What, Me Worry?

The inflammation of the prostate is not in itself dangerous. The enlargement is not a tumor and does not cause prostate cancer. However, the location of the prostate means that inflammation and enlargement are definitely noticed.

The prostate is located below the bladder. More importantly is that it surrounds the urethra, the tube through which urine flows from the bladder. If the prostrate is inflammed or enlarged, as is often the case with prostate problems, it can push against the urethra, pinching it and causing it to narrow. This results in a number of urinary discomforts.

Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia

BPH can result in a number of problems:

• An urgent feeling that you need to urinate.
• An increased frequency of urination; waking multiple times during the night to urinate.
• Some difficulty when beginning to urinate.
• A urine stream that is weak and thin.
• Difficulty stopping urinating often followed by dribbles.
• A feeling that your bladder has not completely emptied; urinary retention.
• If left untreated, BPH results in stagnant urinary residue, which can lead to infection and blockage of the bladder outlet, and prostatitis.

Hormones and BPH

Men produce testosterone and small amounts of estrogen, a female hormone. As men age, their levels of testosterone decrease, which results in a higher proportion of estrogen. According to the Internet homepage for the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Disease, studies conducted on animals have suggested that BPH may occur because the higher amount of estrogen may increase the activity of substances that promote cell growth.

Another theory focuses on higer than normal levels of testosterone in aging men and 5-alpha-dihydrotestosterone (DHT), another hormone.

Testosterone in the blood is converted to DHT by the enzyme known as 5-alpha-reductase. Some DHT is broken down and excreted, and some DHT binds to receptors on the prostate cells and ultimately turns on prostate growth.

Generally, as men age, the amount of testosterone in their blood decreases. However, men with BPH have more testosterone than others. This means that more DHT is created. As well, less DHT appears to be excreted in these men. This means that more DHT binds to the prostate, which results in continued prostate growth. This can eventually cause the overproduction (hyperplasia) of prostate cells, which causes the prostate gland to enlarge more than it should. As noted, an enlarged prostate can result in urinary problems.

Prostatitis

Prostatitis is the general term for inflammation of the prostate gland. As with BPH, the inflamed prostate pinches the uretha, resulting in many of the same symptoms: frequent and urgent urination, increased nighttime urinating, and a stop-and-start urine stream. Other symptoms include pain between the rectum and the back of the scrotum, in the lower back, above the pubic bone, in the lower abdominals, or in and around the groin and testicles. Prostatitis can also result in dysuria, which is painful or difficult urination.

There are two categories of prostatitis: bacterial prostatis and nonbacterial prostatitis.

Bacterial Prostatitis

Bacteria (and thus bacterialprostatitis) can be picked up from swimming pools, veneral disease, colon bacteria, or BPH. In BPH, the incomplete emptying of the bladder creates a reservoir of stagnant urine which can be home to bacteria. There are two types of bacterial prostatitis: acute and chronic.

• Acute Bacterial Prostatitis: Comes on quickly, can cause intense pain, fever, and chills, can require hospitalization, and is usually treated with antibiotics. Acute infections are also quite rare, which only about 5 percent of all prostatitis patients having them.

• Chronic Bacterial Prostatitis: Is less severe than the acute version, and is often the cause of recurring urinary infections. Symptoms include pain that radiates into the groin, testes, or penis. A frequent and urgent need to urinate, and sometimes a burning sensation upon urination, is experienced.

Nonbacterial Prostatitis

Prostadynia

What To Do

However, recent research is beginning to show that attention to lifestyle and supplementation with natural products can greatly ease the discomfort of BPH and prostatitis. Here are some things you can do:

• Drink water:   Although the natural reaction to frequent and urgent urination is to cut back on fluid intake, this is a mistake. You risk dehydration and the likelihood of developing a bladder infection increases because your urine becomes stronger. Drinking lots of fluid keeps the retained urine in the bladder fairly diluted and reduces the risk of bladder infection and dehydration.

• Dietary changes: Caffeine, alcohol, spicy foods and/or acidic foods may irritate the prostate, and most doctors recommend either eliminating them or consuming very little of them. Diets with emphasis on soy are helpful, as soy helps detoxify DHT.

• Avoid decongestants and antihistamines: Sudafed, Tavist-D, Contact, etc., all carry warnings in fine print not to use them if you have an enlarged prostate or BPH. These medications appear to cause the prostate to contract, which decreases urine flow. There is also some evidence that these tend to make the prostatic secretion thicker and more prone to forming clogs.

• Exercise: Walking will often help relieve prostate problem symptoms.

• Use supplements: Dietary supplements can help general prostate health. Make sure you get sufficient amounts of zinc and B vitamins. These nutrients regulate the enzyme that coverts testosterone to DHT. There have been a number of animal and clinical trials on the use of pollen extract for BPH, nonbacterial prostatitis, and prostadynia (not for bacterial prostatitis!).

  Pollen extract appears to relieve BPH in three ways:

  1. It may act as a smooth muscle relaxant. In animal studies, pollen extract has inhibited urethral contraction, which may facilitate the discharge of urine. Clinical studies have indicated that using pollen extract results in less nighttime urinating and improved bladder emptying.
  2. It may prevent DHT from binding to the prostatic receptor site. Clinical studies have shown that pollen extract reduces the size of the prostate in men with BPH. Experiments have indicated that pollen extract does this by inhibiting the binding of DHT to the receptor site. Reduced prostate size results in less pressure on the urethra and fewer urinary problems.
  3. It has anti-inflammatory action. Clinical studies have shown that pollen extract reduces prostate inflammation.

Suggested Reading

Internet site: http://www.prostate.org

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