Goodbye May, Hello June for Men's Health Month!

The month of May is coming to a close, and the community of men's health and benign prostatic hyperplasia (prostate enlargement) is going to have a chance to shine in the month of June. Did you have a better night's sleep in May, which is Better Sleep Month? Did you take the time to appreciate the contributions of the Asian Pacific Islander community in May, which is Asian Pacific Islander Heritage Month? 

June is the month of raising awareness for physical, emotional and mental health issues that affect the men's health community. It is also pride month for celebrating the LGBT community. Whether you identify as a gay man, straight man, or a person with male sexual organs, it is important to address prostate enlargement so that more people learn about this common condition and more men can find a solution to regain their quality of life. 

Benign prostatic hyperplasia, or BPH, is when the prostate gland enlarges. As it pushes against the bladder and squeezes the urethra into a more narrow state, this can cause difficulty with urinary symptoms in men. This includes frequent urination, urges, getting up many times a night to go to the bathroom, slow urinary flow, difficulty in stopping and starting, incontinence, and the sensation of remaining urine in the bladder. 

As we approach the end of spring and get closer to the summer months, we hope that you are staying safe during the pandemic. Have a wonderful weekend and we look forward to encouraging more conversation around men's health!     

BPH and TCM: A Natural Remedy in Prostate Enlargement

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is the use and practice of plants, herbs and natural ingredients to help treat ailments and reduce symptoms, all with the goal of improving health. People who are open to natural treatments may believe that there is less risk associated and less side effects. There may also be a motivation of reduced cost when considering natural treatments. Whatever the reason may be, even before the dawn of modern medicine, herbs were used by people around the world. 

We think that TCM, if studied and given more credibility, then men who have benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), especially during the mild stages, may find good health support. BPH is another term for enlarged prostate, and it is usually associated with frequent urination, getting up many times at night for the bathroom, struggle to start and stop urinating, dribbling, sensation of urine remaining after emptying, and sexual dysfunction. In more extreme cases, kidney damage, stones, and complete inability to urinate (complete blockage of the urethra) may occur. 

The skepticism with traditional Chinese medicine stems from a number of reasons, such as lack of evidence, inconsistent formulas among different brands, lack of clinical testing, low quality control, etc. This does not apply to all companies who are in the nutraceutical/supplement business, but when some rotten apples cut corners, it gives a negative image on the industry as a whole. 

Word of mouth and established trust may motivate people to give TCM a try. Just as UMOOZE performed well in a clinical trial for BPH, we hope that more attention can be paid to ingredients like astragalus and soy to see if more men can benefit from the health properties in service to managing BPH symptoms and improving quality of life. Let's find more ways to safely consider TCM in the healthy lifestyles of men with BPH!    

You Want to Find Relief From BPH Naturally?

Although the advancement of medicine has supported us in many ways, there has always been a concern for side effects associated with certain treatments and medications. The same goes for men who have a condition called BPH (benign prostatic hyperplasia), which is where the prostate is enlarged and may cause interference with urinary function (frequent urination, slow urinary flow, dribbling, sensation of remaining urine, etc.). Some medications prescribed for BPH may be associated with side effects such as dizziness, sexual dysfunction, decreased libido, and nausea. Some surgical procedures may also carry risks in urinary and sexual function. This isn't to say that medication and surgery should not be considered, especially because some forms of severe BPH may call for these treatments, and if the doctor and patient can weigh the benefits and risks, they can think of the most appropriate course of action depending on the patient's situation. 

For men with mild BPH or BPH that is just starting to occur, men may think of natural treatments to help minimize the symptoms. Natural ingredients also need to be reviewed carefully to ensure the patient is not allergic, or that the natural ingredients do not clash with current medications the patient may be taking. A safe, plant based treatment that is clinically proven to be effective may encourage more studies and more men to give it a try. For an example of natural BPH treatments out there, UMOOZE, which uses astragalus and soy, has had a study which can be reviewed on clinicaltrials.gov. 

If we can raise awareness of BPH, we can look into more solutions, especially for men who may not be able to take medications or undergo surgery for specific health related reasons. Providing more solutions for a condition that most men may deal with later in life is important. More men are living longer and having to experience urinary discomfort and reduced quality of life. Let's support men with BPH and young men who may have BPH in the future! It is possible to marry the idea of effective natural treatment with a better quality of life!   

Honoring the Memory of Fallen Veterans and Caring for Veterans Living with BPH

Monday the 25th was Memorial Day in the United States, a day to remember the fallen soldiers who sacrificed their lives for their country. The solemn day of remembrance was not halted by the global pandemic, and many families and comrades of the fallen were able to pay their respects. Even for the veterans who are still with us to share their experiences, this day to remember their fallen brothers is just as important. To the veterans with us today, we thank you for your service to the land of the free. 

One of the things that came to mind with the veteran community is that many of the veterans are male. A graph in 2018 about the gender demographics of veterans shows there were approximately 1.6 female veterans compared to a whopping 16.3 million male veterans. In terms of age demographics, there are also more large groups of veterans in their 30-40s, 50-60s and 70s and up. With a large population of older male veterans, urologists have offered support to veterans struggling with severe BPH in the form of new procedures. For those who don't know, BPH is benign prostatic hyperplasia, a condition that men may experience in older age when the prostate gland grows in size. This may interfere with urinary and sexual function in men. 

Examples of symptoms include frequent urination (especially at night), slow urinary flow, trouble with starting or stopping urinary flow, sensation of remaining urine, straining, dribbling, etc. 

One of the reasons why BPH awareness is important is, we need to make sure we can take care of men in and out of our lives who are likely to face this condition as they get older. This goes for our heroic veterans as well. This last week of May as the month comes to a close, June (Men's Health Month) is just around the corner. We need to increase and continue the support for men's health so that men with BPH can find safer solutions and support from their peers. 

30 Million Men and 30 Million Large Prostates

According to Medscape, in 2019 approximately 30 million men globally had BPH. That's about the population of Texas, USA. Although the world population is over 7.5 billion, 30 million men is not a small number. Big or small, the fact of the matter is that men are likely to develop BPH as they age. In case you're wondering, BPH is benign prostatic hyperplasia. It's the medical term for an enlarged prostate. When the prostate grows larger, it may inhibit urinary flow and increase urinary urges. BPH can interfere with sleeping habits, daily activities and even sexual activity with a partner.

Why should the world care about BPH? There are at least 30 million reasons. Better sleep, better sexual life, and overall better quality of life are what men with BPH are striving for. 

Frequent urination (dysuria), frequent urination at night (nocturia), slow urinary flow, incontinence, urges and hesitancy, sensation of remaining urine, kidney and bladder issues, and more may occur when a man develops BPH. 

Ignoring BPH is not the answer. You'll be looking for the nearest bathroom, losing out on a good night's rest, having issues in the bedroom, and feel uncomfortable when you try to relieve yourself. This is not a good way to live. It also shouldn't take the worsening of symptoms to push yourself to manage your BPH. If you can manage your prostate health, you can feel relief and a sense of freedom!     

Do you know about BPH? If you have it, what are you doing to manage your BPH? 

Your Large Prostate is Disrupting Your Sleep

Did you know that May is Better Sleep Month? Did you know that some men with BPH (prostate enlargement) have to get up many times a night to go to the bathroom, and therefore are losing out on a good night's sleep? That's why if you have BPH, it's important for you to think about how to get a better night's sleep, and what better month to think about that than now? The goal of BPH treatment is to help manage and reduce symptoms that disrupt your day to day life. You may also know frequent urination as nocturia. So how can you combat nocturia associated with BPH?

If you're getting up many times a night and experiencing nocturia, make sure you've talked to your doctor to know if it's BPH. There are a few urinary and prostatic conditions that display similar symptoms, so it's important to know if what you have is BPH. 

You should drink more fluids during the day and less at night. Drinking fluids regularly will help you make the urine less thick in the bladder and help reduce irritation. However, you should avoid or reduce irritants to the bladder like caffeine, spices, and alcohol.

Here are some additional tips from Dr. Tan:
You should try to...
- Elevate your legs before going to sleep so that fluids don't accumulate in the lower body and increase urinary urges. 

- Go to the bathroom just before you go to sleep so you can sleep with an empty bladder and reduce the trips early on in your sleep cycle. 

If you'd like tips for getting back to sleep when getting up in the middle of the night for a bathroom trip, you can try these tips:
- If you have trouble getting back to sleep after getting up, try a white noise machine or ambient music to help lull you to sleep.
- Install a dim light in your toilet bowl or use a dim light setting to reduce the sensation of being awake from bright lights. 
- Keep a bed pan or pee bottle near your bed so you can relieve yourself and get back to sleep sooner.

- Ensure your mattress is still in good quality in terms of your preferred firmness or softness to help you fall asleep.   

You know that sleep is important to maintain your immune system and get through the day with less stress and more energy. Don't let BPH get in the way of your sleep or your quality of life!

Lower Incidence Rate of Prostate Enlargement (BPH) in Asian Men

The month of may is Asian Pacific Islander Heritage Month. This is a time to celebrate the achievements of the Asian community as well as promote more inclusivity and diversity that openly welcomes the participation of people with Asian descent in the workplace, in our media, in our healthcare, and more. The experiences, insight, and work contributed by the Asian community has strengthened and expanded the multicultural fabric of many countries around the world. One area we want to explore in particular is the reception of traditional Chinese medicine. Many people have sought natural alternatives or complementary solutions to the management of health ailments. In Asia, herbal remedies and plant based therapies have been well received for generations to help with a variety of conditions. This includes a condition we passionately write about in our blogs, BPH (benign prostatic hyperplasia). This is a condition that commonly occurs in older men where the prostate gland increases in size, which may create issues within the urinary tract, including frequent urination, slow or poor urinary flow, sensation of residual urine, urges, trouble starting and stopping urination, pushing or forcing urine, etc. 

It also just so happens that Asian men have been found to have a lower incidence rate of BPH. Some have suggested diet has a role because of soy, which is somewhat of a staple in Asian cuisine, as well as a balanced diet more inclusive of plant based nutrition. It could be that the prostate is growing at a slower rate in Asian men, or that they feel the symptoms less intensely due to an effective lifestyle management. Herbs such as astragalus, which support immune function, may also help. This was found in a clinical trial for the plant based supplement UMOOZE with astragalus and soy extracts in a study for men with BPH.  

All in all, if you have been interested in exploring natural solutions to mild BPH that can be safely implemented alongside a healthy lifestyle you may look to the Asian men's health community for potential support!