Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH): Diagnosis and Treatment

When you have a healthy prostate, you don’t even know it’s there! And we bet a lot of you don’t even know what a prostate is! Here's an incident, as written to us by Balram Singh Chaddha that proves our point:

“Going to the toilet had never been this painful! Not just that, I was also leaking urine constantly, was falling sick with fever all the time. I didn’t know what was up suddenly, so I went to the doctor. He told me my prostate had grown too much. I had no idea what he was talking about and if I even had this thing he was talking about. So, he said, “Bau ji, jab takleef deta hai, tab hi ye hai malum padta hai!”

The prostate is a walnut-sized organ located just below the bladder in men that makes the fluid you find in semen which also helps in carrying sperm to the female egg.

The prostate goes through two spurts of growth. The first is when a male reaches puberty. After this, the prostate stops growing until it reaches its second growth spurt which occurs when you are in your thirties. It keeps growing, sometimes unnaturally fast and can end up impacting your life in the form of BPH.

BPH or benign prostatic hyperplasia is a common condition in men caused by an enlarged prostate. This enlarged prostate can cause difficulty with urination, by blocking the flow of urine out of the bladder, causing a ‘stop-start’ urine flow, etc.

Early diagnosis and treatment of BPH is important, because if BPH is left untreated, it can also cause incontinence – involuntary leakage of urine, bladder and kidney damage, bladder stones, and urinary tract infections.

In this blog, you will learn everything you need to know about BPH.

BPH Diagnosis: How is BPH Diagnosed and Evaluated?

For your benign prostatic hyperplasia diagnosis, your doctor will start by asking detailed questions about your symptoms, medical history and by doing a physical exam. This initial exam can include:

• Digital rectal examination (DRE): The doctor inserts his finger into your rectum to feel the back wall of the prostate and check it for enlargement.

• Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood test: PSA is a protein produced by the prostate gland. The elevated level of PSA in your blood is an indicator of enlarged prostate or prostate cancer.

• Urine flow study: You urinate into a machine that measures the strength and amount of your urine flow.

After the initial exam, your doctor might recommend the following additional tests to confirm BPH and rule out other possible medical conditions:

• Cystoscopy: A light and flexible instrument with a tiny camera called a cystoscope is inserted into your urethra for a visual examination of your prostate, bladder and urethra.

• Transrectal ultrasound: An ultrasound probe is inserted into your rectum to look for abnormalities in your prostate.

• Prostate biopsy: If your doctor wants to examine the prostate tissues, a biopsy needle used to take tissues for examination is inserted along with the transrectal ultrasound probe.

• Transabdominal ultrasound: This imaging test measures the size of the prostate and the amount of urine left in the bladder after urination.

• Prostate magnetic resonance imaging (MRI): MRI provides very clear images of the prostate and the surrounding tissues and helps find exactly how and where the prostate is enlarged.

Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH) Treatment

There are many treatment options for BPH, including active surveillance, medications, and minimally invasive surgeries.  Your BPH treatment will depend on:

• The size of your prostate

• The severity of your symptoms

• Your age

• Your overall health

Some of the treatment options are given below:

Active Surveillance: If your BPH symptoms are easily manageable, active surveillance is your best treatment option. Which means your BPH will not be actively treated but will be closely monitored with regular visits to the doctor. By making some dietary changes and exercising regularly, you should be able to effectively manage your incontinence symptoms.

Medications: If your symptoms are mild to moderate and require medical intervention, your doctor will prescribe you medications to relax prostate muscle fibers, or to prevent your prostate from growing further.

Minimally invasive surgeries: If your symptoms are moderate to severe and medications aren’t working, your doctor might recommend minimally invasive surgeries. There are several types of minimally invasive surgeries:

• Transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP): TURP is the most used surgical enlarged prostate treatment. A lighted scope is inserted through the urethra, and the surgeon removes prostate tissues blocking the urine flow piece by piece with a laser or electrical current.

• Transurethral needle ablation (TUNA): A scope is inserted through your urethra again, allowing the surgeon to place a needle into your prostate gland. Radio waves pass through the needle, causing the needle to become hot and destroying the excess prostate tissues blocking the urine flow.

• UroLift system treatment: This surgical procedure widens the urethra by placing tiny implants that hold the excess prostate tissue out of the way, allowing for free flow of urine.

• High-intensity focused ultrasound: In this procedure, high intense ultrasound waves are used to eliminate enlarged prostate tissue.

• Holimum Laser Enucleation of the Prostate (HoLEP): A laser fiber is inserted through your urethra and into the prostate gland, and then it delivers bursts of energy to destroy the excess prostate tissue.

For most men, symptoms of BPH will improve after minimally invasive surgeries. However, incontinence and light bleeding may occur after some treatments, and Friends Economy Adult Diapers can aid you with that. You can also use Friends Economy Diapers to manage your urine related BPH symptoms. Friends Economy Diapers are not just easy on your pockets but also:

• Ultra soft.

• Designed with side leak guards for maximum protection.

• Long lasting and can offer you up to 8 hours of protection against leaks and trickles.

• Contains SAP for instant absorption.

• Free of any chemicals and fragrance to protect your skin from irritants.

• Most affordable, while still retaining the absorbency and comfort of its peers.

BPH is a very common condition, and most of the time it won’t need any medical treatment. Making some lifestyle and dietary changes can prove effective in managing BPH symptoms and prevent further complications. Even if BPH negatively affects your daily life, treatments and medications can help treat BPH. Work with your doctor and develop a treatment plan that can help you manage your symptoms and live a healthy and happy life!

Frequently Asked Questions about Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH) Diagnosis & Treatment

1. Can BPH be cured permanently?

   Although there is no cure for BPH, many people see a significant reduction in symptoms with medication alone. If medication doesn’t work, minimally invasive surgery can remove excess prostate tissues to give you relief from BPH symptoms.

2. What is the first line treatment for BPH?

   Once you have received your enlarged prostate diagnosis, the first line of treatment for BPH is medications. In men with mild to moderate symptoms, your doctor is most likely to recommend alpha blockers. These medications relax the muscle fibers in the prostate and the bladder neck muscles, making urination easier.

3. How can I lower my BPH naturally?

   Self-care and lifestyle changes is the best way to lower BPH symptoms naturally:

   • Keep yourself active

   • Exercise regularly

   • Adopt a healthy diet

   • Reduce caffeine and alcohol consumption

   • Maintain a healthy weight

4. Can an enlarged prostate go back to normal?

   While it’s difficult to reverse an enlarged prostate, there are many treatment options you can try. Start with self-care and lifestyle changes. There are also numerous medications that can help relax prostate and bladder muscles and improve BPH symptoms. If medications proved ineffective, you could opt for minimally invasive surgeries.

5. What is the latest treatment for BPH?

   Water ablation is a new treatment for BPH. It is an incision-less procedure that uses image-guided robotic arm that holds a water jet to very precisely remove the excess prostate tissue. You will experience little to no pain and your recovery will be sooner as compared to other surgical procedures.