Medical Therapy for BPH

There are various measures a patient can take to help relieve issues caused by BPH.

These behavioural strategies and changes in habits consist especially of:

• Cutting liquid intake from the afternoon onwards (to reduce trips to the toilet at night) or in situations where access to the toilet may be difficult (e.g. before a show);
• Urinating before leaving work (when returning home) and before and during a journey;
• Emptying the bladder often (e.g. every 2 or 3 hours) and not trying to hold urine in; urinating when you first feel the desire to do so;
• Avoiding long periods without urinating, as it can lead to a full and distended bladder;
• Avoiding some types of food (e.g. acidic or spicy foods);
• Squeezing the urethra after urinating to help avoid dripping;
• Avoiding medication that worsens the symptoms (e.g. nasal decongestants).

These and other measures must be discussed with your urologist to make them as effective as possible and also to learn whether they are good enough to prevent the disease worsening and if they cause complications that can arise if no treatment is given.

In the medical treatment of BPH, three major groups of medication exist:

• Alpha blockers (tansulosin, alfuzosin, doxazosin and silodosin, the newest);
• 5-alpha-reductase inhibitors (finasteride and dutasteride);
• Plant extracts – phytotherapy (countless substances have been tested, the most commonly used of which is saw palmetto).