you’re not alone

Many men of a certain age will know the feeling only too well: you’ve just walked outside and the urge to go to the bathroom strikes again, even though you made sure to go right before you left the house.  Unfortunately, the symptoms of the troubled prostate/bladder curse don’t end there. Getting up several times during the night; weak flow; difficulty starting – the list goes on.

If you are having any of the above symptoms and haven’t yet done so, it’s imperative you tell your doctor and get tested. By age 50, a staggering 50% of men have an enlarged prostate and by the time we get into our 80s, nearly all of us do.

If you know that you are suffering with Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH), there are dietary and lifestyle changes, along with exercises, that have proved effective in some in helping to manage the symptoms. Many men have noted improvements combining kegel – or pelvic floor – exercises with cleaning up their diets. Along with losing excess weight, adding ingredients like cruciferous vegetables, pumpkin seeds and green tea have been shown to have benefits. Others have seen that cutting down on bladder irritants like alcohol and caffeine have brought some relief, while getting rid of late-night snacking has also paid off in some cases.

If you are among those enduring any or several of the symptoms related to BPH, know that you are most definitely not alone and that there are ways to reduce the burden.

This is also a gentle reminder to those of you of a certain age (from 40, 45 onwards) who haven’t had your prostate levels checked yet, now is a good time.