January 8, 2024
Recent advances in medications now provide men suffering from benign prostatic hyperplasia, or an enlarged prostate, multiple treatment options.
Where you used to have to undergo surgery, you can now be prescribed medication to help relieve your symptoms - in fact, you can even try over-the-counter medicines to get some relief!
➡️ Featured Resource: A Simple Guide to Prostate Health
What is the Prostate?
The prostate gland is a small, walnut-sized gland located just beneath your bladder and in front of your rectum, which is responsible for producing the semen which nourishes and transports sperm during ejaculation.
The tube which transports urine from the bladder to the penis (the urethra) passes straight through the prostate. When the prostate becomes enlarged due to various conditions, it can restrict the urethra and cause difficulty in urination.
In many men, an enlarged prostate is a common condition that comes with age and is usually not difficult to treat. There are three main conditions that affect the prostate: prostatitis, benign prostatic hyperplasia, and prostate cancer.
What are the Symptoms of an Enlarged Prostate?
An enlarged prostate can cause a few issues, but the most common ones are:
- A weak or slow urinary stream
- Incomplete bladder emptying
- Frequent or urgent urination
- Incontinence
If you’re suffering from any of these symptoms, you can use our handy free tool to see just how severe your symptoms are and whether you need to seek treatment.
Alternatively, view our blog on the symptoms of an enlarged prostate to discover more about the common signs.
How to Reduce Your Symptoms Naturally
For some men, especially those diagnosed with mild to medium symptoms, the best form of treatment is done at home - making changes to your lifestyle. These are our top recommended changes to naturally reduce your prostate size:
- Eat a healthy, balanced diet
- Focus on leafy greens to boost antioxidants
- Choose 'good' fats from avocados, nuts and olives
- Avoid saturated fats from butter, cakes, sausages and bacon
- Choose water over sugary drinks such as soda
- Cut back on red meat consumption
- Exercise 30 minutes most days of the week (make sure to break a sweat)
- Maintain a healthy body weight and keep body fat low
- Quit smoking
- Reduce and manage stress
- Get tested regularly once you turn 50
To find out more about each recommendation, read our blog on the lifestyle changes you can make today to improve your prostate health.
Medication for Improving Your Prostate Health
If lifestyle changes don’t do the trick, there are a range of medications your doctor can recommend or prescribe. Let’s look at each in detail.
Anti-Inflammatories
More commonly known as ibuprofen or aspirin, anti-inflammatories can be taken to help relieve the symptoms of an enlarged prostate.
Alpha-Blockers
Alpha-blockers are a blood pressure medication. They lower blood pressure by preventing a hormone called norepinephrine from tightening the muscles in the walls of smaller arteries and veins. This makes it easier to urinate, despite not changing the size of your prostate.
Alpha blockers are definitely there to treat the symptoms, not the cause, but this is fine for sufferers who only have mild to medium symptoms.
Like most medications, they do come with side effects, which can include dizziness, fainting, headaches, lightheadedness and low blood pressure.
They aren’t ideal for men looking to have children, as they can cause retrograde ejaculation - where the sperm goes back into your bladder when you orgasm.
5-Alpha Reductase Inhibitors
These are a group of drugs used to treat enlarged prostate glands by preventing your body producing the hormone that makes your prostate grow. They can help prevent further growth, and in some cases may even shrink your prostate, helping relieve the symptoms and making it easier to urinate.
One major drawback of 5-alpha reductase inhibitors is the need to take them continuously to keep receiving the benefits. Other side effects include:
- Erectile dysfunction
- Lower sex drive
- Retrograde ejaculation
Phosphodiesterase-5 Inhibitors
Phosphodiesterase-5 Inhibitors are used in the treatment of erectile dysfunction but can also be helpful for men suffering from BPH as they smooth the muscles in the bladder and prostate, relieving symptoms as they can act as powerful anti-inflammatories.
A Minimally Invasive Treatment Option
For men who have more serious symptoms, and require medical intervention beyond medication, you have a number of options available. At Northern Beaches Interventional Radiology, we specialise in a minimally invasive treatment called Prostatic Artery Embolisation, or PAE for short.
PAE is generally done under sedation and a local anesthetic. This makes PAE a viable option for men with complex medical issues who can’t have the general anesthetic required for more invasive treatments.
Following sedation, a tiny tube is inserted into the femoral artery via the groin area and guided into the prostate arteries using X-rays. This tube can also be inserted via the radial artery in the wrist, which allows for quicker mobilisation post-procedure and discharge from the hospital.
It is then used to deliver tiny particles that embolise (block) the arteries, reducing blood flow to the prostate and causing it to decrease in size in the days, weeks, and months following the procedure. You may feel some minor burning sensations during treatment, but this is normal and rarely too painful. The entire procedure generally lasts 2-3 hours.
Following the procedure, you will need to remain in the hospital for up to two hours for a radial procedure and six hours for a femoral procedure. There is no need to remain overnight, and (unlike with more invasive treatment options like TURP) there is only a 5% risk of needing a catheter post-procedure.
Find out more, and see if you’re a candidate for PAE here.
Prevention is the Best Cure
When it comes to prostate health, prevention is the best form of treatment. But if you’re already suffering, a minimally invasive treatment option, such as the ones we offer at Northern Beaches Interventional Radiology, are the next best thing. Book a consultation today to find out how we can create a perfectly tailored treatment plan for your BPH.
