How to Treat Benign prostatic hyperplasia BPH

If you are a male and you are in your 40s or 50s the question of whether to screen or not for prostate cancer will come up even if you do not have any symptoms. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states that there is good evidence that the prostate specific antigen (PSA) test that was approved in 1986 by the Food and Drug Administration can detect prostate cancer in the early stage when treatment is the most effective. The evidence however, is mixed and inconclusive about if early detection actually saves lives. In fact, a study that was published in Jan of 2006 found that PSA screening indeed does not decrease deaths from prostate cancer. On the other hand evidence says that because there is a drop in prostate cancer rates that these could be due in part to PSA testing. There are indeed conflicting answers to whether or not screening has had an affect on the death rate of prostate cancer.

The National Cancer Institute (NCI) states that prostate cancer is the most common form of cancer and the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths among males in the U.S.
The alpha blockers include Flomax® (tamsulosin), Uroxatral® (alfuzosin), Hytrin® (terazosin) and Cardura® (doxazosin). You may be familiar with Alpha blockers because they are also used to treat high blood pressure, because they work by relaxing muscles specifically for males with BPH, they relax the muscles around the bladder so that urine can pass freely.

5-Alpha reductases inhibitors include Avodart® (dutasteride) and Proscar® (finasteride). These drugs work by stopping the production of DHT within the body. DHT is the active form of testosterone.

There is much debate over the use of herbal remedies to treat BPH. There are studies that have found palmetto (a herb) to NOT be effective at treating BPH and other studies that have found Saw Palmetto to be as effective as Proscar. The reason for the differing results can possibly be found in the quality of herbs used in the studies, dosage, ingredients, purity, and also the controls used in the studies. The well-known and respected Mayo Clinic gives Saw Palmetto a "grade A" for its effectiveness against BPH. Grade A is the highest and is strong scientific evidence for the use of the herb.

Another herb that has been studied and received a grade of B, which is considered to be "good scientific evidence for use", is Pygeum, another herbal supplement.

The best course of action a man can do if he suspects that he may have a prostate disorder is to:

1. Get to a doctor to be tested

2. If diagnosed with BPH discuss the various drugs available and the side effects of each drug

3. Discuss herbal therapy and the available studies and the results

Make sure that if you elect to go the route of herbal therapy that you purchase only quality products from a reputable company.

A man has many options that can be discussed with a doctor that are not only drugs and herbs. Here is a comprehensive list of other treatment options for a man with BPH.

Medical treatment includes being watchful of the condition of the prostate, which includes follow-up office appointments with the doctor, medications and prostatic stents (which have been widely abandoned) and is used to keep the male urethra open and allow passage of urine.

Minimally invasive treatments include laser, microwave, and other thermotherapies (TUNA).

Surgical treatments include transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP), holmium laser enucleation of the prostate (HoLEP), prostatectomy, transurethral incision of the prostate (TUIP), and transurethral ultrasound-guided laser incision of the prostate (TULIP).

Other alternative treatments include better nutrition, multivitamin and other supplements as discussed with your doctor, and hydrotherapy.



Prevention is the best course of action because there is not a single man who is not at risk to developing one or more of these conditions in their lifetime. A commonly made mistake is to think "I won't happen to me at my age". An increasing number of young men are developing at least one of these three conditions of the prostate.

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