Recreation for Men With BPH

July is Parks and Recreation Month. How do men with BPH enjoy their recreation time? Some men may enjoy golf. Others may enjoy a jog in the park. Others may prefer relaxing at home. If you have BPH, you may have trouble enjoying the things you used to. BPH is the medical term for prostate enlargement and is the acronym for benign prostatic hyperplasia. It is a common condition in older men where the prostate grows larger and can potentially interfere with urinary health. This means men may feel urges to go to the bathroom, experience frequent urination, and not to mention, slow urinary flow, where it is difficult to start or stop pushing out urine. 

This may have hindered men from going out with the buddies before the pandemic, travel on a long flight, or have a long night's rest with their partner. BPH can be a disruptive force. However, managing mild BPH could be as simple as living a healthy lifestyle. In a current pandemic world, we have to practice social distancing and other safety precautions if we decide to go to public areas like parks and other recreational spots. Men with BPH, provided that they follow these public safety guidelines, can still enjoy their time at the park or other form of a safe, healthy recreational activity. 

Managing fluid intake and practicing pelvic floor exercises, double voiding techniques, and safe heat therapy to promote blood circulation may also support men who experience BPH. 

This weekend, you want to relax, and parks are here to offer some relaxation in body and mind. It is nice to get some fresh air and enjoy the greenery of parks provided we do our part to keep the community safe during the pandemic.

What are your plans for this weekend? Are you taking care of your BPH? If you are looking for support in your nutrition, you may consider a clinically tested therapy like UMOOZE to serve as a complement to your current healthy lifestyle plan. 

Have a wonderful weekend!

 

Even Men With Prostate Enlargement can Thrive in Good Health

Thursday is Thriving Thursday as part of Parks and Recreation Month in July. Our BPH blog, a blog that strives to raise awareness of BPH (prostate enlargement) and help BPH patients live a good quality of life. Our world may be in a state of pandemic, and many older men with BPH are feeling uncomfortable symptoms like frequent urination, a slow or weak urinary stream, urges, struggle to start or stop urination, and the sensation of urine remaining in the bladder. Imagine getting up many times in the night to go to the bathroom and losing sleep and energy for the next day. That’s not thriving. However, all hope is not lost for men with BPH. Managing symptoms and getting support from the BPH community and loved ones may help men thrive again.

What can you do if you or someone you know has BPH? Spread awareness. Some people don’t even know BPH by name, even if they are all too familiar with frequent urination especially at night. Encourage men who haven’t done regular health checkups to see their doctor. The sooner you can catch BPH, the earlier you can implement healthy lifestyle practices, one of which happens to include safe visits to the park to go for a walk or jog, to reduce the impact of BPH. Plants thrive in the park from good nutrition and water. If you have BPH, you too should be eating and drinking well. Work with your doctor to plan a nutritious meal that is suitable for you, free of any allergens or food containing high sugar and fat. If you are open minded to traditional medicine, you may consider seeing a naturopathic doctor or TCM practitioner too, keeping in mind any allergies or current medications you may be taking.

Men with BPH can learn a lot from Parks and Recreation Month- the appreciation of staff who keep the park clean and safe is akin to appreciation of the doctors and specialists who keep our community healthy and safe. Learn to thrive regardless of BPH by managing your symptoms and regaining relief and quality of life! 

Some Camels Have Big Humps, Some Men Have Big Prostates

Happy hump day! We're in the middle of the week, and we're also in the middle of the month! July is Parks and Recreation Month, so our BPH blog theme is getting men to safely go out to the park for the benefit of their enlarged prostate health. 

BPH is the medical term for prostate enlargement (it stands for benign prostatic hyperplasia). As men get older, their prostate gland grows larger in size. Due to a man's anatomy, the growth of the prostate gland can interfere with urinary health as it pushes against the bladder and squeezes the urethra, making it more narrow. This could translate into frequent urination but with a slow urinary steam! These symptoms are uncomfortable, embarrassing and frustrating for some men.  

Practicing social distancing, wearing a face covering and practicing proper hygiene (such as not touching your face after touching surfaces and washing your hands thoroughly for at least 20 seconds) can be your key to taking a walk in the park. Walking, jogging and swimming have been cited as good physical activities for older men to partake in (when practiced safely) to help maintain weight, reduce stress, and reduce the risk of excess weight gain, a risk factor for aggravating BPH. 

The greenery is also relaxing for the mind, as men who have BPH may sometimes experience frustration and depression due to struggling with the symptoms. A comprehensive wellness approach is commonly used for men with mild BPH before considering medication and surgery. Other forms of wellness may include traditional Chinese medicine ingredients like astragalus for an immunity boost or the consumption of soy in the diet so that men can consume protein with less fat contents. Some men may also try supplements. If you are looking for a supplement that has been clinically tested for its efficacy in supporting men with BPH, read the clinical trials study on UMOOZE.

This Parks and Recreation Month, we want more support in men’s health and wellness, especially when it comes to BPH!

Team Tuesday: Defeating BPH as a Team!

July is Parks and Recreation Month, and Tuesday is designated as Team Tuesday! Just as parks have a team of people responsible for keeping it safe and clean for visitors, so too can we make overcoming BPH a team effort. For those who may not know, BPH is short for benign prostatic hyperplasia. That is the medical term for prostate enlargement. Prostate enlargement is a common condition in older men where the prostate's growth in size squeezes the urethra, making it too narrow for urine to flow out smoothly. At the same time, large prostate pushes against the bladder and can create the sensation of urinary urges. Imagine the frustration of frequent urinary urges but having a slow urinary stream at the same time. These uncomfortable urinary systems are what many older men deal with when they develop BPH in older age. 

How can a team effort help men? Well, having the public, including family and friends, learn more about BPH can better prepare them to offer support. In other words, it starts with awareness. Men with BPH and the people who care about them can also hold men accountable when it comes to health visits and BPH symptom management (management for mild BPH may include healthy lifestyle habits like eating healthy and physical activity). For example, some senior buddies can get together and go to the park for a walk, a jog, or some recreational activity. Of course, it is important to maintain social distancing, wear a face covering, and maintain good hygiene practices if we go to local parks that are open at this time. 

BPH support groups may also exist to offer emotional and word of mouth support, discussing personal experience, tips that worked for them individually, and more. 

This Team Tuesday, be part of Team Relief from BPH! Safely visit your parks and offer support to men with BPH! 

Maintenance Monday- Maintaining BPH (Prostate Enlargement)

How was your weekend? July is Parks and Recreation Month, and Monday is designated as Maintenance Monday, to recognize the efforts of park staff to maintain our public park facilities. That got us thinking about men with BPH (prostate enlargement). Just as parks need maintenance, so too do men need to maintain their prostate health (and overall health for that matter). BPH is a common condition in older men where the prostate grows in size as a man ages. It can sometimes interfere with urinary function (frequent urination, poor/slow urinary flow, etc.). 

It starts with awareness. How can you know to watch out for BPH if you've never even heard of it? BPH symptom maintenance, especially mild symptoms, may involve healthy lifestyle modifications and voiding techniques to alleviate frequent urinary symptoms as well as timing of fluid intake. Another recommendation is increasing physical activity, and what better way than to go to the park? Due to the pandemic, it is important to practice social distancing and the recommendations of local authorities if you are able to visit a park near you. Maintaining a distance between yourself and other park goers, as well as maintaining hygiene when going out is important. Please note some facilities like restrooms may be closed to the public to avoid the spread of COVID-19, so it is best to go to a close by park for if and when you may experience urges or incontinence. 

Maintaining health is important for everyone, but men are statistically going to their doctor less often and experiencing a higher incidence rate of disease states. We want men to live longer, happier lives by getting the support they need for their BPH and overall health! This Maintenance Monday, we ask men to work on maintaining their health the same way park staff maintain the parks you enjoy visiting! 

Food Friday: Nutrition Tips for Men

TGIF! July is Parks and Recreation Month, and Friday is designated as Food Friday! It is a time to recognize park staff who help provide food for those in need during the pandemic, but that got us thinking about our readers who may have BPH or know someone who does. A proper balance of food may help with weight and BPH symptom management. BPH (benign prostatic hyperplasia) is the medical term for an enlarged prostate. Prostate enlargement affects millions of men who age into their senior years. It is associated with urinary issues such as frequent urination day and night, slow or poor urinary flow, straining to push out urine, trouble starting or stopping, and sensation of urine remaining in the bladder. 

A healthy nutrition plan of eating and drinking well can help benefit men who are experiencing BPH symptoms. For example, fluid intake habits can support bladder discomfort. If you drink more fluids in the day and less at night, you may help reduce those frequent trips to the bathroom. Although drinking more often may sound counterintuitive, drinking healthy drinks like water can help make urine less thick. When we stop drinking fluids, we make the urine in our body thicker, which irritates the bladder, and not to mention dehydration. We don't want to be dehydrated, especially in the summer! If you're out in the park during a hot day, it's important to prevent heat stroke by staying hydrated. 

Eating well will depend on any allergies and dietary restrictions you may have due to other conditions such as diabetes. You may also have religious or ideological restrictions where you can't consume certain foods or ingredients. In general, it is important to eat in moderation (controlling portions and being sure to get nutrition from the food groups). Men in Asia have lower prostate problem incidence rates, and it has been proposed that this may be due to having soy in the diet. Soy is high in protein and low in fat. For example, replacing some meat options (high in protein and higher in fat compared to soy) with soy may be beneficial, or adding soy and reducing meat portions. 

Some people have also looked to pumpkin seeds and food containing lycopene (like tomatoes) as well for prostate support, while cranberry has been consumed for bladder support. Although more studies may be necessary to prove a link between these foods and prostate/urinary health, many can agree that a balanced diet (not too much of one specific food, not just one food group, etc.) is important. 

Reducing food high in sugar and fat, reducing alcohol and consumption of diuretics and caffeine may also help reduce frequent bathroom trips and reduce the aggravation of BPH. 

Enjoy your weekend, enjoy your local parks safely and enjoy healthy food and drink! Read and share our BPH blog to spread awareness of this common men's health issue (content can be viewed on various platforms of your choice via https://linktr.ee/sunjourhc). 

BPH Patients on Thriving Thursday

July is Parks and Recreation Month, a time to enjoy the parks around us (in a safe fashion) for the betterment of our health and to appreciate nature around us and the people who help maintain the parks. On Thriving Thursday, we ask our readers to thrive in good health, strive for better health, and offer support to men with BPH. BPH is a common condition of prostate enlargement in older men, usually accompanied by frequent urination day and night, slow urinary flow, and more uncomfortable urinary symptoms. By spreading awareness, we can help men care for their health and prevent BPH from decreasing their quality of life. 

The consequences of BPH include less sleep, less energy during the day from lack of sleep, fixation on the nearest bathroom instead of living in the moment, and a health concern in the bladder and kidney areas (untreated BPH could mean a more narrow or completely blocked urethra, as well as kidney and bladder damage such as stones). 

This Thriving Thursday, men with BPH can take walks in the park (while practicing social distancing) to get fresh air and increase physical activity. Parks and greenery also offer a space for mindfulness meditation and stress reduction. Physical activity is one recommendation for BPH management, especially in mild cases where urologists have told their BPH patients to practice watchful waiting. 

BPH is not just a prostate issue- having a natural, holistic approach to BPH symptom management (the mind, the body, the bladder, pelvic floor, etc.) may be your solution to finding relief! 

Tell us how you thrive regardless of BPH! Read and share this BPH blog so others can learn more and get encouragement for their BPH!