Have you ever heard of Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia; this enlargement of the prostate is afflicting a large male population of the world and if it’s not treated it can cause a lot of problems with other organs that are directly related with the enlarged prostate.

The ethnicity of the males has a lot to do with the enlargement of the gland. African males are the most prone to develop this disorder of the reproductive system by genetic, however don't rule out other ethnic groups. The least affected males are Orientals, I wonder if eating more fish has a reverse effect.

The Prostate is a walnut size gland located in the groin area of a male’s reproductive system. The Prostate is in front of the rectum and below the bladder and it surrounds the urethra. Its basic function is to push the semen through the urethra and out the males’ penis when having an orgasm during intercourse.

It is common for the prostate gland to become enlarged as a man grows older and restricts or completely blocks the flow of urine. BPH shouldn’t start developing until males reach the age of sixty or seventy, however it may start in some males as early as the age of thirty, however they don’t notice until they get to the age of forty when the signs and symptoms worsen.

What causes BPH; the Doctors suspect that Androgens (Andropause) is the word for male Menopause) which is another word for testosterone hormones. The male gets older there is less testosterone produced and estrogens (which is stress hormones) takes over and it sets off the growth tissue in the prostate gland and promotes enlargement. Another theory focuses on Dihydrotestosterone (DHT) a substance derived from testosterone in the prostate, which may help control its growth, however the lack of it can cause enlargement.

The signs and symptoms are very noticeable when the enlargement starts; the urgency to urinate becomes more frequent, and it takes longer to start the urine flow and the bladder doesn’t completely void itself of all the urine. The pressure in the urine stream is very minimal and there’s a pain at the neck of the bladder and the prostate gland. When the pressure flow has reduced and the bladder is near empty the remainder of the urine dribbles out for several seconds’ even minutes.

Frequent urination at nighttime when trying to sleep is a big concern for most men; as frequent as two to five times in an eight-hour span, you don’t get much sleep. An erection is still possible; however, when you ejaculate it can cause a slight discomfort in the bladder and prostate area and lose the pleasure of feeling the orgasm. Some men notice a decline in the short duration of intercourse due to the sensitive nature when achieving an orgasm. This is very uncomfortable for BHP sufferers and this can often turn the male off from wanting to have sex with their partner.

There are well-known prescription drugs on the market and many of the BPH population are taking Alpha-blockers such as tamsulosin (Flomax) and finasteride (Proscar). The drugs react differently on certain people or they don't work at all or there is drug induced side effect; see your Urologist for the right combination or dosage of prescriptions. There are invasive surgical procedures to get the urine flow moving freely through the prostate, however it sounds like torture.

Hey! Good news, new technology is being developed called; Prostatic Artery Embolization (PAE) it is a non-invasive procedure that shrinks the prostate to a youthful size, like you once had. A clinical study was conducted on the PAE procedure; it reduces the blood flow to the gland and the results were amazing the gland was reducing in size. The PAE procedure can reduce the need for further invasive surgery.

To summarize; you know what BHP is and where it is located and that males are the only sex that can get this disorder of the enlarged prostate. The cause is not very well known, however the doctor’s suspect the loss of androgens in the body that promotes growth or enlargement of the prostate. When the enlarged prostate starts occurring in your late thirties early forties it weighs on the well being of your sexual relationship with your sex partner.

You may want to do your own research and seek out feedback on the surgical procedures. The new PAE non-invasive procedure is performed in hospitals in twenty-five different countries around the world, it seems like a risk free alternative for the relief of having a normal prostate and is free of BPH for the rest of your life; look into it.