As men get older the vast majority of them will experience a disorder of the prostate known as benign prostate hyperplasia. BPH, while distressing, is a non-malignant enlargement of the prostate gland. This gland is very small at birth and doesn’t really begin to grow until the onset of puberty. It reaches full size at around twenty years of age.

As the male reaches forty to forty-five years benign hyperplasia, which is an increase in the number of cells, will begin to occur and will continue slowly for the rest of their life. Symptoms normally won’t appear until around the age of 55 with about one-fourth of all men experiencing them. By the age of 75 nearly half of all men will begin to experiencing the problems associated with BPH and most men learn they have this condition upon visiting their doctor with complaints of some form of urinary problems.

Medical science does not know what causes benign prostate hyperplasia but it is known that certain risk factors, including age, family history, ethnicity, and hormone changes, can all play a role in its development. There are two preconditions which are necessary for the onset of BPH which are an age of at least 50 years old and the presence of testicles. An interesting side note on BPH is that men who are castrated before the onset of puberty never develop this condition.

There are several hormones responsible for prostate growth with Dihydrotestosterone (DHT) being the most important. DHT is made in prostate and is responsible for its growth. It is known that as men age hormone levels tend to drop but it is thought that the prostate itself becomes more sensitive to the DHT that is available. The female hormone estrogen is produced in small amounts in all males and is thought to be one of the factors that sensitize the prostate to the effects of DHT. Because of this any rise in estrogen levels, either because of aging or from outside sources is thought to increase the occurrence of BHP.

Benign prostate hyperplasia begins through the formation of small nodules in the periurethal glands in the inner layers of the organ. This is known as hyperplasia. AT the same time there is also an enlargement of the glandular cells which is called hypertrophy. It can take a long period of time for these changes to slowly occur.

As the prostate tissue expands it will eventually begin to tighten around the urethra which will cause a partial or complete obstruction of urine flow from the bladder. When this occurs the detrusor muscles will hypertrophy to compensate for this increased resistance, somewhat mitigating the symptoms. Unfortunately this will cause decreased bladder compliance and bladder instability. It is at this time that the signs and symptoms of BPH begin to appear.

This includes a weak urinary stream, increased time to urinate, hesitancy, incomplete emptying of the bladder, and post urination dribbling. Irritation of the bladder and urethra can also occur which can lead to an increased urinating frequency, urgency, incontinence, nocturia, dysuria, and bladder pain.

If an enlarged prostate is not treated and reduced in size a multitude of complications can begin to develop. The bladder can stretch and distend as more and more urine begins to be retained inside it. This can result in out-pouchings of the bladder wall, often referred to as Diverticula. Any distension can cause a blockage of the ureters, causing a back up of urine and infection back into the kidneys, causing kidney infections.

Benign prostate hyperplasia is normally treated with a number of drugs which reduce the swelling and relieve the pressure on the urinary tract. While in and of itself it is not a normally life threatening condition, left untreated it can cause complications which may be. It is therefore important for all males to have regular prostate exams starting around the age of forty-five. If you have any of the symptoms of this disease it is also important to visit your doctor as soon as possible.

By: Andrew Bicknell

About the Author:

As we mentioned in the previous articles, we know that starting at age 40, the levels of the by-product prolactin of testosterone of men increases, stimulating the production of the enzyme 5-alpha reductase that causes the conversion of testosterone to gihydro-testosterones DHT triggering prostate enlargement and other problems. In this article, we will discuss activities promoting a healthy prostate.

1. Moderate exercise (like walking)
We know that one half to three-quarters of men older than 75 will have some cancerous changes in their prostate glands. People doing moderate exercise like walking for 2 to 3 hours per week had a 25 percent less risk of developing prostate problems than those who did not. Just 20-30 minutes walking a day would help to increase circulation of blood to the body as a side benefit for better sexual function and prostate health.

2. Sitz baths
It is one of the earliest prostate treatments and the most effective remedies for prostate pain. This special bath brings a great flow of blood to a specific area of the body while the regular hot bath is pleasant and generally increases circulation throughout your body.

3. Yoga
Yoga is really helpful to the prostate. It also helps tone the deep pelvic muscles there by promoting circulation. Yoga promotes flexibility, circulation, and stimulates the liver meridian. In general yoga helps a person to be more aware of his pelvic area in terms of his muscular control.

4. Kegal exercise
Kegal exercise when performed while in virasana, bhekasana or frog pose also promotes good prostate health and overall benefit to the urogenital tract.

5. Spinal and pelvic massage
Spinal and pelvis massage helps to
a) Increase blood supply to the prostate and the pelvic area.
b) Increase lymphatic flow to the prostate and the pelvic area.
c) Reduces inflammatory conditions.

6. Joyful sex life
Sex helps increase movement of the pelvic muscles and the blood circulation to all organs of your body. As fresh blood supply arrives your cells, organs and muscles are saturated with fresh oxygen and hormones, and as the used blood is removed, you also remove waste products and toxins from your body, thus reducing the risk of inflammation of the prostate.

I hope this information will help. if you need more information. please visit my home page at:

By: Kyle J Norton

About the Author:

I wanted to talk to you about good prostate health. There are a lot of men out there that really don’t know how to take care of their prostate and there is a lot of risk in that. Having problems like prostate cancer is actually quite common and I’m surprised that we haven’t seen more men get worried about this problem. If you don’t keep it healthy, you run the risk of getting an infection and/or cancer. It isn’t that difficult to keep yourself healthy and do the right thing. I thought it was important for me to tell you about good prostate health and what you can do for it.

There are many symptoms that can be caused by an issue with your prostate. One of the most common is having to run to urinate all the time. You can also run into a problem where it also hurts to urinate. This could be a sign that you have an infection or possibly prostate cancer.

Study after study has confirmed that the way to keep your prostate healthy is through a diet high in anti-oxidants. I won’t go into the chemistry of this, but basically you need food that prevents free radicals. Good prostate health can be achieved by adding onions to your everyday diet. This is the vegetable that contains just about the most in anti-oxidants. You can also use a specific type of natural medicine too. Not all of us are able to have a diet that has the diversity to provide the right nutrition to keep the prostate healthy, so you can use medicine designed specifically for helping with that.

By: Charles Nash

About the Author:

More than half of middle aged men suffer from an enlarged prostate. As men grow older their chance of experiencing these problems also increases. Natural prostate vitamins help in the fight against prostate problems, and to minimize the risk of prostate cancer, and aid in prostate problem recovery.

What is the Prostate Gland?
The prostate gland is about the size of a walnut and continues to grow as a man matures. It produces the fluid for the semen. An enlarged prostate places pressure on the urethra, which can make urination extremely painful as well as cause erectile dysfunction.

Why does the Prostate Gland become Enlarged?
There are many theories as to why the prostate enlarges. Some theories believe it to be linked with an unhealthy diet and a lack of certain vitamins and minerals.

Signs and Symptoms of Prostate Problems:

There are several tell tale signs when a man experiences prostate problems. These include:

o Problems with urination and a weak flow
o Painful sensation when urinating
o Small amounts of urination and not completely finishing urination
o Dribbling

If left untreated this could lead on to other health problems. Therefore if you are experiencing any of the above you are urged to take the following actions:

o Seek medical advice immediately.
o Eat healthy meals including fruits and vegetables.
o Reduce your physical weight and exercise regularly.
o Take vitamins and minerals for Prostate problems.

Prostate Vitamins

Prostate health vitamins aid in keeping the urinary and sexual functions in good health. Adding these to your diet will help maintain a balanced level of nutrients to support prostate health, prevent BHP and prostate cancer, and slow down the existing prostate problems. There are a number of brands on the market and our recommendation is to check them out carefully as to the ingredients they contain.

By: Roger Salisbury

About the Author:

Prostate Health concerns can be an area of great concern for men. “I have to get up several times at night to go to the toilet” is a constant concern that doctors hear.

That is of course, if men who are notoriously reluctant to seek medical help, actually consult a doctor in the first place!

After the age of 40 years, the prostate gland starts to enlarge naturally in most men. This is a condition described as benign prostatic hyperplasia ( BPH).

This can cause the urethra to narrow, which in turn can lead to problems such as passing urine, stopping and starting urinary flow, and wanting to goo more often.

It is not actually known why this happens, but it is believed to be connected with hormonal changes that occur as men get older.

The term benign is used because the cells that actually cause the enlargement are neither malignant, nor cancerous and therefore do not spread.

What can you do?

The following are some positive measures that you can take to assist with this condition.

*Consult with a Doctor

It is important to get regular night time visits to the loo checked out, so as to hopefully rule out prostate cancer.

Your doctor will have heard similar concerns many times, so do put aside your embarrassment and seek help.

*Adopt Active Surveillance

If your problem is assessed as mild and doesn’t affect your quality of life, your Doctor may advise what is known as ‘active surveillance.’

Sometimes this is also termed ‘watchful waiting‘

This will also mean making certain lifestyle changes such as cutting back on tea and coffee

* Consider a bladder drill

Going on a bladder drill to help retrain your bladder can also help. Your Doctor should be able to advise on such a routine.

* Consider Herbal Supplements

Many men have found that adopting a herbal supplement routine and a change in diet can help in this area. Research has indicated for example that the herbal remedy saw palmetto, is of particular benefit.

Other herbs that could be considered within such a regime include Lycopene, stinging nettle and rye pollen.

*Surgery or Medication may be needed

If your case is more severe, then you may in consolation with your doctor have to consider a surgical option.

It is essential to realise that early intervention is highly advised, so do not delay making an appointment with your medical specialist.

Do not let embarrassment stop you from seeking help and advice. This article has only scratched the surface of this topic – there is so much more to be discovered about this important topic

By: Eamon Greville

About the Author: