THE ESSENTIAL
- Benign prostatic hypertrophy affects approximately 30% of men over 65 years old.
- It results in an increase in the volume of the organ which can lead to urinary problems (frequent urges, reduction in the force of the jet, etc.).
- Several approaches exist to relieve patients: health and diet measures such as limiting exciting drinks or better distributing drinks throughout the day, medications and surgery.
“All men age and as they age, so does their prostate.”, begins Dr Souhil Lebdai, urological surgeon, during a press conference offered by the French Association of Urology (AFU) last Wednesday. “We need to raise awareness among men aged 50 and over who have urinary problems.” The prostate is an organ of the male reproductive system located at the outlet of the bladder and through which the urethra passes. Its role is to produce sperm and expel it at the time of orgasm. “With age, we see changes in the conformation and structure of the prostate, with exuberant tissue which compresses the passage of urine.”, explains the specialist. “This is called prostatic adenoma, or benign prostatic hypertrophy, and it affects about 30% of men over 65.”
Prostate adenoma: symptoms to watch out for
The enlarged prostate can obstruct the passage of urine and prevent the bladder from emptying properly. The affected man may experience symptoms that can have a significant impact on his quality of life, such as: the feeling of having difficulty emptying his bladder, urgent and frequent urges to urinate day and night, a decrease in the force of the jet, a chopped jet or delayed drops, etc. “Patients are usually worried about having a urinary blockage called “acute urinary retention”, but fortunately this complication is quite rare (only 2% at 2 years).”, adds the AFU.
Prostate hypertrophy is a benign pathology that can be relieved
“Benign prostatic hypertrophy should not be confused with prostate cancer because it is a condition that is not serious in itself. On the other hand, it has an impact on the quality of life of patients, so it must be taken care of.”, underlines Dr Lebdai. To do this, the doctor gives several health and diet tips to implement, such as:
- distribute drinks better throughout the day: “you must avoid gross mistakes such as hydrating abundantly before bedtime” ;
- limit exciting drinks: coffee, tea, alcohol;
- treat constipation.
“Then, we may have to prescribe medications to relax the prostate.”, reduce inflammation or reduce size, such as: an alpha blocker, a 5 alpha reductase inhibitor, a phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitor or plant extracts “which have the advantage of not having sexual side effects”.
If these different approaches are not sufficient, surgery may be necessary. “The principle of these interventions is to unclog the prostate so that urine can pass more easily. Today, we have many minimally invasive techniques available to relieve patients while limiting the risk of complications or after-effects. One of the modern challenges of these treatments is to improve the comfort of patients without altering their sexuality.”, indicates the AFU.
