BPH Hong Kong

What your Zoom meeting could be revealing about your prostate

oangledes212 — Wed, 10 Aug 2022 11:25:09 +0000

The COVID-19 crisis has revolutionised the way many of us work and more than 75% of professionals believe that remote work is here to stay even after the pandemic.¹

While virtual meetings have become a necessity for doing work remotely, they can sometimes get a bit awkward. Be it unexpected interruptions from family members, Zoom-bombing pets, or forgetting the camera is on, there have been a slew of hilarious and often cringeworthy moments, generally taken in good stride. For men who can’t make it through meetings without feeling the urge to use the bathroom multiple times, however, it’s no laughing matter.

If you have had to turn off your camera and duck out due to frequent urinary urgency , you might have an enlarged prostate, also known as benign prostatic hyperplasia, or BPH — a condition that can lead to loss of productivity, depression, and decreased quality of life.² Add to this the work from home burnout that is so prevalent right now, and it’s understandable if you don’t feel like your normal self.

How enlarged prostate may be restricting your lifestyle

Benign prostatic hyperplasia, or BPH, is a non-cancerous enlargement of the prostate that occurs as men age, affecting over 40% of men in their 50s and over 80% of men in their 70s.³ The enlarged prostate presses on and can block the urethra, causing bothersome urinary symptoms such as the urgency to go, frequent nighttime urination, and inability to fully empty the bladder.⁴ This often means that men are repeatedly in and out of the bathroom and forced to take extreme planning measures just to make it through their daily commitments.

Musician Corey B. said his frequent need to use the restroom began limiting his work since he couldn’t stay on stage for his usual two to three-hour concerts. For anesthesiologist David B., the urgency to go meant he had to limit fluids in order to stay in the operating room through the entirety of a surgery while always knowing where the nearest bathroom was. Tom H., a movie stuntman for over 40 years, described the embarrassment and inconvenience he experienced when having to get up in the middle of a meeting with major studio executives in order to use the bathroom – not a comfortable task for someone used to conquering risks others would rather avoid. Still other men describe the inability to make it through a motorcycle ride or round of golf without the awkward need to find a restroom. Now, for many men, being in the spotlight during back-to-back online meetings is yet another hurdle.

Early intervention may be key to symptom relief and quality of life improvement

BPH can significantly impact quality of life and can cause loss of productivity and even depression.² Delaying treatment may cause your symptoms to get worse.⁵

It’s important to consult your urologist to find a treatment that can help you live a more active life with fewer interruptions from urinary symptoms. Depending on the severity of your symptoms, your doctor may recommend the “wait and see” approach, a minimally invasive approach or surgery.

Find out more about the BPH treatment options here.

Are pills the best solution for an enlarged prostate?

oangledes212 — Wed, 10 Aug 2022 11:24:20 +0000

For more than 660 million men worldwide who may have been affected by benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH),¹ a non-cancerous enlargement of the prostate as men age, weighing the pros and cons of medication against the challenges of BPH is an all too familiar challenge to consider. BPH can cause a variety of challenging symptoms including urinary problems, interrupted sleep and loss of productivity.²

Despite the availability of alternative treatment options, results from two recent surveys of 1,000 men and 1,000 women over age 40 in the U.S. found that some men and women believe that BPH can only be treated with medication.*

While BPH itself can cause a number of bothersome symptoms, symptom relief from medication can be inadequate.³ Like 25% of male survey respondents who said they are unsatisfied with the effectiveness of their medication^*, David, 51 years old, found his results to be disappointing. After a year of being on medication, his wife prodded him to seek out other options.

The potential downsides of medication

Even when medication does provide symptom relief, more than one third of men with BPH taking medication have experienced unpleasant side effects including headaches, dizziness, weakness or lack of energy (asthenia), ejaculatory dysfunction and/or erectile dysfunction.* This was the case for John, a 62-year-old avid competitive runner who felt medication affected his training and running times, making him tired and sluggish. Just two weeks after starting the medication, he stopped taking it altogether and began to research other alternatives.

Sometimes, the reality of taking another pill every day or concerns about possible interactions with other medications is enough to dissuade patients from taking medication. Survey results confirm that most patients are interested in learning about alternative treatment options.*

If you’re thinking about seeking treatment, it’s important to know your options. Treatment options for an enlarged prostate fall on a spectrum ranging from the least invasive to the most invasive.

Slow urine stream? It could be an enlarged prostate

oangledes212 — Wed, 10 Aug 2022 10:16:37 +0000

As you get older, the pace of life tends to slow down. And sometimes that’s OK. Maybe you take a little extra time in the morning to enjoy your cup of coffee or opt for the scenic route on your commute to work.

But when it comes to your urine stream, slowing down doesn’t have to be just another part of the aging process. Let’s take a look at the causes of a slow urine stream and which steps you can take to fix them.

What causes a slow urine stream?

There’s more than one possible cause for a slow urine stream.

But for older men, a likely culprit is an enlarged prostate, also known as BPH or Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia. More than 40% of men in their 50s and nearly 90% of men in their 80s have an enlarged prostate¹, over 660 million men worldwide are affected by BPH.^1,2

How severe are your enlarged prostate symptoms?
Get your Prostate Symptom Score in two minutes.

Enlarged prostate: Signs and symptoms

The prostate is a small, walnut-sized organ that sits below your bladder and surrounds your urethra. As part of the male reproductive system, the prostate is responsible for producing a component of the fluid that’s released as semen during ejaculation.

However, beginning around the ages of 45-50, the prostate starts to grow in size. This is a normal part of aging. Let’s take a look at some of the symptoms of an enlarged prostate which can greatly affect a man’s quality of life:

Basic symptoms

When your prostate grows in size, it may begin to block the urethra, which is the body’s exit point for urine. This causes urinary symptoms³ including:

A weak or slow urine stream
An urgent need to urinate
Increased frequency of urination, both day and night
Difficulty starting your urine stream
The need to push or strain when urinating
A sense that you cannot completely empty your bladder

Advanced symptoms

If left untreated, more severe symptoms can sometimes develop: Your bladder can even become permanently damaged if you allow your enlarged prostate to progress untreated.⁴

The next steps

If you’re experiencing symptoms like a slow urine stream, it’s important to take the next steps and address the underlying cause. But how do you know if your symptoms are severe enough to warrant treatment?

Take our qui z to find your enlarged prostate symptom score. Your score will give you a better understanding of the severity of your symptoms.

Non-Invasive

Medication & Monitoring

Alpha-blockers can help relax the muscles around the neck of the bladder to aid urination, while alpha-reductase inhibitors can help to shrink the prostate.

Patients need to continue taking medication to manage their condition, which may lead to side effects including dizziness, fatigue, and sexual dysfunction.^5,6

Minimally Invasive

Prostatic Urethral Lift (PUL)

A straightforward procedure that deploys small implants to lift and compress the sides of the prostate to make the urethra wider and increase the flow of urine.

PUL does not require heating, cutting, removal, or destruction of prostate tissue.^5,7-11 It is shown to not cause new and lasting sexual dysfunction.*^5,12-15 Most common side effects are

temporary and include haematuria, dysuria, micturition urgency, pelvic pain, and urge incontinence.⁷

Thermotherapies & Lasers

A minimally invasive procedure involving the removal of prostate tissue via heat and steam to relieve symptoms.

Patients often need to have a catheter inserted into their bladder during the recovery process.^9,16

This procedure also has incidences of erectile and/or ejaculatory dysfunction.^,5,9,15,17

Most Invasive

Surgery

Transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) involves using a superheated thin metal band to cut and remove prostate tissue. In severe cases with very large prostate or complications, open surgery is needed to reach the prostate.

Surgery requires recovery in the hospital with a catheter inserted into the bladder.¹⁸ Surgery also has higher incidences of bleeding, erectile and/or ejaculatory dysfunction.⁵

Closing thoughts

If you’re a man over the age of 45 and experiencing a slow urine stream, an enlarged prostate may be the culprit. An enlarged prostate, or BPH, is a common condition, but don’t wait for your symptoms to get worse. Take action by finding your enlarged prostate symptom score.

Find out more about the BPH treatment options here.

5 signs you could be an extreme bathroom planner

oangledes212 — Tue, 09 Aug 2022 14:59:01 +0000

Have you avoided events and activities you enjoy because of urgent and frequent trips to the bathroom? A recent survey sponsored by Teleflex Incorporated, of 1,000 men in the United States, 45 years and older, who have experienced at least one urinary symptom associated with BPH shows that you may not be alone.

Approximately 45% of men surveyed have avoided events or activities they enjoy due to their urinary symptoms.¹

Men over 45 with urinary symptoms common with an enlarged prostate, also known as benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), may anticipate and plan for their urgent and frequent bathroom needs. Whether they rearrange their morning schedules in anticipation of interrupted sleep, limit the amount they drink, or purposefully seek out and stay close to the bathroom, this type of extreme bathroom planning can disrupt normal daily activities.

The survey explored how urinary symptoms commonly associated with BPH impact men’s daily lives.

So how do you know if you could be an extreme bathroom planner?
If you answer “yes” to the following questions, it might be time to schedule a check-up with your doctor.

Do you avoid activities you enjoy because of your urinary symptoms?
Approximately 45% of men surveyed have avoided events or activities they enjoy due to their urinary symptoms.¹

Do you map out travel routes based on the availability of restroom facilities?
More than 40% of men surveyed have chosen certain routes (roads, highways, etc.) on road trips because they have more or better availability of restroom facilities.¹

Do you locate the closest bathroom as soon as you go somewhere new?
About 1 in 5 men surveyed said that locating the closest bathroom is the first thing they do when they go somewhere new.¹

Do you pick event seating based on bathroom access?
About 43% of men surveyed have selected their seats when purchasing tickets to a sporting or entertainment event because it has better or easier access to the restroom.¹

Do you limit the amount you drink during the day?
Nearly 62% of men surveyed have limited the amount they drink throughout the day even when they have access to a restroom to avoid a frequent or urgent need to urinate (61.86%).¹

It’s important for men to be aware of symptoms of BPH, including frequent trips to the bathroom during both the daytime and nighttime. While not all urinary symptoms are caused by BPH, men over the age of 45 who are experiencing urgent or frequent urinary symptoms, should consider speaking with their doctor about their prostate health.^2,3

Over 660 million men worldwide may have BPH.⁴ A portion of those men will experience symptoms of BPH such as urgency to urinate, frequency of urination, dribbling or other symptoms. BPH is unrelated to, but more common than, prostate cancer,^5,6. If left untreated, it can lead to permanent bladder damage.⁷ The sooner BPH is treated, the more chance men can improve their symptoms and quality of life.

Medications are a very common treatment option for men diagnosed with BPH. In a U.S. survey conducted by Teleflex, over 65% of men diagnosed with BPH have taken a medication to treat their condition.¹ Approximately one in four of these men said their medication was ‘not very effective’ or ‘not effective at all’ in helping them reduce their need to plan their next bathroom trip to urinate.¹

It is important to consult your urologist to find a treatment that can help you live a more active life with fewer interruptions from urinary symptoms. Depending on the severity of your symptoms, your doctor may recommend one or more approaches, including the “wait and see” approach, a minimally invasive approach or surgery. Find out more about the BPH treatment options here.