Father's Day is in Three Days...What You Need to Know About BPH

Father's Day is just around the corner! Did you know that June is also Men's Health Month? Giving the older fathers in our lives the tools to manage their health issues that arise with age is important! One health issue we focus on is called BPH (benign prostatic hyperplasia) which is the medical term for prostate enlargement. Although the topic of prostates may not sound fun or comfortable, it is still important nonetheless for men to know their body and know how to care for it. In just the United States, there are an estimated 42 million cases of BPH.

In case you’ve ever wondered just what exactly a prostate is, it’s a small gland about the size of a walnut that is situated below the bladder (which holds urine). The urethra (a tube that carries urine out of the body) runs through the center of the prostate and the penis. The prostate is part of the male reproductive system and its function is to help make seminal fluid that mixes in with the sperm to produce semen.

There are different prostate conditions out there, but one thing we want you to rest assured of is that BPH doesn't increase risk of prostate cancer because as the B in BPH implies (benign), BPH is not cancerous. BPH commonly affects men 50 and older. 

The hormone known as testosterone helps the prostate grow throughout a man's life. Did you know that about 60-70% of men may have BPH in their 60s and that by the time the male population hits the 90s age range, about 90% of men may have developed BPH? This condition can bear a significance on quality of life as we'll later explain.    

Prostate symptoms may be tested with a PSA (prostate specific antigen) blood test but this PSA test alone cannot determine whether the symptoms men experience are BPH or prostate cancer. It is also important to discuss whether this test is necessary on an individual basis. 

Now, onto the BPH symptoms. As the prostate grows, the urethra is squeezed, blocking the flow of urine from the bladder to out of the body. As a result symptoms include the following:
- frequent urination at day and at night
- sudden urges to urinate
- urinary stream is weak or slow
- difficulty when starting to urinate
- stopping and starting while voiding

The interesting thing is that BPH is the number one reason men go to the urologist even though they may not know it's even called BPH. The impacts that BPH can have on men's lives include the following: 

- A disruption of normal sleeping patterns
- Have to plan life and activities around where the nearest bathroom is (such as needing an aisle seat on the plane and being unable to go on long road trips)
- Changing to use of bathroom stalls instead of urinals due to embarrassment over slow urinary flow or difficulty urinating 

As men age, it is likely that BPH is an inevitable prostate issue, so our advice to the men and dads around the world is not to wait so long to get evaluated, and don't leave it untreated!

Not treating BPH could lead to these problems:

- Permanent bladder damage or compromised bladder condition
- UTIs (urinary tract infections)
- Bladder and/or kidney stones
- Kidney damage
- Bladder retention
- Complete inability to urinate

So what can men do? You can make an appointment with a urologist by telehealth or at their office. You may talk about your medical history and take an IPSS (international prostate symptoms score) survey, and you and your doctor can determine how much your BPH is bothering you.

BPH can be diagnosed or detected with a bladder scan, uroflowmety (to test the speed of urinary flow), a digital rectal exam, a transrectal ultrasound, or a cytoscopy (camera placed through the urethra to check the prostate and bladder)

The IPSS survey scores symptoms based on the patient's feedback and can determine how  mild or severe the BPH is based on a numerical score. 

The sooner you go on treatment and/or manage symptoms the sooner your quality of life can be restored. Treatment options for BPH will depend on a number of factors:

- The size of the prostate
- The age of the BPH patient
- The desire of the BPH patient to preserve his sexual function
- The overall health of the BPH patient
- The severity of BPH symptoms

In mild cases, doctors may recommend monitoring symptoms with watchful waiting.  

One thing to consider is that medication is not the only way to treat BPH. Some concerns about medication are that it may be inadequate and only provide temporary relief, and it may carry unpleasant side effects (dizziness, headaches, sexual dysfunction). This is why about 27% of men stop taking medication after being on it for one year.  

When making a decision about treatment options, men need to evaluate the key differences in long and short term effects and the convenience of the treatment. Will he need a catheter? How long is the recovery period?  Are the side effects permanent or temporary? 

Alternatives to medication in order of risk include plant based therapies, minimally invasive surgeries, or major surgical procedures.

The goal of BPH treatment is to manage and alleviate symptoms so that men can resume a normal daily life. Treatments that have been reviewed by the FDA or have undergone clinical studies could be promising based on the results of success rates. 

And for some men who are still sexually active with their partners, preserving sexual function can be a consideration for their preferred treatment. Men who are sexually active want no problems with ejaculations or erections.

Treating BPH rather than ignoring it could be a gradual change or a night and day difference, but the importance is to start. Some men may not want to use a catheter, they may want little to no down time, and they may also want little to no side effects. They may not want to experience occasional bleeding after urination or pain in bladder or pelvis. 

Treating BPH could be a game changer not only in men's lives but in their partner's lives as well. Husbands and wives want men to see the urologist- don't keep living with bothersome BPH symptoms! Talk to your doctor, get medical opinions, and responsibly seek and share information. 

Granted, medical procedures may be big or scary decisions. If you are considering complementary therapy (taking natural therapy while taking medication) with the goal of reducing or getting off your current prescription dosage, talk to medical professionals before reducing or going off medications to avoid complications. 

Imagine men experiencing urinary frequency at the worst possible times, such as during a long flight (getting up every hour or half hour. Imagine getting up 3-4 times a night (interrupting ability to get good night's sleep). Imagine urinary urges that take place during  demanding schedules with work or life. Imagine being fatigued in the afternoon due to lack of a good night's sleep. This is the reality some men with BPH face day to day when they don't address their BPH.  

Partners of men who may have BPH, ask him to take the IPSS survey. Don't let your partner suffer for years with BPH. Arrange to meet with a urologist.

What does relief look like?
- Feeling more rested
- Getting up less
- Having more energy
- Being less tired
- Doing better in daily life in your career and personal life
- A return to normalcy
- Happiness with yourself and partner

This Father's Day and Men's Health Month, spread BPH awareness! 

Four Days to Father's Day- Managing Lemon Sized Prostates

T-minus four days until Father's Day! While you wait for that fountain pen, necktie, pair of socks, or golf club to get delivered in time for Sunday, did you know there's a free gift you can add on top of that? This free gift isn't cheesy or cheap- it's of high value to your dad! That gift is health awareness. June is Men's Health Month, which makes sense since it takes place on the same month as Father's Day. Men's Health Month covers the awareness of many mental and physical conditions that either affect men due to their anatomy or due to disproportionate rates of occurrence. Compared to women, men are more likely to die earlier, get heart disease, die by suicide, develop cancer, and more. But it doesn't have to all be bleak from here! Men can reduce their risk if they visit the doctor more often, vocalize more often, and get more support and awareness from their peers. 

This is why Men's Health Month is important for putting the spotlight on men's health. Men's health should obviously be important year-round, but we may need reminders along the way, such as Prostate Health Month in September and No Shave November (or Movember). 

We choose to raise awareness of BPH, also known as prostate enlargement, because it is something that as men get older, they are likely to encounter. The prostate in an average adult man is often compared to the size of a walnut, but when BPH occurs, the size of the prostate may grow to the size of a lemon. This makes it push against the bladder above it as well as squeeze the urethra which it surrounds, making the urine go through a more narrow path out of the body. Frequent urination, slow urinary flow, struggle to stop and start urinating, dribbling, and sensation of remaining urine in the bladder after voiding are among the uncomfortable symptoms men may feel when they have BPH. 

Seeing a doctor to get the right diagnosis as well as getting educated on the condition and management methods are all important to having a good quality of life and finding relief from BPH. Relief from BPH, especially in the mild stages, can start with healthy lifestyle modifications, a more nutritious diet, a decrease in excess body fat, clinically proven plant based treatment, heat therapy, double voiding techniques, timing of water intake, physical activity, and more. 

If the dad you are getting a gift for is in his 40s or older, it may be good to spread this knowledge in case he doesn't know BPH by name but is familiar with the symptoms. Give the dads in your life the gifts they can enjoy, but also give them the gift of better health! 

Five Days Until Father's Day: Prostate Enlargement

As you search the internet for a nice Father's Day gift for the men in your life who are fathers, have you noticed that June is Men's Health Month? Men's Health Month seeks to raise awareness to the public about promoting men's health and learning more about men's health issues which include mental health struggles, physical complications that occur more often in men compared to women, as well as anatomy specific conditions in penile, prostatic and testicular health. 

Our blog aims to spread awareness of BPH year-round, but Men's Health Month is a great time to spread our message to you in light of the upcoming Father's Day celebration. BPH is short for benign prostatic hyperplasia, a common condition in older men where the prostate enlarges and interferes with urinary and sexual function. You know those large prostate jokes about men going to the bathroom constantly? That's a BPH reference. But BPH is no joke! It can cause problems if left untreated, and if you live long, you may encounter it as well. You can give your partner, brother, father, grandfather, uncle, son, nephew, friend, or acquaintance the gift of health. One way is through knowledge. Bringing up prostates is not exactly fun, but neither is living with frequent urination, loss of sleep from going to the bathroom often, taking longer in the bathroom, and not feeling like yourself. 

We can push for better quality of life in men! We can share clinical data like the trial of UMOOZE to support men with BPH. We can encourage further study of BPH and safe treatments for men with mild BPH. We can encourage men to get a health check with the doctor instead of avoiding it. 

Sure, a new tie, a fountain pen, or a new golf club might be a fun gift, but the gift of health support for men who may develop or already have BPH has the best value in our book!

Six Days Till Father's Day: The BPH Talk

Did you enjoy the weekend? Has your dad, granddad or uncle been taking care of his prostate? You may not want to think about your father's prostate, but in this week's countdown to Father's Day we want to share with you why it's important for your dad to care for his prostate health. The prostate gland is usually about the size of a walnut in an average adult man's life, but it grows larger in size to the size of a lemon. This is a naturally occurring growth in older age, but it can interfere with urinary and sexual function in men. This condition of prostate enlargement is known as BPH (benign prostatic hyperplasia). 

This condition is more likely to occur the older a man gets. However, unfortunately not many people appear to be aware of BPH. A survey in 2019 conducted in Europe found that over 60% of men over the age of 50 didn't know about BPH. Getting the prostate checked is not only important for detecting cancer, it is also important for detecting if the size of the prostate is enlarging to a point where a man begins to feel urinary symptoms. These symptoms include frequent urination, sensation of urine remaining in the bladder, slow urinary flow, struggle to start and stop urinating, and dribble after urination. 

Frequent urination, especially at night, may also cause a man to get less sleep. On top of lack of sleep, men who experience stress and depression as a result of struggling to manage their BPH may also be more vulnerable in terms of their immune system. His health is important, so even if he doesn't make the time to care, you can hold him accountable. 

Having this talk this month may be good timing because June is Men's Health Month, and the best gift you can give to any dad this father's day is knowledge about keeping his health. Don't get squeamish about bringing up frequent bathroom trips or prostates- it's a conversation well worth having!      

Have You Talked to Your Dad About His Prostate Enlargement Yet?

Happy Friday! You've still got a while until Father's Day, and while you're scrambling to find a tacky tie to gift him, you may not have thought about the best gift of all: his health. 

"Dad, have you gotten checked for prostate enlargement?" isn't something that most sons and daughters typically want to bring up with their fathers, but showing that you care about his health could be the motivator to get him to care, too. 

June is Men’s Health Month, a time to raise awareness and increase support to men experiencing mental and physical health struggles. One of the conditions we passionately raise awareness about is prostate enlargement, also known as BPH (benign prostatic hyperplasia). 

As a man gets older, he may make more bathroom trips than before. In fact, he may find himself getting up multiple times a night to go to the bathroom. During the day, he may be more worried about finding the nearest restroom when he’s out and about than enjoying the moment. He may also notice that at the urinal, he’s struggling to start peeing, or that his urinary stream is slow. These may be signs that his prostate has increased in size to a point that it interferes with his urinary system. It is said that BPH can also interfere with sexual function. 

The last thing we want is for your dad not to get a health check. He needs to see a doctor to make sure that what he has is in fact BPH as opposed to self diagnosing. This is because other disease states of the bladder and prostate may have similar  symptoms. 

The urinary discomfort, loss of sleep, and lowered quality of life can be a struggle for older men, especially if they don’t vocalize these sentiments to their partners, families or doctors.

“I want a better night’s sleep.” 

“I want to feel relief and freedom.”

Your father may be feeling these things and it may be up to you to reach out and show your support. Whether it’s getting him that doctor’s appointment he’s been avoiding or conducting responsible research into BPH symptom management, your gift of support for men’s health will be more invaluable than any tie, watch, fountain pen, golf club, or car that you may buy for your Father’s Day gift. 

If your dad has already been diagnosed with BPH and he’s been put into the watchful waiting recommendation because it’s still mild, you can encourage him to follow a nutritiously balanced diet, go for a jog with him, or help him find a clinically proven natural supplement that he can take to safely reduce his symptoms. 

Make this Father’s Day count! Show us your blue and support BPH awareness! 

BPH: What's Your Social Media Flavor This Men's Health Month?

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In case you're wondering, BPH is short for benign prostatic hyperplasia, which is the medical term for prostate enlargement. The prostate grows twice in a man's life: once after puberty and once after around the age of 25. The problem is that the prostate doesn't stop growing after 25, and once a man is in his 40s and older, he may start to feel urinary discomfort. The anatomy of the prostate is such that its growth in a man's older age can cause it to push against the bladder and squeeze the urethra (the tube from where urine leaves the body). This increases urges and urinary frequency while at the same time making it difficult for urine to flow our properly and smoothly like before. 

One of the biggest complaints about BPH is when men have to get up many times a night to go to the bathroom. Men want relief from this sleep deprivation and they want to go out freely without being worried about where the nearest bathroom is. They also want their intimate bed relations with their partner not to be inhibited by BPH. 

Before we can push the medical community for the continued research of safe ways to manage BPH, we need to know that BPH exists. With so many men getting older and living longer, BPH is becoming more of an inevitability of aging. However, BPH symptom management and restoring quality of life is possible with healthy lifestyle modifications and continued effort on the part of men and the community to bring BPH to the spotlight! 

Whether you prefer clicking in from Facebook, seeing a TikTok video, reading a blog, or something in between, it's now easier than ever to read and share BPH awareness for men not only during Men's Health Month but year round as well! 

 

Keeping A Healthy Lifestyle: BPH (Enlarged Prostate) Edition

June is Men’s Health Month! Show us your blue and help us spread awareness of BPH (prostate enlargement) by reading and sharing this article, as well as your thoughts. 

Men, during the initial peak of the global pandemic, many doctor’s offices were closed temporarily. You may have been previously diagnosed with BPH (prostate enlargement) by your doctor or you suspect that your frequent urination and slow/poor urinary flow symptoms are being caused by BPH. Earlier this year, it may have been hard for you to get a doctor’s appointment to have your prostate checked out (as supportive as telemedicine is, digital rectal exams currently can’t be performed through the screen).  In the meantime, whether you currently struggle with BPH or suspect that you do, a healthy lifestyle can help you begin to manage symptoms or even keep them from getting worse in the case of mild BPH.

Some people use preventative medicine, or they believe that healthy lifestyle choices in and of themselves are a form of preventative medicine to reduce risk of certain disease states. Although the growth of the prostate later in life that causes BPH is not currently preventable by today’s medicine and medica1 technology, it can be managed safely when caught early. This is why it’s important to have awareness early on rather than find out that BPH exists long after your diagnosis. 

The later on you catch or decide to address your BPH, the more likely it is that you may need medicated or surgical intervention, both of which usually carry a higher risk for side effects and complications. 

A healthy lifestyle can reduce the negative impacts of BPH in your day to day life. This includes safely practiced physical activity like walking, jogging and swimming. It also includes nutritionally balanced diets and portions of the recommended food groups. Reducing or avoiding irritants of the bladder like spicy foods, caffeinated beverages and alcohol can benefit the relationship between your bladder and prostate. 

Drinking water during the day and less at night can also help reduce the thickness of urine in the bladder and make urination less painful and irritating to the bladder. 

Double voiding techniques and pelvic floor exercises may support feelings of incontinence, urges and struggle to push out urine associated with BPH.

Clinically proven natural treatments that have been responsibly researched and that are deemed safe by naturopathic physicians or TCM practitioners may also be worth consideration to include as complementary support to your current regimen. As an example, check out this clinical trial of UMOOZE https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02313233

With Father’s Day around the corner, you can show the father, uncle, brother, friend or partner in your life who that his health matters. If nothing else, show yourself that you matter! 

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