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Posts Tagged ‘prostate gland’

Nocturia Treatment with an Enlarged Prostate

Saturday, February 27th, 2010

Frequent night urination, or nocturia, can be caused by many different things; so nocturia treatment is varied depending on the underlying cause. One of the most common causes of nocturia occurs in older men, and it is an enlarged prostate. The prostate gland is normally about the size of a walnut, and it is situated right beside the urethra. When this gland grows larger it exerts pressure on the urethra causing any number of problems, not the least of which is nocturia. Other problems that an enlarged prostate can cause are urinary incontinence and repeated infections in the urinary tract. Just to confuse things, it is possible to have an enlarged prostate and not have any symptoms, or to have a regular sized prostate and suffer from nocturia.

There are a couple of key factors that determine how much the prostate size affects the number of times that you have to go to the bathroom. The prostate consists of two different types of cells, spongy and rigid. The thought is that nocturia is more affected by the proportion of rigid cells in the prostate rather than simply its size. Unfortunately these rigid cells do not respond as well to drugs as they are more resilient than their spongy counterparts. Because of this a patient is frequently faced with surgery, often minimally invasive, for treatment of the problem.

The other piece of the puzzle has to do with a man’s bladder elasticity and capacity. So men with smaller more rigid bladders are more likely to suffer from nocturia than men with larger more resilient bladders. Another variable that is frequently thrown into the mix is the prostate specific antigen or PSA, which is the measure of a prostate protein. This protein is measured in a blood test, and it is used as a cancer screening tool. An elevated PSA may indicate that cancer is present, but the test is not 100% conclusive.

If you are just beginning to experience problems with nocturia, you may want to keep track of your fluid intake. Try to cut back on any liquid consumption within two hours of bedtime, and stay away from alcohol and caffeine later in the day as they have a diuretic effect causing the body to shed even more fluid. If you are taking a diuretic medication try to schedule it early in the day so that its effects will be completed during waking hours.

If you are suffering from nocturia and suspect that an enlarged prostate may be at the root of the problem, have your doctor assess the situation and offer you nocturia treatment solutions. If you are worried about any type of urine leakage during the night there are many different types of incontinence products that can help alleviate your worries. DryForLife can offer you helpful advice on which products might work for your situation, and they can be ordered by phone or online and delivered directly to your home.

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Frequent Urination in Men May Indicate an Underlying Problem

Thursday, February 4th, 2010

As men age many of them notice that they feel the need to urinate far more frequently then they did when they were younger. While frequent urination in men is associated with ageing, you should never just assume that your increased frequency is simply due to getting older. If you notice an increase in your bathroom visits, it is a good idea to discuss this change with your health care professional, because there are various causes for frequent urination in men, many of which can be relieved.

If you are unable to sleep through the night without getting up to go to the bathroom, you are suffering from nocturia, which is simply frequent urination during sleeping hours. Normally, you should be able to sleep six to eight hours without waking to go to the bathroom. So if you notice that you are getting up several times during the night to relieve yourself, this is reason enough to have a talk with your doctor.

Sometimes a frequent or urgent need to relieve yourself can be a symptom of a urinary tract infection. The inflammation from the infection affects the bladder reducing its urine holding capacity, and this translates into more frequent bathroom visits. Caffeine in beverages can also irritate your bladder and cause the urge for more frequent urination.

Frequent urination in men can also be a harbinger of diabetes or cancer, or it can occur as the side effect of drugs like diuretics. Another problem that could be occurring is an actual dysfunction of the bladder. One of the more common causes of frequent urination in men is an enlarged prostate gland. This gland surrounds the urethra and functions to secrete seminal fluid. As the prostate grows, it begins applying pressure on the urethra, which carries urine from the bladder to be voided. As the pressure increases, the need to urinate becomes more frequent.

As the prostate gland grows the bladder muscle has to exert more pressure to push the urine through the urethra, and this causes the bladder muscle to become more sensitive and stronger. However, if the prostate continues to grow crowding the urethra more and more, at some point the bladder muscle will not be able to compensate, so it is important to talk to your doctor about this condition as well.

If you notice that your number of bathroom visits has increased during the day or night, you may want to consider several things. Notice if you have begun taking a new medication, and determine if there is anything else other than frequent urination going on. Pay attention to when you have to go to the bathroom, whether day or night or after eating or drinking certain foods. See if your fluid intake has increased, and notice if the colour of your urine is darker than normal. All of this information will be very helpful as you discuss your problem with your doctor to see what the underlying cause is for your frequency problem.

And as you are determining what is causing your problem, there are many incontinence products and protective pants that can help with any leakage that you may be experiencing. While frequent urination in men is common in an ageing population, it should not be considered normal, and discussing it with your doctor during your next exam would be prudent. You may even be pleasantly surprised to find that there is a course of treatment that can dramatically improve or alleviate your frequent need to urinate.

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Prostate Enlargement and Incontinence

Monday, September 21st, 2009

The prostate is a walnut-shaped organ located at the base of the bladder (bladder neck). It surrounds the urethra in men, and its main function is to supply necessary fluid to male ejaculate. It supplies up to 70% of the fluid that makes up semen, and thus plays an important role in male sexual health.

As men age, the prostate enlarges, a condition known as benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH). BPH is common in men; in fact, after the age of 40, most men have some degree of enlargement of the prostate, with the percentage of men affected increasing with age.  This benign enlargement can cause urinary symptoms in some men. This is due to the prostate applying pressure to the bladder and/or urethra. Symptoms may include bladder weakness, a weak or dribbling urine stream, a frequent or urgent need to urinate, and nocturia (frequent nighttime urination).

How is the condition treated? If symptoms are not too severe, a watch-and-wait approach may suffice, with frequent check-ups as needed to monitor the condition. For men bothered by urinary symptoms, medications may be tried to reduce urinary symptoms. These drugs are aimed at shrinking the prostate or slowing its growth; some relax muscles near the prostate gland, reducing urgency and frequency.

Surgery is generally reserved for severe enlargement or cases that are not amenable to medication therapy. The most common surgical procedure for an enlarged prostate is  a TURP (transurethral resection of the prostate), in which excess tissue is trimmed from the prostate via an instrument passed through the urethra. This type of surgery is usually successful and has a low incidence of incontinence and impotence following. However, no surgery is without risk, and men considering any surgical procedure for prostate enlargement should know the potential risks and perceived benefits before undergoing any procedure.

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Bladder Weakness & Your Doctor’s Appointment - What to Expect

Sunday, August 16th, 2009

You have made the decision to visit your doctor to discuss your bladder weakness. You may be wondering what is in store for you during your visit. Knowledge is power, and knowing what to expect will decrease your anxiety and allow you to get the most out of your visit.

First of all, you can expect your doctor to question you extensively regarding episodes of bladder weakness, including when they occur, how often they occur, anything you have noticed that makes your bladder weakness worse or better, and when your bladder weakness started. You may also expect questions regarding the amount of fluids you consume (including caffeinated and alcoholic beverages), medications you are taking, your health history, any surgeries you have had, and whether you have any abnormal urinary symptoms such as blood in your urine.

It may be very helpful to keep a bladder (voiding) diary for at least a week before your appointment. Keeping a voiding diary will enable you to collect a lot of meaningful information to take with you to your appointment, such as when and how much you drink, and when you are most likely to experience bladder weakness. This information can help your doctor pinpoint with more accuaracy which type of incontinence you have.

In addition to asking a lot of questions, your doctor may examine you. For women, this may include a vaginal exam to check for muscle tone, as well as checking sensation of the perineum. This is done simply by asking if you can feel pressure  in the area when it is touched. For men, a prostate exam may be part of the examination, in order to determine whether the prostate is enlarged. Palpation of the abdomen may be performed to ensure that there is no abnormal enlargement of the organs.

A urinalyisis (UA) may be done to check for infection of the urinary tract. Other tests, such as an ultrasound or other specialized test, may be ordered depending on your personal circumstances, your history and your doctor’s findings. These tests may help your doctor decide on the best treatment for you.

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Contributing Factors to Overflow Incontinence

Wednesday, July 29th, 2009

Overflow incontinence occurs as the result the bladder being stretched beyond its normal holding capacity, resulting in the leakage of urine that can be almost continuous. There are two main causes of this type of incontinence. It sometimes occurs as the result of some type of blockage in the urinary tract, or may be caused by weak contraction of the bladder. In either case, the result is urine that dribbles out due to the pressure of an overly full bladder.

In men, an enlarged prostate may partially occlude the bladder neck, causing the bladder to become overly distended. Stricture (narrowing) of the bladder neck following prostate surgery can also cause overflow incontinence. Stones of the urinary tract in both men and women can also contribute to overflow incontinence. In addition, any health condition that affects the nerves supplying the bladder, such as Multiple Sclerosis or diabetes, can cause this problem.

Constipation can also cause overflow incontinence when an overly full rectum applies pressure to the urethra or bladder neck. Increasing water intake and modifying your diet to avoid constipation can help prevent overflow incontinence. Medications which cause incontinence are sometimes at the root of the problem, leading to a “paralysis” of the bladder.

If you suffer from overflow incontinence, it is important to seek the guidance of your physician, as some of the causes of this condition may be reversible. In the meantime, choosing absorbent incontinence pads or pants will help you to feel comfortable and secure.

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Incontinence in Men

Wednesday, June 24th, 2009

Although it is true that women are twice as likely to suffer from incontinence as men, many men must also cope with incontinence on a daily basis. Causes of female incontinence often stem from pregnancy, childbirth, and hormonal changes, while in men the blame for incontinence can often be placed on the prostate.

Enlargement of the prostate, or BPH (benign prostatic hypertrophy) is a common affliction in men as a consequence of aging. The prostate, which is located below the bladder and in front of the rectum, begins to enlarge in men after their 40’s; by the time they reach their 60’s, half of all men have some enlargement of the prostate.

Symptoms of an enlarged prostate are due to the enlarging organ’s encroachment on the urethra, which it surrounds. Common symptoms include frequency, urgency, nocturia (nightime voiding), a weak stream, dribbling, urinary tract infection, incontinence and others.

Although BPH is common, men who experience incontinence should seek advice from their physician, in order to rule out more serious causes of inconinence, such as infection or cancer.

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