Dr Sharyn Allyson Lac DAOM

Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia ( Enlarged Prostate)

Symptoms

* Frequent Urination

* Urgent Urination

* Hesitant Urination

* Night Time urination

If you find you are sleep disturbed by the need to get up in the night to urinate, or if your urine flow takes a while to start and just never gets fully going, then you maybe experiencing symptoms of Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia. This condition, enlargement of the prostate gland, is one of the most common conditions affecting men during and after middle age, and it can cause a whole host of urinary difficulties, even in worst case scenarios an obstruction of urine flow which is a medical emergency. Mostly, however, it is a nuisance that interferes with quality of life.

The prostate is a gland of the male reproductive system, located between the bladder and rectum. The function of the prostate is to secrete a fluid that usually constitutes 50–75% of the volume of the semen along with spermatozoa and seminal vesicle fluid.  Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia is an increase in size of the prostate due to large nodules that form in the periurethral region of the prostate. When sufficiently large, the nodules compress the urethral canal to cause partial, or sometimes complete, urinary tract obstruction by the urethra, which interferes with the normal flow of urine. This causes symptoms of urinary hesitancy, frequent urination, increased risk of urinary tract infections, urinary retention, and can even contribute to or cause insomnia with frequent night urination.

Medical treatments for this common condition can come with adverse side effects, and may not be even particularly helpful. Finasteride (Proscar), the most common drug prescribed for BPH, can cause other types of sexual dysfunction, and breast enlargement.

Acupuncture is known to decrease inflammation as well as act on the nervous system to relax the urethra and spasms to decrease the urge to urinate frequently.  Increasing the strength of urine stream helps to void completely and there for less frequent.