Enlarged Prostate - Find the Best Treatment For You

Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia, also known as enlarged prostate, is a condition affecting an estimated fifty percent of men over the age of sixty and ninety percent of men over the age of 85. It is a non-cancerous condition in which the prostate cells grow and enlarge the gland, incidently constricting the urethra. As a result, the need to urinate becomes more frequent and can even become more difficult. Fortunately, there are numerous avenues of management and treatment for this condition.


First, you should have at least an idea of what the symptoms for an enlarged prostate are before you see a urologist. There are many websites that provide a free questionnaire to help you determine whether or not you might need to take the next step and find a urologist. Here are a few, possible examples: Are you more frequently urinating? Do you have a week urine flow? When you are finished do you still feel the need to urinate? Do you limit your daily activities to stay near a restroom? Are you losing sleep for frequent urinating at night?


If you decide you need to visit with a urologist, meet with more than one. Get a second, or even a third opinion. Know for sure if it is really necessary to invest your money in a treatment for an enlarged prostate. You will also have a better idea of who you would like most to conduct the treatment. It makes it a more comfortable process if you are more comfortable with the doctor and staff.


There are three possible avenues of treatment and management for an enlarged prostate. Medication is the first line of action. While this method is non-invasive and completely devoid of hospital stay and recovery, it can still prove to be costly in the long run. It is most likely the medication will be needed permanently because if you stop taking it, it stops working. A second, and sort of middle ground, form of treatment is a non-surgical, catheter based treatment. This is an alternative to surgery. It is less invasive, allows for quicker recovery, and can be completed in as short as a half hour as an office-based treatment. However, although the success rate is very high, it is not necessarily a permanent cure. Symptoms may reappear after five years, or not at all. The other option in treating an enlarged prostate is surgery. While this is a more invasive procedure and the recovery time does take longer, the success rate is also high and is very likely to be a permanent correction.


As with any medical procedure, individual results will vary. Discuss your options thoroughly with your urologist then do some of your own research. The more you know the advantages and disadvantages to your options, the better choice you will make for yourself. An enlarged prostate does not need to control your life. Take charge and find the treatment that's best for you.

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Sara Johnston works with Urologix, Inc., a leader in less invasive technology for enlarged prostate treatment. Urologix has developed and offers the Targis System for Cooled ThermoTherapy, a non-surgical, catheter-based treatment that uses proprietary microwave technology. For more information please visit http://www.urologix.com/ , or call 1-888-427-4457.