Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia Strikes Up to 90
Percent of Oldest Men, Can Be Life-Threatening
Its Prostate Health Month and urologist say cancer
is not the only thing senior citizens should watch for
Sept.
29, 2008 Urination problems may be passed off by many older men as
just a sign of aging, but that could be a costly mistake. It could be an
indication of an extremely common non-cancerous condition, particularly
for senior citizens, benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). It hits half of
men between the ages of 51 and go, and up to 90 percent over age 80.
The American Urological Association is raising the
awareness of this disease during Prostate Health Month, and pointing out
that prostate cancer is not the only condition senior citizens need to
know about.
The major symptoms of BPH, including frequent
urination, urinating several times at night or difficulty urinating
(weak stream, dribbling or the need to push or strain) may seem to be a
normal part of aging. However, these symptoms are treatable but, if
ignored, can lead to life-threatening complications.
In the majority of men, BPH is a progressive
disease. It can lead to bladder damage, infection, blood in the urine,
and even kidney damage if left untreated.
A man should see a doctor immediately if he has:
blood in the urine, pain with urination, burning with urination or is
unable to urinate, according to the American Urological Association.
Several treatment options are available for men
with BPH. Patients should speak to their doctors in order to determine
which treatment option is most appropriate for them.
Treatments include watchful waiting, medications,
the insertion of prostatic stents to open the urethra, or minimally
invasive surgical therapies.
For more information on common prostate conditions
or to find a urologist or a free or low-cost prostate cancer screening
near you, please visit
http://www.UrologyHealth.org.
About the American Urological Association: Founded
in 1902 and headquartered near Baltimore, Maryland, the American
Urological Association is the pre-eminent professional organization for
urologists, with more than 16,000 members throughout the world. An
educational nonprofit organization, the AUA pursues its mission of
fostering the highest standards of urologic care by carrying out a wide
variety of programs for members and their patients, including
UrologyHealth.org, an award-winning on-line patient education resource,
and the American Urological Association Foundation, Inc.
About Benign Prostatic
Hyperplasia: A Common Part of Aging
By National Kidney & Urologic Diseases
Information Clearinghouse
(National Institute of Diabetes, Digestive and Kidney Diseases
It
is common for the prostate gland to become enlarged as a man ages.
Doctors call this condition benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), or
benign prostatic hypertrophy.
As a man matures, the prostate goes through two
main periods of growth. The first occurs early in puberty, when the
prostate doubles in size. At around age 25, the gland begins to grow
again. This second growth phase often results, years later, in BPH.
Though the prostate continues to grow during most
of a man's life, the enlargement doesn't usually cause problems until
late in life. BPH rarely causes symptoms before age 40, but more than
half of men in their sixties and as many as 90 percent in their
seventies and eighties have some symptoms of BPH.
As the prostate enlarges, the layer of tissue
surrounding it stops it from expanding, causing the gland to press
against the urethra like a clamp on a garden hose. The bladder wall
becomes thicker and irritable. The bladder begins to contract even when
it contains small amounts of urine, causing more frequent urination.
Eventually, the bladder weakens and loses the ability to empty itself,
so some of the urine remains in the bladder. The narrowing of the
urethra and partial emptying of the bladder cause many of the problems
associated with BPH.
Many people feel uncomfortable talking about the
prostate, since the gland plays a role in both sex and urination. Still,
prostate enlargement is as common a part of aging as gray hair. As life
expectancy rises, so does the occurrence of BPH. In the United States in
2000, there were 4.5 million visits to physicians for BPH.
About Prostate Diseases
The
prostate is a gland. It helps make semen, the fluid that
contains sperm. The prostate surrounds the tube that carries
urine away from the bladder and out of the body. A young man's
prostate is about the size of a walnut. It slowly grows larger
with age. If it gets too large, it can cause problems. This is
very common after age 50. The older men get, the more likely
they are to have prostate trouble.
Some common problems are
● Prostatitis - an infection, usually caused by bacteria
● Benign prostatic hyperplasia, or BPH
- an enlarged prostate, which may cause dribbling after
urination or a need to go often, especially at night
● Prostate cancer - a common cancer
that responds best to treatment when detected early
National Institute of Diabetes and
Digestive and Kidney Diseases
The cause of BPH is not well understood. No
definite information on risk factors exists. For centuries, it has been
known that BPH occurs mainly in older men and that it doesn't develop in
men whose testes were removed before puberty. For this reason, some
researchers believe that factors related to aging and the testes may
spur the development of BPH.
Throughout their lives, men produce both
testosterone, an important male hormone, and small amounts of estrogen,
a female hormone. As men age, the amount of active testosterone in the
blood decreases, leaving a higher proportion of estrogen.
Studies done on animals have suggested that BPH may
occur because the higher amount of estrogen within the gland increases
the activity of substances that promote cell growth.
Another theory focuses on dihydrotestosterone (DHT),
a substance derived from testosterone in the prostate, which may help
control its growth. Most animals lose their ability to produce DHT as
they age.
However, some research has indicated that even with
a drop in the blood's testosterone level, older men continue to produce
and accumulate high levels of DHT in the prostate. This accumulation of
DHT may encourage the growth of cells. Scientists have also noted that
men who do not produce DHT do not develop BPH.
Some researchers suggest that BPH may develop as a
result of "instructions" given to cells early in life. According to this
theory, BPH occurs because cells in one section of the gland follow
these instructions and "reawaken" later in life. These "reawakened"
cells then deliver signals to other cells in the gland, instructing them
to grow or making them more sensitive to hormones that influence growth.
Symptoms
Many symptoms of BPH stem from obstruction of the
urethra and gradual loss of bladder function, which results in
incomplete emptying of the bladder. The symptoms of BPH vary, but the
most common ones involve changes or problems with urination, such as
● a hesitant, interrupted, weak stream
● urgency and leaking or dribbling
● more frequent urination, especially at night
The size of the prostate does not always determine
how severe the obstruction or the symptoms will be. Some men with
greatly enlarged glands have little obstruction and few symptoms while
others, whose glands are less enlarged, have more blockage and greater
problems.
Sometimes a man may not know he has any obstruction
until he suddenly finds himself unable to urinate at all. This
condition, called acute urinary retention, may be triggered by taking
over-the-counter cold or allergy medicines. Such medicines contain a
decongestant drug, known as a sympathomimetic. A potential side effect
of this drug may prevent the bladder opening from relaxing and allowing
urine to empty. When partial obstruction is present, urinary retention
also can be brought on by alcohol, cold temperatures, or a long period
of immobility.
It is important to tell your doctor about urinary
problems such as those described above. In eight out of 10 cases, these
symptoms suggest BPH, but they also can signal other, more serious
conditions that require prompt treatment. These conditions, including
prostate cancer, can be ruled out only by a doctor's examination.
Severe BPH can cause serious problems over time.
Urine retention and strain on the bladder can lead to urinary tract
infections, bladder or kidney damage, bladder stones, and incontinence -
the inability to control urination. If the bladder is permanently
damaged, treatment for BPH may be ineffective. When BPH is found in its
earlier stages, there is a lower risk of developing such complications.
Sept.
29, 2008 Urination problems may be passed off by many older men as
just a sign of aging, but that could be a costly mistake. It could be an
indication of an extremely common non-cancerous condition, particularly
for senior citizens, benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). It hits half of
men between the ages of 51 and go, and up to 90 percent over age 80.
It
is common for the prostate gland to become enlarged as a man ages.
Doctors call this condition benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), or
benign prostatic hypertrophy.
