Four things no treatment will do for you
- Drink enough water. A litre and a half a day, most of it before late afternoon.
- Walk daily. Thirty minutes is enough to open pelvic circulation.
- Cut evening alcohol and caffeine. These add more night trips than anything else.
- Test PSA after 50. Once a year. It is an ordinary blood test.
What surgery actually involves
Most men hear "surgery" and picture the whole gland being removed. For BPH that is not what
happens. The procedures used are:
- TURP. An instrument goes in through the urethra and removes the tissue pressing on it. Nothing is cut from the outside. Two to three days in hospital.
- Laser surgery (HoLEP and others). Same principle with a laser instead of a wire loop. Less blood loss.
- Radical prostatectomy. Removal of the whole gland. This is cancer surgery, not routine BPH surgery.
The side effect most often reported after TURP is retrograde ejaculation — sex continues,
but semen goes back into the bladder instead of out. Ask about it before agreeing to the
procedure.
Radiation and hormone therapy are not BPH treatments
Search results for prostate treatment fill up with radiation therapy, hormone therapy and
chemotherapy. All of those treat prostate cancer, not an age-enlarged
gland. If a doctor has proposed one of them, you are dealing with a different condition —
and a supplement does not substitute for it.
Questions to answer before choosing
When did the signs start and how have they changed this year? How many times do I wake at
night? Have I ever had a PSA test? Am I on medication that affects blood pressure? The
answers decide whether you start with a supplement or need a clinic first.
If you are not sure where you stand, go through the nine-sign list and count.