Benefits of Acupuncture for Enlarged Prostate. Image courtesy of Praisaeng at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
QUESTION: Does acupuncture help an enlarged prostate? If not, what are some of the best things out there to help cure an enlarged prostate (medications, herbal remedies, etc?)
ANSWER: Hi,
Nowadays, there are a lot of remedies which are able to reduce the symptoms of enlarged prostate. Acupuncture is one of the possible choices, but the result is not observed in every patients.
According to a study, only 75% of the patients above 50 are feeling improvement caused by the acupuncture. One of the possible theories about this fact is the size of the prostate gland.
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According to this theory, the patients with very large prostate gland are not obtaining the needed result. However, you have to know that this theory is not approved and besides this, the accurate size and weight of the prostate gland is not established.
The other more traditional way for reducing the symptoms of enlarged prostate is the use of medications. You have to know that these medications are only prescribed by your doctor due to their effect on the cardio-vascular system.
There are two major types of drugs which are used for the enlarged prostate treatment. These drugs are alpha-blockers and 5-alpha reductase inhibitors.
The alpha blockers are causing the relaxation of the muscles in the prostate. This relaxation is causing the improvement of the urine flow, which prevents the urine retention.
The 5-alpha reductase inhibitors are lowering the synthesis of certain molecules in the prostate, which caused the reduction of the size of the prostate gland.
Besides this, there is a surgical treatment of enlarged prostate. There are several operations and some of them are open prostatectomy, TUNA, TUPR and others.
The aim of these operations is to reduce the size of the prostate gland and to reducing the risk of the urine retention of the eventual infection development.
During the open prostatectomy the Murologist cuts off you prostate gland, when thru the abdomen. During TUNA (trans-urethral needle ablation) and TURP (trans-urethral prostate resection) the urologist is removing a part of your prostate gland thru the urethral.
You don’t have to worry about pain, because all the surgical procedures are executed during spinal or general anesthesia.
You have to know that all the doctors prefer TUNA and TURP, because of the lees traumatism and you are not supposed to stay in hospital for more than 2-3 days.
However, in some cases TUNA and TUPR are not possible, because of general medical condition and the size of the prostate, then the open prostatectomy is estimated. After the open prostatectomy you have to stay in hospital for about a week.
Besides this, there are several exercises which you have to execute, every time when you urinate. These exercises are known as Kegel exercises and they are really improving the urine flow.
There are several sets which are appropriate for every person and they are very simple. The major idea of these exercises is the constriction of the muscles responsible for the urination process.
Saw Palmetto is small palm which is containing substances similar to the 5-alpha reductase inhibitors. Because of this fact they can reduce the symptoms of the prostate enlargement.
You have to know that you are not supposed to make of tea of Saw Palmetto’s leafs because these substances are fat-soluble and they are not working when they are dissolved in water.
There are statements which are claiming that the bark of Pygeum is containing anti-inflammatory substances. These substances are able to make you prostate smaller by reducing the inflammatory processes, caused by infections.
As you probably know there are bacteria in the urethra which are living normally in there. The urination is cleaning these bacteria and during the prostate enlargement, the urinary retention is preventing this.
All the best!
Dr.Alba
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