Note when using drugs to treat prostate enlargement

Benign prostatic hyperplasia, also known as benign prostatic hyperplasia, is a common disorder in men, and its incidence increases with age, mostly in men > 40 years of age. . This is one of the common benign diseases in middle-aged and elderly men.
When you have an enlarged prostate gland, you may experience a number of symptoms such as difficulty urinating, urinary incontinence, a feeling of incomplete urination, urinary retention, erectile dysfunction, increased risk of urinary tract stones and infections.
Treatments for an enlarged prostate depend on the severity and discomfort of the symptoms.
The main types of treatment include:
Follow-up: If you have the disease but don't cause any symptoms, just follow up. Taking medication for an enlarged prostate. Medications are used to help relieve symptoms and reduce the development of an enlarged prostate. Embolization : In this method, the doctor inserts a catheter and accesses the artery that supplies blood to the hypertrophy and pumps the emboli. Surgery: Surgery can include laparoscopic and open surgery. If left untreated, an enlarged prostate can cause bladder, kidney, and genital problems.

There is no specific drug to treat prostate enlargement to help completely eliminate the enlarged tumor, but the use of drugs is a conservative treatment measure to help reduce disease symptoms and reduce the risk of complications. Some medications for prostate enlargement include:
Alpha blockers This class of drugs is indicated for the treatment of patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) who have moderate to severe symptoms that are abnormal. tell the size of the prostate. Alpha blockers include drugs such as alfuzosin, doxazosin, tamsulosin, and terazosin.
Alpha blockers work to help relieve symptoms by blocking alpha receptors on the smooth muscle of the prostate gland, the prostate urethra, and the smooth muscle in the bladder neck, resulting in decreased muscle tone and decreased swelling. bladder obstruction. All available alpha-blockers are equally effective when taken in appropriate doses, improving urine flow rate hours or days after administration.
Patients are often advised to take alfuzosin, tamsulosin and silodosin with or immediately after meals.
5-alpha reductase inhibitors These drugs are indicated for patients with moderate to severe symptoms along with an enlarged prostate. This class of drugs includes a number of drugs such as Finasteride, dutasteride...
5-alpha reductase inhibitors have also been shown to reduce both dihydrotestosterone (DHT) and PSA serum concentrations. This is a substance that accumulates in the prostate gland when it is enlarged. Reducing this substance helps to limit the increase in prostate volume and helps to improve the maximal urine flow rate, for which the effects of finasteride and dutasteride are similar.
The main difference between these two drugs is that the serum half-life of each is 3 to 16 hours for finasteride and can be as long as 5 weeks for dutasteride.
Phosphodiesterase-5 Inhibitors The most commonly used drug is tadalafil . This class of drugs is commonly used primarily to treat erectile dysfunction. Recently, however, it has also been used to relieve symptoms of the urinary tract. These drugs help relax the smooth muscle in the lower urinary tract, thereby reducing symptoms of difficulty urinating or urinary retention.
Taking Herbal Medicines Herbal medicines have also been used by people with mild to moderate prostatic hypertrophy. Some herbal extracts are extracted from a number of roots, leaves, seeds or some are combined by many different plants such as: Serenoa repens (extracted from American dwarf grass); Hydroxide rooperi (South African star grass); Pygeum africanum (African plum); Urtica dioica et urens (stir sting); Cucurbita pepo (pumpkin seeds).
You can also directly use some herbs such as Crinum latifolium, pumpkin seeds ...
In addition, oriental medicine doctors can examine and depend on each disease to give appropriate oriental medicine. suitable for the patient. For example, a patient with an enlarged prostate caused by kidney damage may be prescribed dialysis.
Using combination of drugs Patients can be prescribed to use a combination of drugs together to increase the effectiveness of treatment. Several clinical drug combinations have shown a synergistic effect of dual action that is superior to monotherapy in improving symptoms as well as reducing clinical progression in men with prostate enlargement. prostate. This combination therapy is recommended in patients with symptoms of moderate to severe prostatic hypertrophy and at risk for rapid disease progression.

To use the drug safely and effectively you need to note the following:
Medicines for prostate enlargement should be used under medical supervision, you absolutely do not self-medicate, do not use according to someone else's prescription, because each person's condition is different. When taking medicine, you need to take it exactly as directed and take it on a regular basis, avoid forgetting or taking more than the prescribed dose. Tell your doctor if you are under treatment about any medications you take that can make your urinary symptoms worse, such as antidepressants or cough and cold medicines (which may contain antibiotics). nasal, caffeine, antihistamines). Alpha-blockers may cause hypotension, which is synergistic with antihypertensive drug action and increases the risk of excessive hypotension. Care should be taken when using combinations. Tell your doctor as soon as possible if you experience any symptoms or side effects that are suspected to be related to the medication. If using herbs or traditional medicine, it is necessary to have the advice and prescription of a traditional medicine doctor. Combined with some lifestyle measures to help relieve symptoms. Lifestyle changes include: Limiting fluid use the night before bed. Do not use with coffee, alcohol, beer and stimulants, because they can irritate the bladder, making the symptoms worse. Do not hold urine: Holding urine for too long can strain the bladder muscles and cause bladder damage, increasing the risk of urinary tract stones. Build a healthy diet: Eat foods rich in fiber such as green vegetables, fruits... limit the use of fried foods, fats... Increase movement: Regular exercise Regular intake may also help reduce the risk of developing symptomatic prostatic hypertrophy. Periodic examination: It is advisable to visit the doctor as directed to monitor the progress of the disease and make appropriate adjustments. Hopefully, with the sharing in the above article, you already know the things to keep in mind when using drugs to treat prostate enlargement. This is a prescription medication, so you should take it only when prescribed and if you have any questions about it, consult your doctor.
Follow Vinmec International General Hospital website to get more health, nutrition and beauty information to protect the health of yourself and your loved ones in your family.