Prostate Disease: Dr. Dave Explains

This week in our series exploring common health concerns, Dr. Dave Strobel explains prostate disease, a condition that affects upwards of 50% of men over the age of fifty.

The prostate is an exclusively male gland, located just below the bladder. It is shaped roughly like a donut, with the urethra, which carries urine from the bladder, passing through the hole of the donut. Prostate disease, officially known as benign prostatic hyperplasia or simply BPH, is when the prostate grows over time and begins to constrict on the urethra.

This constriction on the urethra causes a reduced stream of urination and often an inability to fully empty the bladder. This results in men with prostate disease taking longer to relieve their bladder and having to go more frequently. Men with BPH may experience sleep disruption when they need to get out of bed to go the bathroom three or four times in a night, which can increase the risk of injury due to slipping or falling while walking in the dark.

Fortunately, there are treatment options that can help alleviate the pressure on the urethra and allow a more relaxed stream. Surgical intervention is an option if necessary, but there are also options for medications that can be incredibly effective in treating the symptoms in the short term, as well as some natural remedies that can be used to reduce the size of the prostate over time.

For more information on these medications and remedies, please check out our lessons on prostate disease in our learning modules. This video, as well as all our other learning modules, is available to Premium members.

Note: These videos are presented for educational purposes only. Your use of this site does not create a doctor-patient relationship. Specific medical advice is only offered through membership in HELPcare Clinic.

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John Aase

John is part of HELPcare’s content development team and lives with his wife Bella in Plymouth, Minnesota. He is an MFA candidate at Hamline University.