after ejaculation
- Constantly waking up at night to pee
Once you suspect you have an enlarged prostate with most or all of the mentioned symptoms, immediately book an appointment with your physician.
What Happens to An Untreated BPH
If you ignore the signs of BPH, your condition can get worse. Untreated BPH leads to further blockage of your urethra, and the symptoms you are experiencing could worsen. If you find your current condition very inconvenient, imagine how it will be if it worsens.
Untreated BPH could also cause urinary tract infections, blood in your urine, bladder stones, and kidney damage. BPH alone is treatable and not dangerous. However, the real danger begins if the condition becomes complicated due to poor or no treatment.
Don’t Be Ashamed to Seek Help
BPH is a common condition that aging men experience. Thus you don’t need to feel ashamed to seek proper medical assistance if you notice that you are experiencing the signs of BPH. You aren’t the only one experiencing this condition; there are hundreds of you, and the doctors are more than willing to help you successfully manage and cope with the symptoms of BPH.
