Maybe you need to use the bathroom frequently at night and often feel the urge to urinate throughout the day because your bladder is not emptying fully. In that case, you may have a condition known as benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH).
The prostate gland surrounds the urethra, the tube that empties urine from the bladder. If the prostate gland grows too large, it can compress the urethra and obstruct urine flow. BPH can cause a variety of symptoms, including:
- Frequent urination
- Trouble starting to urinate
- Weak urine stream
- Leaking or dribbling urine
- Feeling as if the bladder is not emptying entirely
- Frequent urination at night (nocturia)
Symptoms may impact other elements of your life, such as poor sleep, loss of energy, and increased anxiety about needing to find a restroom.
Medications are often prescribed as an initial treatment to help manage symptoms, but what if they don’t work? Here are four alternatives when BPH medications do not work, options your doctor may recommend if medications aren’t working for you.
BPH Treatment Options
If BPH medications do not work, discussing alternative treatments with your doctor is important. Simple lifestyle changes, such as reducing alcohol and caffeine intake, and avoiding medications that can worsen BPH symptoms, may help. Still, there are other strategies to get relief. Most treatment methods focus on eliminating or alleviating the obstruction impeding urine flow.
1. Transurethral Resection of the Prostate Gland
The transurethral resection of the prostate gland (TURP) procedure is one of the oldest surgical therapy options for treating BPG. This procedure is done under general anesthesia and involves inserting a resectoscope, a thin tube with a small camera, and a cutting loop at the end through the urethra. The interior of the prostate gland is shaved down using these devices.
2. Laser Techniques
GreenLight XPSTM Laser Therapy may be utilized for men with a large prostate or progressive BPH. The laser vaporizes extra prostate tissue that is impeding urine flow. Most men receive instant symptom reduction, followed by months of continued improvement. GreenLight XPSTM Laser Therapy offers surgical results with little invasiveness.
3. Water Vapor Therapy
Rezūm™ is a minimally invasive procedure that uses water vapor to heat and destroy prostate tissue. Each treatment exposes the targeted prostate tissue to nine seconds of sterile water vapor. The body’s natural healing process of the treated tissue causes the prostate to shrink gradually. When the excess tissue is absorbed, the urethra opens.
This method provides long-lasting relief from BPH symptoms without invasive surgery. Most men experience an improvement in their symptoms within a few weeks. Depending on the size of the prostate, your doctor will determine how many treatments are necessary.
4. Implants
The UroLift® System relieves BPH quickly and effectively and has a relatively short recovery period. By inserting tiny implants to raise the prostate tissue out of the way, UroLift® opens the urethra and relieves BPH symptoms. With this type of treatment, there is no need to burn, cut, or remove prostate tissue.
Explore Alternate BPH Treatments Today
If you experience BPH symptoms and medications haven’t worked, there are options for relief. Schedule an appointment today and take the next step on your path to relief from BPH!