Arbor Health | Arbor Health and Life | Summer 2020

If you’re an older man, nightly runs to the bathroom may be your body’s way of an- nouncing that your prostate is enlarged. It’s a common symptom of what’s almost inevi- table if you live long enough. About half of all men 50 and older have an enlarged prostate. At 80-plus, up to 90% of men do. Doctors have a fancier name for this con- dition: benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). Hyperplasia means enlargement. Benign means your enlarged prostate isn’t caused by cancer. And here’s more reassuring FYI: BPH doesn’t seem to raise the risk of prostate cancer. Symptoms of BPH As men age—and the prostate gland slowly grows bigger—it can press on the urethra, the tube that urine passes through. Along with the need to urinate more at night, this can cause: ●   ● A frequent, urgent need to urinate. ●   ● Difficulty starting to urinate. ●   ● Dribbling after urination ends. ●   ● A weak or interrupted urine flow. ●   ● Pain during urination or after ejaculation. ●   ● Incontinence. Sometimes these symptoms can signal other problems, including bladder infections, prostatitis (inflammation of the prostate gland), or even bladder or prostate cancer. So be sure to tell your doctor if you have any symptoms. Also, see your doctor right away if you: ●   ● Can’t urinate at all. ●   ● Have a painful, frequent and urgent need to urinate, along with fever and chills. ●   ● Have blood in your urine. ●   ● Have pain in your lower abdomen or urinary tract. Which treatment is right for you? If your BPH symptoms are only slightly bothersome, you can usually control them with fairly simple steps. Among them: Reduce your fluid intake; exercise your pelvic floor muscles; and steer clear of caffeine, alcohol and over-the-counter drugs that make you urinate more. Otherwise, your doctor may prescribe medicine to help shrink your prostate or relax muscles near it to ease symptoms. Still another option is a minimally invasive procedure that uses heat—for example, from microwaves—to destroy excess prostate tissue. And if nothing else works, your doctor may advise surgery to improve your urine flow. It’s the most effective treatment for BPH. Sources: American Academy of Family Physicians; National Institutes of Health About half of all men 50 and older have an enlarged prostate. At 80-plus, up to 90% of men do. It’s common and treatable Learn the facts about an enlarged prostate MEN Our Services 24-hour, on-site ER doctor Morton Clinic Mossyrock Clinic Randle Clinic Specialty Clinic ●   ● General surgery. ●   ● Women’s health. ●   ● Sleep medicine. Surgery Clinic Wound Care Clinic Clinical Laboratory Consulting Specialists Diagnostic Imaging ●   ● CT scan. ●   ● 3-D digital mammography. ●   ● Digital x-ray. ●   ● MRI. ●   ● Nuclear medicine. ●   ● Ultrasound. Behavioral Health Nutrition Services Outpatient Drug Therapy Physical Rehabilitation ●   ● Aqua therapy. ●   ● Occupational therapy. ●   ● Physical therapy. ●   ● Respiratory services. ●   ● Speech therapy. Sleep Lab Social Services Visit us online at myarborhealth.org . 5 MYARBORHEALTH.ORG