Prostatic diseases are common among aging men causing significant morbidity. Most chalk-up the problem of the prostate to the current circumstances, some blame aging, weather change, travel-related stress, the water of different places, etc.
However, due to the sedentary lifestyle, the age factor is blurring the line. The quality of life gets hampered as the prostate enlargement can cause “lower urinary tract symptoms.” Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH) is defined by at least microscopic excessive growth, which over a period, translates into the gross enlargement of the gland visible to the naked eye. It begins before 30 years and approximately 8 per cent of men at least microscopic BPH by 40 years, 50 percent by 60 years and 90 per cent by 90 years of age.
The prevalence of BPH range from 14 per cent to 30 per cent for men aged 50 or older, depending on the definition used.
The prostate goes through two main growth period with age. The first occurs early in puberty when the prostate doubles in size. The second phase of growth begins around age 25 and continues during most of a man’s life. BPH often occurs with the second growth phase. Patients with BPH commonly complain of frequent urination at night, difficulty in passing urine, incomplete emptying of the bladder. The quality of life gets hampered as the prostate enlargement can cause “lower urinary tract symptoms”. To cope with these symptoms, the patient starts restricting water and other fluid intake and being conscious of his urination, for example, being on the look-out of toilet location wherever he goes, urinating before going on long trips outdoors, where he might not have access to loos such as on a long-distance bus journey. These coping strategies further restrict the patient’s quality of life.
Prostate health month, observed in the month of September, is a movement to create awareness of men's health. Intending to provide easily accessible prostate healthwww.whatarelief.in is a digital asset created for patient awareness and education.
Dr Manas Ranjan Pradhan, senior consultant, Kaligna Hospital, says, “It revolves around the home, the office and places nearby the home. During a weekday, apart from commuting to and from office, there seems to be less movement to other places.
Weekends are limited to the home or places near the home. While they do not articulate it, their behaviour reveals that they protect themselves by not straying too far and always remaining accessible to a bathroom. This is especially true for patients who are not being treated. Those who are treated also have a similar lifestyle but are more open and confident to move out of this perimeter should the need arise.”