How is enlarged prostate treated

This relaxation allows for increased urine flow and less frequent urination. A second class of medication, called Alpha Reductase Inhibitors, works to block the hormones that cause the prostate to swell. Many patients will take a combination of these two types of medication. Minimally invasive procedures: Our specialists are trained in two minimally invasive procedures that can help remove or reduce the obstructing prostate tissue:.

Surgery: For severe cases of a very enlarged prostate, surgical removal of the prostate—called transurethral resection of the prostate TURP —may be the recommended course of action.

Patients will decide with their doctor if aggressive treatment is warranted, depending on the size of the prostate and severity of symptoms. Our doctors are dedicated to providing the latest treatments—all personalized to meet the needs of each patient.

This collaboration between different departments and teams sets Yale Medicine apart in its standard of care. Skip to Main Content. Print Share Download.

What is the prostate? What is enlarged prostate? Enlarged prostate refers to the state in which the prostate is enlarged but not cancerous.

What are the risk factors for enlarged prostate? Researchers are still largely unclear on what causes the prostate to become enlarged but risk factors include: Age: As many as 90 percent of men over the age of 80 have an enlarged prostate. PSA levels increase when you have an enlarged prostate. However, elevated PSA levels can also be due to recent procedures, infection, surgery or prostate cancer.

Care at Mayo Clinic Our caring team of Mayo Clinic experts can help you with your benign prostatic hyperplasia bph -related health concerns Start Here. It's a common problem for older men: benign prostatic hyperplasia, or BPH. BPH care at Mayo Clinic. Request an Appointment at Mayo Clinic. Share on: Facebook Twitter. Show references Wein AJ, et al. Benign prostatic hyperplasia: Etiology, pathophysiology, epidemiology, and natural history.

In: Campbell-Walsh Urology. Philadelphia, Pa. Accessed Sept. Prostate enlargement Benign prostatic hyperplasia. Management of benign prostatic hyperplasia BPH.

American Urological Association. Cunningham GR, et al. Clinical manifestations and diagnostic evaluation of benign prostatic hyperplasia. Ferri FF. Benign prostatic hyperplasia.

In: Ferri's Clinical Advisor Wein AJ, et al. Evaluation and nonsurgical management of benign prostatic hyperplasia. Townsend CM Jr, et al. Urologic surgery. Transurethral procedures for treating benign prostatic hyperplasia. Rochester, Minn. Brown A. Allscripts EPSi. Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. Water ablation is a new treatment for prostate enlargement. There are 2 types of water ablation procedure. In the first, water is injected into the prostate using a probe passed up the urethra.

The pressure of the water is then used to destroy some of the prostate tissue, making it smaller. The second type is very similar except steam, rather than water, is used to destroy prostate tissue. Water ablation is probably less likely to cause side effects than a transurethral resection of the prostate TURP. However, not all NHS surgeons are currently trained to do these procedures, so access to these procedures may be limited and waiting lists for them may be longer than for other surgical options.

Page last reviewed: 10 February Next review due: 10 February The main treatments are: lifestyle changes medicine catheters surgery and other procedures Lifestyle changes You might be able to relieve the symptoms by making some simple changes to your lifestyle.

Drink fewer fizzy drinks and less alcohol, caffeine and artificial sweeteners Fizzy drinks and drinks that contain alcohol, caffeine such as tea, coffee or cola and artificial sweeteners can irritate the bladder and make urinary symptoms worse. Drinking less fluid in the evening Try to reduce the amount of fluids you drink in the evening and avoid drinking anything for 2 hours before you go to bed.

Remember to empty your bladder Remember to go to the toilet before long journeys or when you know you will not be able to reach a toilet easily.

Double voiding Double voiding involves waiting a few moments after you have finished peeing before trying to go again. Checking your medicines Check with your doctor whether any medicines you take, such as antidepressants or decongestants, might be making your urinary symptoms worse.

Eating more fibre Eating more fibre which is found in fruit, vegetables and wholegrain cereals can help you avoid constipation, which can put pressure on your bladder and make the symptoms of an enlarged prostate worse. Using pads or a sheath Absorbent pads and pants can be worn inside your underwear, or may replace your underwear altogether. Bladder training Bladder training is an exercise programme that aims to help you last longer without peeing and hold more pee in your bladder.

You'll be given a target, such as waiting at least 2 hours between each time you pee. Ask your doctor or specialist nurse for more information about any of these lifestyle changes.

Medicines If lifestyle changes do not help, or are not suitable for you, you may be offered medicine. Alpha-blockers Alpha blockers relax the muscle in your prostate gland and at the base of your bladder, making it easier to pee. Anticholinergics Anticholinergics relax the bladder muscle if it's overactive.

If you urinate a lot during the night, your doctor may recommend taking a desmopressin tablet before you go to bed. This causes the kidneys to produce less urine for six to eight hours.

You will have regular blood tests to monitor your kidney function. Loop diuretic. You take it as a capsule in the late afternoon. Combination treatments. Alpha-blocker plus 5-alpha-reductase inhibitor You may be offered an alpha-blocker together with a 5-alpha-reductase inhibitor if: your symptoms affect your day-to-day life, and you have a very large prostate or a PSA level of more than 1.

Complementary therapies. Transurethral resection of the prostate TURP. Holmium laser enucleation of the prostate HoLEP. Transurethral vaporisation of the prostate TUVP. Bladder neck incision. Open simple prostatectomy. Less common types of surgery. Possible side effects of surgery. Possible side effects include: needing to urinate more often or urgently leaking urine when you cough, sneeze, laugh or exercise blood in your urine urine infection a weak flow when you urinate retrograde ejaculation problems getting or keeping an erection.

Always wash your hands with warm, soapy water before and after touching your catheter or drainage bag. Wash the catheter and the area around it at least twice a day with warm water and unscented soap.

Use one wash cloth for this and a different one for the rest of your body. Wipe downwards along the catheter, away from your body, and dry it carefully afterwards. Drink plenty of fluids 1. Eat plenty of foods containing fibre — such as fruit, vegetables and wholemeal bread — to avoid constipation. Constipation can stop your catheter from draining properly.

Full list of references. BMC Urol. Eur Urol. Urol Int. Electronic Medicines Compendium. Avodart 0. SPC: Cialis 2. J Endourol Endourol Soc. European Association of Urology Nurses. Catheterisation: Indwelling catheters in adults - Urethral and suprapubic. Evidence-based guidelines for best practice in urological health care. Catheterisation: Urethral intermittent in adults. Tamsulosin combined with solifenacin versus tamsulosin monotherapy for male lower urinary tract symptoms: a meta-analysis.

Curr Med Res Opin. BJU Int. A year follow-up after transurethral resection of the prostate, contact laser prostatectomy and electrovaporization in men with benign prostatic hyperplasia; long-term results of a randomized controlled trial. Microwave thermotherapy for benign prostatic hyperplasia Review. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. Lower urinary tract symptoms in men. Efficacy and safety of holmium laser enucleation of the prostate for extremely large prostatic adenoma in patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia.

Korean J Urol. The clinical effectiveness of transurethral incision of the prostate: a systematic review of randomised controlled trials.

World J Urol. Enlarging the scope of managing benign prostatic hyperplasia: addressing sexual function and quality of life. Int J Clin Pract. National Institute for Health and Care Excellence.

GreenLight XPS for treating benign prostatic hyperplasia. Medical technology guidance Mirabegron for treating symptoms of overactive bladder: Technical appraisal [Internet]. Prostate artery embolisation for benign prostatic hyperplasia. UroLift for treating lower urinary tract symptoms of benign prostatic hyperplasia. Finasteride monotherapy maintains stable lower urinary tract symptoms in men with benign prostatic hyperplasia following cessation of alpha blockers.

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