Prostate gland enlargement or benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is an extremely common ailment among men. The prostate in the male body is a reproductive gland which is tasked with the function to produce the fluid that carries the sperm onto the urethra during ejaculation. In male anatomy, the prostate is located beneath the bladder, also known as the urinary bladder, but at a slightly rear position. The prostate gland is connected downwards to the penile area through the urethra and upwards to the kidney through the bladder and the ureter.
Benign prostatic hyperplasia or prostate enlargement occurs is men when the prostate gland gets enlarged. It is normally an age related health problem. As men grow older, the prostate gland has a tendency to lose its compactness and starts to expand. This process of expansion of the gland can happen in a male as early as in the thirties. However, this is a very slow process and doesn’t normally quicken unless there are some other problems in the abdominal area. Statistically, it has been seen that benign prostatic hyperplasia worsens or becomes a symptomatic physical problem at the age of fifty among males.
Although the cause of benign prostatic hyperplasia has been considered to be natural ageing of men, in a more extensive analysis, it is the hormonal changes and a change in cell growth that are at the crux of the causes. It is recommendable that you refer to an urologist in Des Moines if you observe one or more symptoms of prostate enlargement.
The symptoms of prostate gland enlargement include decrease in the force and caliber of the urinary stream, frequency or urination, urgency, feeling of not emptying the bladder and nocturia or the need to get up at night to urinate.
Here are some lifestyle changes that will help you to get some substantial relief from the symptoms and discomfort associated with prostate gland enlargement.
- Don’t drink anything several hours before you go to sleep.
- Avoid caffeinated beverages such as coffee and tea.
- Reduce your alcohol consumption or better yet, quit. Do not consume alcohol during dinner.
- Spicy foods should be avoided.
- Medications such as lasix and hydrochlorothiazide that are essentially diuretics and increase urine production should be avoided. You can talk to your urologist in Des Moines about your present medications to see if you can continue to take them.
- Avoid antihistamines and decongestants. These reduce the ability of the bladder to produce the desired force of contraction and thus the bladder doesn’t empty entirely.
- Go to the restroom whenever you feel like. Holding onto your urine would be highly counterproductive.
- Try to set a schedule. Frequented urination helps in regulating the bladder pressure.
- Do not take cold seats outdoors or indoors. Cold temperature leads to the contraction of muscles around the prostate gland and they fail to exert enough pressure on the bladder to contract and push out the urine effectively.
- Do not take long bike rides and try to stand on the pedals every few minutes to ease out the pressure on your prostate gland.
These are some of lifestyle changes that you can easily adhere to and get interim relief from the symptoms. These changes will also quicken the treatment process as recommended by your urologist in Des Moines.