The day after tomorrow, many families will gather around their dinner table with a nicely prepared meal and sentiments of thanks for all the good things that manifested throughout the year. Such is the emotional sentiment behind the holiday of Thanksgiving. Although the meals are plentiful, some of the men in our lives are worried about whether they can fully enjoy this holiday season. The reason is that many of the older men in our lives, the fathers, brothers, grandfathers, uncles, cousins, etc. have a condition known as BPH, or benign prostatic hyperplasia. This is a naturally occurring enlargement of the prostate gland in men. Because of the nature of men's anatomy, the prostate sits below the bladder and surrounds the urethra. In a normally sized prostate this is no problem, but when men get older, the prostate grows and squeezes the urethra which leads urine out of the bladder, not to mention it pushes against the bladder. This causes two things: urges and sensation of needing to urinate because of that pushing, but also difficulty in actually urinating smoothly because the urethra has become more narrow when squeezed.
Men with BPH at Thanksgiving might worry about the food they can eat, having to go to the bathroom rather than enjoying the company of their loved ones, and may feel distressed and uncomfortable about the situation.
This is why during Movember, we need to raise awareness of BPH to the general public. We should provide emotional and educational support to men with BPH so they can treat their symptoms and live worry free. Encouraging doctor visits, education on BPH literature, and practicing a good diet, physical activity, and bladder exercises could be the steps to combat BPH. In addition, to those who do not want to or cannot receive surgical intervention, treating the symptoms with natural, safe solutions could reduce or even eliminate the need for medication with harmful or sexual side effects.
Let's support men with BPH so they can enjoy Thanksgiving in Movember!
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