Lake Regional Health System | Thrive | Summer 2019

6 | Summer 2019 I f you’re a man, nightly bathroom trips may be your body’s way of announcing that your prostate is enlarged. It’s almost inevitable if you live long enough. About half of all men 50 and older have an enlarged prostate. Doctors have a fancier name for this condition: benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). “ Hyperplasia means enlarge- ment,” says Lake Regional Urologist Eric McQueary, D.O. “ Benign means your en- larged prostate isn’t caused by cancer. And more reassuring, BPH doesn’t seem to raise the risk of prostate cancer.” Symptoms of BPH As men age — and the prostate gland slowly grows bigger — it can press on the urethra, the tube that urine passes through. This can cause: • A frequent, urgent need to urinate • Difficulty starting to urinate • Dribbling after urination ends • A weak or interrupted urine flow • Pain during urination or after ejaculation • Incontinence These symptoms sometimes signal other problems, including bladder infec- tions, prostatitis (inflammation of the prostate gland), or even bladder or pros- tate cancer. So be sure to tell your doctor if you have any symptoms. Also, see your doctor right away if you: • Can’t urinate at all • Have a painful, frequent and urgent need to urinate, along with fever and chills • Have blood in your urine • Have pain in your lower abdomen or urinary tract The right treatment for you For mild BPH symptoms, simple steps might provide relief: Reduce your fluid intake; exercise your pelvic floor muscles; and steer clear of caffeine and alcohol. Otherwise, your doctor may prescribe medicine to shrink your prostate or relax muscles near it to ease symptoms. An- other option is tissue-removing surgery, which can be very effective in relieving symptoms but is often delayed to avoid potential side effects. Lake Regional Urology provides another option, a minimally invasive procedure called UroLift. “The UroLift System has an excellent safety profile and provides a first-line treatment alternative to drug therapy or invasive surgery,” Dr. McQueary says. “Importantly, the UroLift system pro- vides fast relief from BPH symptoms while preserving sexual function, im- proving a man’s overall quality of life.” Sources: American Academy of Family Physicians; National Institutes of Health QUICK, INNOVATIVE RELIEF Learn more about UroLift at lakeregional .com/urology o r by calling Lake Regional Urology at 573-302-3111 . Learn the facts about an enlarged prostate Eric McQueary, D.O. Common and treatable HIS & HERS