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The prostate is a small gland, the size
of a walnut, which surrounds the male urethra, the tube that carriers
urine from the bladder to the outside. The tissues of the prostate are
made of fiber, muscle and cells producing fluids. The gland is under the
control of several hormones and growth factors which, in a healthy man,
are all fine-tuned to keep the gland healthy. Sometimes, particularly in
later life, this fine-tuning becomes unbalanced, causing prostatic
disease.
Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is
an age-related enlargement of the prostate affecting up to 75% of all
men over the age of 50. It may cause obstruction of the flow of urine,
giving rise to :
- having to wake up a few times at
night to go to the toilet
- dribbling of urine
- a poor stream
- a feeling of incomplete emptying
of the bladder
The cells making up the enlarged
prostate are benign, meaning that they don't have the capacity to
migrate and cause tumors in other parts of the body. With time, however,
they may indeed turn malignant, causing cancer of the prostate, which
carries the risk of spreading to the bones, lungs or brain.
Some scientists believe that all older
men have a minute number of cancerous cells in their prostate. This mini
cancer remains undetected and doesn't cause any problems, because it
grows extremely slowly.
Treatment of Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is with drugs,
nutritional supplements or surgery. The surgical operations commonly
used are transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) or laser
treatment.
Men who undergo an operation of the
prostate should know that this carries a 50% risk of sexual side
effects. These include reduced orgasm or impotence, as well as urinary
infections or incontinence. Doctors don't always discuss these problems
with the patient according to research published a couple of years ago
in the British Medical Journal. Surgery is only used, however, in more
severe cases of prostatic disease.
In mild cases of Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), drugs are used to
improve the prostate problems. There is a variety of suitable drugs. Some, like
those called a1-blockers, relax the muscles within the prostate gland,
so improving the flow of urine. Others, such as finasteride (Proscar),
reduce the size of the prostate but can take up to three months to work
and may have side effects such as impotence and loss of libido.
Herbal Supplements
Apart from strong prescription drugs,
there are also several herbal supplements which aim to reduce the
symptoms of Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH).
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