2 More Days Till Thanksgiving: A Worry Free Movember Even With BPH

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!

3 Days Til Thanksgiving! Movember's Impact on BPH

This week is the holiday of Thanksgiving! Many friends and families will gather around the table and show thanks for the blessings they received this year or throughout their lives. At the same time, the Movember movement, which strives to raise awareness and support of men's health, is reaching its final week for this year as men grow mustaches in solidarity with their fellow men around the world.

With men's health issues and mortality rates keeping them from living as long as they could, it's important to address these issues so we can help give men the quality of life they deserve. Among the myriad of conditions men face throughout their lives, one we at SunJour are vocal about is BPH which occurs in later age. BPH or benign prostatic hyperplasia is the medical term for prostate enlargement. This may cause urinary discomfort, urges, and difficulty urinating due to the anatomy of men's bodies where the prostate grows and squeezes the urethra and pushing against the bladder.

Raising awareness of BPH should not only be aimed at older men. Everyone can do their part in spreading awareness and gaining knowledge about this common condition. Something as small as learning voiding techniques to make the symptoms less uncomfortable can go a long way, or even helping recommend which foods and drinks to reduce or avoid. Let's continue the conversation on BPH with SunJour not only in Movember and Thanksgiving, but also throughout the year!

6 Days till Thanksgiving: Movember Countdown for Prostate Health

T minus 6 days until Thanksgiving! Many families will be grateful for good health, and although our bodies are not always at their 100% best, there are ways to get support both physically, emotionally and mentally. This Movember, men around the world have been campaigning for various causes related to men's health issues. We at SunJour are also spreading the word about a very common prostate condition in older men medically known as BPH. This is the enlargement of the prostate due to age where men may experience difficulty urinating while at the same time getting frequent urges, especially at night.

As you gather around the giant feast, remember that the bladder can be irritated by alcohol, spicy food, and diuretics like caffeine and tea. That doesn't mean you can't enjoy them every now and then, but if you want to have a worry free Thanksgiving, we recommend keeping the intake of the above food and drink to a minimum to keep your bladder from being overactive, especially for those who have BPH.

BPH awareness is important even if you're not an older man, because the community can support men when they are struggling with symptoms affecting their quality of life. See a doctor to check the severity of symptoms and seek resources to learn more about BPH so you can consider your treatment options in an educated environment.

7 Days till Thanksgiving: Movember and Prostate Health

We're one week away from gathering around the table with loved ones and reflecting on the blessings we've been gifted this year. As for us, we are grateful to those who actively seek support and knowledge on better supporting prostate health. We are grateful for the opportunity and the platform we have to spread awareness of BPH (prostate enlargement or benign prostatic hyperplasia). We are grateful to the men who are keeping their prostate healthy through positive lifestyle management and seeking support from their doctor as well as natural solutions.

What are you grateful for this year? Well, even if you are one of the 14 million men in the U.S. and 30 million men worldwide experiencing BPH, you may be grateful for another day of life and also grateful to know the solution to alleviate your BPH symptoms like frequent nightly urination, struggle to start urinating, and poor urinary flow exists thanks to the clinical research of natural ingredients with no side effects so that you may not have to resort to medication with sexual dysfunction side effect profiles or surgery with risk for complications.

Let's continue to twirl our mustaches and raise awareness for BPH and men's health while we're in the heart of the Movember campaign!

Movember Awareness Spotlight on BPH!

Not knowing about something until it becomes a problem can catch many people by surprise. Imagine a man turning 50, going to the doctor for urinary problems (urges, frequency, voiding issues, etc.) and being diagnosed with BPH. BPH is not a widespread topic of conversation, so it's not surprising many people don't know it by its name. Benign prostatic hyperplasia is the enlargement of the prostate due to age. Although most men will experience growth of the prostate with age, it gets diagnosed when unpleasant symptoms arise.

These symptoms can interfere with daily life: outings and travel may be less enjoyable when more time is spent looking for the bathroom than for the next sightseeing spot. You may wake up tired from waking up many times a night only to struggle to empty your bladder properly. BPH is not only a prostate issue, it is a LUTS issue (lower urinary tract symptoms) which can affect the bladder, kidneys, and your sense of well being due to potentially experiencing a disrupted quality of life.

This is why Movember is a great time to spread awareness of issues that affect men and show our support. There are older gentlemen who, although they don't know they have BPH, might be struggling with these symptoms. Encouraging a visit to the doctor, seeing a support group, talking about how you're managing your own BPH symptoms, all these things can help empower the knowledge and voice of men with BPH. These men might feel frustrated from their condition, but how can we help if we don't educate ourselves on BPH?

Even if you think you're too young to be affected by BPH, starting healthy habits when you're young can help slow the progression and reduce the aggravation of symptoms of BPH.

Happy International Men's Day From SunJour!

November 19th is International Men's Day! It falls on the men's health awareness month of Movember, and rightfully so. One of the topics that we at SunJour are passionate about is spreading awareness of men's health issues like BPH (prostate enlargement) throughout our various social media channels. Many campaigns this month are raising awareness of physical and mental health struggles in men around the world, and we thank you for taking the time to read, listen, watch, and share those campaigns with care and compassion. 

This International Men's Day, celebrate and support your fellow man by educating yourself on your body and how to best take care of it for a long, good quality of life. Encourage men to share their feelings, visit their doctors, and lead healthy lives for years to come.

Whether it's emotional symptoms of depression, physical symptoms of frequent urination, or any other struggles men are facing, let's show solidarity not only today but also every day of the year.

Prostate Enlargement in Movember: What is BPH?

BPH or benign prostatic hyperplasia is the medical term for non-cancerous prostate enlargement. Men are more likely to develop BPH the older they get. What this means is that in some men, the urge to urinate and frequency of bathroom trips will increase, as well as discomfort in urination such as unable to urinate smoothly, unable to push out urine, still feeling like you have to go right after, not feeling like you emptied completely, etc. These uncomfortable symptoms happen when the growing prostate squeezes the urethra and pushes against the bladder.

As you prepare for your Thanksgiving meal next week, here are some tips to reduce the aggravation of symptoms of BPH and practice good prostate health:
- increase your trips to the doctor's office, not just the bathroom: the doctor can see what's going on to determine if you have BPH and the best treatment options for you
- reduce your alcohol intake: we know you like a few cold ones with the guys while watching the football games, but the less alcohol you reach for the better!
- reduce your intake of caffiene (tea, coffee, etc.) to avoid aggravating the bladder
- increase your intake of water- although this sounds counterintuitive for those wanting to reduce their bathroom trips, this will help make the urine less thick which will make your urination less uncomfortable and help flush away bladder infections
- increase your intake of cranberries! Pass the cranberry sauce and juice, because historically cranberry has been used for positive bladder health. It needs more studies to prove its scientific efficacy, but many agree that traditionally cranberry is a step in the right direction to support bladder health.
- increase your knowledge of prostate health by reading articles like these and researching plant based therapies that are safe, side effect free, and clinically proven to be effective for BPH.