Enlarged Prostate In Winnipeg
Men’s Health Clinic Manitoba in Winnipeg provides comprehensive care for Enlarged Prostate (BPH), offering guidance and treatment options to improve urinary comfort and quality of life.
Enlarged Prostate in Winnipeg
The prostate is a male gland that surrounds the urethra that connects the bladder. The prostate is important for making fluid that comes out in the ejaculate. As a male ages, the prostate can become enlarged. It can begin to grow when a person is in their 30s. Symptoms related to how a person empties their bladder usually become noticeable around age 50 or later.
An Enlarged Prostate, medically termed as Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH), is a common condition in aging men where the prostate gland increases in size. While BPH is non-cancerous, its growth can press against the urethra, leading to various urinary symptoms such as frequent urination, difficulty starting a urine stream, or incomplete bladder emptying.
The causes of BPH are primarily associated with age and hormonal changes. Managing BPH might involve lifestyle changes, medications to relax or shrink the prostate, or in more severe cases, surgical interventions.
Simply put: An enlarged prostate is like a swelling that affects urine flow, but with appropriate treatment, men can regain their urinary comfort and overall quality of life.
At Men’s Health Clinic Manitoba, we offer comprehensive care for individuals facing challenges due to an enlarged prostate in Winnipeg. Our expert team ensures you receive the right guidance, treatment, and support for a symptom-free life.
Other Voiding Dysfunction Service at Men’s Health Clinic Manitoba:
Male Incontinence Winnipeg | Rezum Canada
Treatment Highlights
Comprehensive Support
Men's Health Clinic Manitoba provides tailored care for Enlarged Prostate (BPH), addressing urinary symptoms and enhancing quality of life.
Expert Guidance
The clinic's expert team offers personalized treatment options, ensuring effective management of BPH for each individual.
Frequently Asked Questions About Enlarged Prostate
Symptoms related to prostate enlargement (benign prostatic hyperplasia - BPH) involve urinary function. The can include all or some of the following and to varying levels of severity:
slow stream
Starting and stopping when urinating
not feeling like you are emptying completely
urgency
waking up once or multiple times to urinate at night
bladder discomfort
Nearly 50% of men over 40 begin to experience symptoms of BPH. When the symptoms become bothersome and are impacting your quality of life, it is important to speak to your doctor. Symptoms can get worse over time and put strain on the bladder to be able to empty properly. Eventually it can lead to the bladder not functioning properly.
In the vast majority of men, urgent medical attention is not necessary. However, if you are having blood in the urine, finding it extremely difficult to empty or bladder or unable to feeling like you need to urinate and unable to do so, these do require urgent medical attention.
At Men’s Health Clinic Manitoba, a variety of tests will be used depending on your symptoms and how bothersome they are. They can involve the following tests:
Urine tests to rule out an infection
Digital rectal examination to evaluate the prostate for size or any lumps/bumps
Blood tests - to rule out evidence of any kidney problems
Transrectal ultrasound - to evaluate your prostate size to decide the best treatment option
Cystoscopy - to evaluate the urethra, prostate and bladder anatomy
Urodynamic study - to evaluate your bladder function
Depending on your symptoms, size of your prostate and how bothered you are, there are many good treatment options for BPH. However, the prostate does continue to grow, and some men may need repeat treatment later on.
BPH (enlarged prostate) is caused by the cells of the prostate experiencing cell growth. However, this is not cancer. Studies have found no link between BPH and prostate cancer. Just because your prostate is growing does not mean you are developing or will develop prostate cancer. If there are concerns that you may have prostate cancer, your doctor may order the following tests:
PSA (prostate-specific antigen)
Prostate Biopsy
Prostate MRI
Prostate cancer does not tend to have symptoms. The overwhelming majority of prostate cancer diagnosis is made based on PSA blood test and digital rectal examination.
There are several treatment options for BPH. Treatments are based on symptom severity, how bothersome symptoms are and size of your prostate.
Non-Medical Management
Eating a healthy diet
Routine moderate to vigorous exercise
Maintaining a healthy body weight
Limiting caffeine and alcohol intake (these can cause your bladder to be irritable)
Avoiding fluids after 6 PM (important to stay hydrated during the day, but having high fluid intake at night can cause you to wake up at night)
If there is nothing concerning to recommend treatment, and you are not overly bothered by your symptoms, it is not unreasonable to observe them and have regular follow-up.
Medical Management
Medications have successfully helped men for numerous years. These medications can be used by themselves or in combination, depending on your symptoms and how you respond to treatment.
Alpha blockers — These medications help relax the prostate and bladder to allow you to empty.
Alpha Reductase Inhibitors — These medications will block the hormones that lead to prostate growth. They will shrink your prostate and even reduce your PSA.
Anticholinergic medications — This medication will block receptors in your nerve cells that cause muscle movement in the gastrointestinal tract. It treats overactive bladder, frequent urination, and consistent urges to urinate.
PDE5 inhibitors — This medication will relax the muscles in your bladder and prostate to reduce some of the symptoms of BPH.
Minimally Invasive Surgical Therapies
There are a number of new treatments available for BPH that are less invasive with less side effects.
At Men’s Health Clinic Manitoba, Dr. Premal Patel was the first Urologist in Western Canada to perform Rezum Water Vapour Therapy and is one of the highest volume Rezum specialists in the country.
Prostate Surgery
Our Urologists perform a number of prostate surgeries aimed to open the urethra to allow you to empty your bladder. Depending on your symptoms, size of your prostate and your preference, we can find the surgical procedure that is right for you.
This can be quite challenging as there are a number of treatment options for an enlarged prostate.
The Canadian Urological Association developed a Patient Decision Aid to help patients select the right treatment for them. This tool should be used in combination with your physician’s proposed treatment plan. Please visit: CUA Patient Decision Aid
