Introduction To Prostate Cancer
Enlarged prostate or benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is a rather common condition in men as they get older. By the time a man reaches 60, half of them experience it, and by the time they are in their 80s, as many as 90% of men will experience signs of BPH.
As far as lifestyle goes, it can be discomforting as well as being painful, and worse, lead to other things like bladder infections. Natural remedies for enlarged prostate can help.
The prostate gland is located in the reproductive system below the bladder. It surrounds the urethra and goes through two periods of growth, one in early puberty and the other at around 25. But the gland continues to grow throughout a man’s life.
As it enlarges, it can become restricted by the tissue surrounding it. This can cause it to press against the urethra. That’s the most common symptom that a man’s prostate is enlarged – its problems with urination.
How Dangerous Is It To Have An Enlarged Prostate?
It can have some serious complications, even though it’s not cancer – it is more linked to a man’s aging process. Try natural remedies for an enlarged prostate because some researchers have investigated whether it is hormonal changes and cell growth that have to do with this condition.
The thing is, it can be dangerous in that if left untreated, it can lead to urinary tract or kidney problems and bladder problems.
Generally, as a man ages, he becomes susceptible to an enlarged prostate and then seeks treatment options. Sometimes the symptoms get worse in cold weather or when mental, physical, or emotional stress overwhelms him.
Some over-the-counter medicines can even make it worse. But natural remedies for enlarged prostate should be tried when you see symptoms developing.
Management of Enlarged Prostate
The most common test for detecting an enlarged prostate or causes of prostate cancer is a digital exam by your physician. To feel the prostate, the doctor will insert his finger into the rectum. There are other common procedures, though.
The urine flow test is another. It will require a guy to pee into a special device. This will measure the volume and strength of the flow. Say now, the physician does detect an infection caused by a urinary tract infection, then he will prescribe antibiotics to clear it up before he starts you off on any treatments.
Guys mustn’t put this off because the symptoms could also progress into bladder stones[1]. The physician will determine how severe your symptoms are and the risks for complications. You can lessen the severity of the symptoms by natural remedies for enlarged prostate.
Most Men With BPH Experience Mild To Moderate Symptoms
Usually, men can cope with BPH symptoms or the causes of prostate cancer without having major treatment plans. But for other men, the symptoms can be pretty bothersome and even painful. If they get worse, then a treatment plan is needed.
Doctors treating these men don’t like to just start treating because procedures such as radiation or surgery can lead to some serious long-term effects like impotence and incontinence. The doctors prefer to take a wait-and-see strategy; to look for changes in symptoms first.
One study published in the New England Journal of Medicine on men with early prostate cancer used the wait-and-see strategy. According to the study, watchful waiting turned out to be beneficial for low-risk patients, allowing them to hold off on harmful, invasive treatments that weren’t even necessary.
But for more serious cases, then medications will be necessary. While using the wait and see strategy, try natural remedies for enlarged prostate.
Some common symptoms of BPH and causes of prostate cancer are:
- Straining to start to urinate.
- A weak flow of urine with dribbling afterward.
- The sensation that the bladder hasn’t emptied itself.
- Feeling the need to urinate again after finishing.
- Pain during urination.
- Frequent urination especially at nighttime.
Medications for how to treat enlarged prostate
Men will be given alpha-blockers like:
- Alfuzosin
- Silodosin
- Doxazosin
- Tamsulosin
- Terazosin
Men need to watch out for any interactions that these medicines might cause if they are taking other medications[2] such as ones for impotence – it is advisable to talk to your doctor about this. It is rather suggested to try natural remedies for enlarged prostate.
Surgical procedures for how to treat enlarged prostate
In addition to medicinal treatments in the causes of prostate cancer to relax the prostate and bladder muscles and improve the urine flow, there are also several incision-free laser procedures that are available to men.
For instance, a HoLEP (holmium laser enucleation of the prostate) laser will be able to remove the portion of the prostate gland that is obstructing the flow of urine.
The doctor can also perform trans-urethral vaporization. Here an electrode is passed through the urethra and tissue is eliminated. During this time, healthy prostate exercise is excellent as well.
A lift for how to treat enlarged prostate can help
In some instances, the laser procedures won’t be adequate to remove all the tissue. But the UroLift System is an alternative to surgery. It involves small implants to lift the prostate lobes and hold them apart, which would relieve the pressure on the urethra.
Surgical techniques will be able to either destroy or remove the prostate tissue. But don’t worry; the surgery is only necessary when you suffer from serious complications or your symptoms have become really severe – there are no other ways to relieve your discomfort.
5 Effective Natural Remedies For Enlarged Prostate
1. Lifestyle and Food For Prostate Changes
Certain lifestyle changes may make all the difference in relieving symptoms of an enlarged prostate. Some guys might want to wait and see before they opt for surgery or drug therapy, and they might love the idea of natural choices first such as these:
- Limiting their caffeine and alcohol intake or avoiding it altogether.
- Making food for prostate to improve your diet.
- Avoiding drinking fluids in the evening.
- Trying to urinate at least every 3 hours.
2. Taking Up A Sport
- Getting involved in a healthy prostate exercise, such as Kegel exercise[3], does wonders.
- Losing weight, if necessary, means eating food for prostate health.
3. Vitamins and Minerals Are Natural Remedies For Enlarged Prostate
- Amino acids – These include alanine, glycine, and glutamic acid. It might surprise men that pumpkin seeds contain these very same amino acids that are used in professional medications.
- Minerals – Chemical analyses of the health of the prostate gland and spermatozoa showed very high concentrations of zinc, whereas the amount of zinc found in the unwell prostate was too low. Once again, pumpkin seeds as food for prostate health are about the richest natural source of zinc you will ever find. Magnesium is another important mineral found abundantly in pumpkin seeds.
There once were several French scientists that achieved amazing results in the prevention and cure of prostatic disorders by administering magnesium compounds.
One French physician discovered that four out of five men suffering from difficult urination, after taking magnesium, the problem had lessened or vanished completely.
4. Natural Remedies For An Enlarged Prostate Include Herbal Supplements
- Saw Palmetto – It has been widely used as a therapeutic remedy for urinary dysfunction due to BPH.
- Stinging Nettle Root – A study coming from Japan found that stinging nettle has hydrophobic constituents, such as steroids, that may inhibit the membrane tissue activity of the prostate, which may subsequently suppress prostate-cell metabolism and growth.
- Pumpkin Seed Oil – Research published in Nutrition Research and Practice found that pumpkin seed oil was able to reduce symptoms of an enlarged prostate within three months. The strength of the urine flow improved gradually and significantly in six months.
5. Look What Dr. Oz Advises About Prostate Health:
- Reduce stress levels during the day.
- Alter the diet to include healthy prostate exercise and choices. Take up immunotherapies such as active hexose correlated compounds (AHCC) to help to boost the body’s natural defenses.
- Consume broccoli and pomegranate seed extracts, green tea, and herbs to reduce inflammation.
- Adopt a diet that is low on fats and sugars and a diet that is rich in soy.
- Consume more of the right types of food for prostate health, such as a plant-based diet, adding cruciferous veggies like cauliflowers, kale, and broccoli.
Do Supplements Help For An Enlarged Prostate?
They aren’t as closely regulated as medicines that your doctor will prescribe. So quality, safety, and their effects can differ. As mentioned above, saw palmetto remains one of the best-known supplements to treat BPH. Here are three others:
- Beta-sitosterol
- Pygeum
- Ryegrass
Always speak to your doctor before starting supplements because it can cause problems mixing with prescription medicines, treatments, or tests you might need.
What Are The Causes Of An Enlarged Prostate?
The causes of prostate enlargement are unknown. Some factors link aging to the condition as well as changes in the cells of the testicles, which may play an important role in the growth of the gland. Testosterone levels are also thought to play a role.
For instance, men who have had their testicles removed when they are young, for instance, in the case of cancer, do not develop BPH.
Frequently Asked Questions
Foods rich in antioxidants are very important, like green and leafy vegetables. Eating cruciferous vegetables are also known foods to shrink prostate gland, as well as eating plenty of garlic and onion.
As mentioned in the article, read about the wonders of Kegel exercises. But that’s not all – exercises like walking, swimming, and jogging are all excellent.
Using the pad of your finger or the side of the finger (not the fingertips), press down gently, stroking towards the center, or the back.
When it is enlarged, you may suffer from uncomfortable urinary symptoms like the flow of urine out of the bladder being blocked. That can lead to urinary tract, bladder, and kidney problems.
It’s a small organ, only about the size of a walnut.
It normally adds the fluid called semen to the sperm, which protects and nourishes the sperm. After surgery, you won’t make semen anymore, and your orgasms will be dry. Radiation can also reduce the amount of semen that gets ejaculated. Without semen, you can’t father children.
Conclusion
The good news about prostate health is that even without treatment, it is only a small number of men who are diagnosed with early-stage prostate cancer who will die from the disease.
But still, all the more reason to take care of yourself when you are aware that you have BPH.
There are so many modern screening tests today that can detect prostate cancer before it develops into a serious disease.
But before that, men with BPH can start following some good advice below, such as making some lifestyle changes and changing the way they eat and getting involved in healthy prostate exercise to protect their prostate.
And instead of focusing on certain foods, physicians, dieticians, and researchers recommend an overall pattern of eating healthily – they say –
- Eat a minimum of 5 servings of fruits and veggies each day – the ones with the bright colors.
- Eat whole-grain bread instead of white and the same with pasta and cereals.
- Cut down on red meat and processed meat. Fish, poultry, and eggs are recommended.
- Go for healthy fats like nuts, olive oil, avocados.
- Stay away from sugar-sweetened drinks like sodas and even fruit juices.
- Cut down on your salt intake as well as canned, frozen, and processed foods.
- Make your food portions smaller, eat slowly, and don’t overeat.
- Never cut out being active. Healthy prostate exercise is imperative for the control of many diseases in any case and it is a natural mood booster, adding years to your life.
Who knows, perhaps following these suggestions above might make each man with BPH look back a few years down the line and say – what’s an enlarged prostate?
