I knew I was having problems related to aging but didn‘t want to go to the doctor about it. First, we didn’t have insurance and the talk about medical expenses scared me away. Second, I wasn’t sure I wanted to know the real problem. Third, I was afraid the cure might be worse than the problem. Fourth, I dreaded this kind of checkup in the first place.

Frankly, the problems related to urinating. I found out later it is called BPH (benign prostatic hyperplasia). The prostate surrounds the urethra and contains muscles, that, among with other functions, control the flow of urine. Half of the men over fifty experience the consequences of these muscles swelling. Typical symptoms include weak stream, inability to delay urination, more frequent urination (day & night), painful or bloody urination, not emptying the bladder completely, difficulty stopping and starting, and incontinence (no control).

I didn’t experience all these symptoms but enough to cause concern. Several younger men advised me to get a prostate exam. “If you have cancer, and they discover it early, it can be treated and all is well. If not, then you may find out too late.”

Still I put it off. I had had this checkup once before and it didn’t leave a good memory. However, that had been 8 to 10 years earlier and I was now over 60. So finally I broke down and went for a checkup. The test was as expected (inserting his finger up my rectum) but not as unpleasant as I had anticipated. The good news was that he didn’t think I had prostate cancer. The bad news was that I needed to see a specialist, just to be sure.

The specialist did the same unpleasant test and confirmed the first diagnosis. He described three treatments, increasingly invasive. I choose the first, to take Flomax. Flomax is in a group of drugs called alpha-adrenergic blockers. “Flomax relaxes the veins and arteries so that blood can more easily pass through them. It also relaxes the muscles in the prostate and bladder neck, making it easier to urinate.”

Taking this pill once a day is easy and I have experienced no side effects. Best of all, it has greatly reduced the symptoms of BPH I had been experiencing. It won’t work forever. If the prostate continues to enlarge as the specialist predicted, then Flomax will become increasing ineffective. He described two other steps I could then take. I will wait with them as long as possible.

In the meantime, I am also taking an herbal supplement that I am hoping will treat the problem naturally. The particular capsule I take twice a day contains saw palmetto extract (clinically proven to inhibit benign prostate enlargement), Pygeum Africanum Bark extract, Stinging Nettle Root extract, Pumpkin Seed Oil, Lycopene, along with a balanced base of gelatin, glycerine, carob extract, beeswax and purified water. The bottle says it may take a couple of months or more to work its magic so I need to be patient.

In summary, I am now enjoying relief from the symptoms I faced and overall, it wasn’t as bad as I anticipated. It would be good for every man over fifty to have a prostate checkup, especially if he is beginning to experience the problems related to BPH.

Four basic treatments of BPH are used today. The least invasive and safest is herbal treatment. After all, herbs are natural chemicals that work together with the body to make it function as normal as possible. Therefore, there are the least number of side effects with herbs as opposed to medications, hormone therapy, or surgery. If you are on a medication for BPH, do not ignore this in hopes that the herbs will eliminate the problem.

One recommended formula looks like this: 1-ounce tincture of saw palmetto berries; 1/2 ounce each tinctures of nettle root, sarsaparilla root, wild yam root, echinacea root and pipsissewa or uva ursi leaves. Combine ingredients. Take half a dropperful 3 times a day. For maintenance, take it once a day.

The first ingredient mentioned is saw palmetto. This has proven to be very effective in inhibiting DHT, the hormone mentioned above. It works not by changing the levels of testosterone in the blood but by inhibiting the tissues from using it to enlarge.

Another ingredient in this treatment of BPH is pygeum, prepared from the bark of the African cherry tree (also called Iron Wood, (Red) Stinkwood, African Plum, African Prune, and Bitter Almond). Over 75 percent of all doctors’ prescriptions in France include pygeum for treating problems related to an enlarged prostate. They report it greatly aids half the men, and does so in six weeks or less. Pygeum is most effective when used at the first signs of prostate problems. Pygeum is currently available only as a tincture or in pill form, and is often combined with saw palmetto.

A third ingredient is the common herb nettle. Nettle leaves are an excellent diuretic and are used to stop the urine retention problems. Nettle is effective for possibly two reasons: it might reduce the amount of testosterone circulating in the blood or it might inhibit the enzyme responsible for making testosterone. It seems to be most effective when used in a combination with these other herbs.

Gamma linoleic acid (GLA), found in evening primrose, borage, pumpkin seeds, flaxseed, and black currant seed products, also helps relieve prostate inflammation. Echenasia is included because of its ability to boost the immune system, to speed wound healing, and especially to reduce inflammation. Time fails to discuss the other ingredients in this formula.

Another approach to prostate treatment is to prepare and apply anti-inflammatory prostate oil. It is made from 1/8 teaspoon each lavender and rosemary essential oils, 4 drops Roman chamomile essential oil (optional), and 2 ounces Saint-John’s-wort oil. Directions say to combine these ingredients and rub it on the skin under the scrotum once or twice a day.

If you are a man over 40, it is likely that you are or will sometime experience the problems related to BPH, an acronym for benign prostatic hyperplasia. This is a condition in which the prostate starts to grow again and gradually might pinch the urethra, causing urinary problems. A very potent form of testosterone called dihydrotestosterone (DHT) becomes dominant. DHT tends to cause prostate cells to multiply excessively enlarging the prostate. A number of environmental pollutants also seem to increase the presence of this hormone in the prostate.

Half of all men over 40 have BPH to some extent. Some men have an enlarged prostate without it affecting the urethra. They might not even know they have BPH. Others experience one or more of the typical symptoms of BPH – weak stream, inability to delay urination, more frequent urination (day & night), painful or bloody urination, not emptying the bladder completely, difficulty stopping and starting, and incontinence (no control).

Watch for the next post where we’ll discuss natural ways to treat the prostate.

Benign problems with the prostate most commonly fall into one of two categories – prostatitis, and Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia or BPH.

One quarter of all men who have urinary problems have prostatitis. Prostatitis is a condition that causes infection or inflammation of the prostate. It appears in one of four types.

1) Non-bacterial prostatitis (NBP) has the same symptoms as CBP (see below), but the cause is not known. Pelvic floor myalgia or Prostatodynia (PFM) may cause pain in the pelvic area, prostate, and penis and/or may cause difficulties in urinating. It does not cause inflammation, and has no bacteria related to it.

Acute bacterial prostatitis (ABP) is caused by bacteria and may produce these symptoms: malaise, fever, chills, muscular pain, lower back pain, pain in pelvic area with urination, frequent urination (day & night), inability to empty the bladder, and/or pain with ejaculation. These symptoms may appear very quickly and may be severe. Chronic bacterial prostatitis (CBP) is caused by bacteria, and the symptoms are similar to ABP, but are not usually as severe or sudden.

2) The second major noncancerous problem of the prostate is Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia or simply BPH. As men age, the tissue of the prostate changes, resulting in enlargement. Men over the age of 40 may begin to experience symptoms of having an enlarged prostate, whether they know the cause or not. What causes BPH is not known, although it may be linked to heredity, high fat diets, and hormonal imbalance.

Not all men with BPH experience symptoms. However, if the enlarged prostate presses on the urethra, symptoms will result. Commonly experienced symptoms are: more frequent urination (day & night), not emptying the bladder completely, weak stream, inability to delay urination, difficulty stopping and starting, incontinence (no control), painful or bloody urination.

Though these problems can be annoying and even cause serious problems, they do not automatically mean you have cancer. Men over 50 should have a yearly checkup to be sure they have not developed prostate cancer. Prior to this test, itemize a history of any urinary problems you have had and the severity of each. This will help the doctor diagnose the problem. The good news is that most of the above symptoms can be eliminated or at least reduced medically. That is the subject of other articles.

Half of all men over the age of 50 either have or will have problems related to the prostate gland. Amazingly, one in six males are likely to develop prostate cancer in their lifetime. Though preventative measures can be taken to lower this risk, the focus of this article will be strictly related to the function of the prostate.

The prostate is a gland about the size and shape of a walnut. It is located in front of the rectum, just below the bladder and it surrounds the urethra that carries urine from the body. The prostate is an exocrine gland, so called because it secretes fluids through ducts to the outside of the body as sweat glands do. These fluids form part of semen and are stored with sperm in the seminal vesicles located behind the bladder. When the male climaxes, muscular contractions cause the prostate to secrete this fluid into the urethra, where it is expelled from the body through the penis.

In addition to the prostate’s role in producing these fluids, it also plays a part in controlling the flow of urine. The prostate wraps itself around the urethra as it passes from the bladder to the penis. Muscular fibers in the prostate contract to slow the flow of urine.