A Halloween Story That's Often Untold: Why is my prostate getting bigger?

You might know that as a man gets older, the prostate gets bigger. It may sound like horrible, but it doesn't have to be! Your prostate health doesn't have to turn into a Halloween horror story this season if you get educated on how the prostate works and how to maintain a positive lifestyle. The prostate grows twice in a man's life: once is during puberty, and the second time is after around the age of 25. The size of the prostate starts to be around the size of a walnut, then to a golf ball, and then to a lemon or grapefruit, at which urinary problems are very likely to occur. The older a man is, the more highly likely it is they will be diagnosed with BPH (benign prostatic hyperplasia), which is the medical term for prostate enlargement. Because the prostate is under the bladder (which holds your urine) and it surrounds the urethra (the tube that takes the urine in your bladder out of your body), as it grows bigger the prostate will squeeze against the urethra and push against the bladder. This can make you feel urinary urges, but when it comes time to relieve yourself you'll find difficulty urinating smoothly. Urinary flow (speed) is reduced and you may have to push or strain to pee. Men may lose sleep because frequent nightly urges increase as well. 

Does this sound like you or someone you know? Don't let your prostate health play out like this!

While there is no way of preventing the prostate from growing with age, there are things we can do to reduce or prevent symptoms from reducing quality of life. Physical activity, healthy nutrition, warm baths, pelvic floor exercise techniques, and double voiding practice may help you. Talk to your doctof if you are feeling symptoms to check on the severity of your prostate growth. This will determine whether you can try or need watchful waiting, medication, or surgery. You may also try taking safe ingredients to support prostate health. Plant based ingredients that are safe to consume with no side effect profiles and are clinically backed by clinical data are best.

So don't worry about your prostate, get educated and live healthy!