Can't Sleep? - Better Check To See If You Have an An Enlarged Prostate

Prostate enlargement is a condition called Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH), and is very common among men over the age of 40. The prostate is a small walnut shaped gland that surrounds the urethra. It is responsible for secreting fluid that is released with sperm. The prostate gland is located around the urethra between the pubic bone and the rectum, just below the bladder.

Because the prostate surrounds the urethra, its enlargement causes a compression of the urethra. This compression of the urethra can impede the flow of urine in the bladder causing acute urinary retention. Acute urinary retention is the backup of urine in the bladder and urethra. This symptom of prostate enlargement causes frequent urination in the sufferer of prostate enlargement.

Frequent urination, is often times a cause of loss of sleep for many men suffering from prostate enlargement. When the prostate is enlarged, it becomes hard for the bladder to empty completely or even pass urine. This is what contributes to frequent urination. A sufferer of prostate enlargement can awaken several times during the night to urinate. Prostate enlargement causes loss of sleep and is disruptive during the night. Nighttime urinary frequency is a very troubling symptom of prostate enlargement because it causes the sufferer to loose sleep. Loss of sleep, however, is only one troubling symptom of prostate enlargement.

There is really no known prevention for prostate enlargement because it is a natural occurrence for most men over the age of 40. Although there is no known prevention of prostate disease, there are steps you can take to maintain a healthy prostate. A healthy diet combined with a healthy lifestyle can help in maintaining a healthy prostate. Living well is one of the simplest things that you can do to help prevent prostate enlargement and the troubles of frequent nighttime urination.

There a number of natural and medical treatments, that can be used to treat prostate enlargement. If sleep becomes severely deprived because of frequent urination, you should seek medical treatment. Although sleep deprivation can be troublesome to men suffering from prostate enlargement, it is only one symptom of this condition.

Other symptoms of prostate enlargement are:

Frequent urination (especially at night)

A hesitant, weak or interrupted stream when urinating

Feeling of urgency, leaking or dribbling (after urinating)

Delayed onset of urinary stream

Straining to urinate

Inability to urinate

Bloody urine

Pain with urination, ejaculation and bowel movement


If frequent urination at night is becoming very troublesome there are two types of drugs that can help. If you visit a doctor and are diagnosed with prostate enlargement. You may be given alpha-blockers. Alpha-blockers are drugs that relax the muscles that contract the prostate gland and the neck of the bladder. This makes it possible for the urine to flow freely. The alpha-blockers Doxazosin and Terazosin were originally developed as a treatment for high blood pressure. Men suffering with an enlarged prostate must start with low doses of these drugs. The reason for this is that these are blood pressure medications, and may make you dizzy from excessively low blood pressure. Another alpha-blocker, Tamsulosin (Flomax), is helpful in treating an enlarged prostate while avoiding excessive low blood pressure in patients.

Another drug used to treat prostate enlargement is known as Finasteride (Proscar). Finasteride actually shrinks the prostate gland about 20 percent. This drug reduces the risk of an increase o severity in symptoms of an enlarged prostate.

Use of these types of drugs is usually together. The use of alpha-blockers and Finasteride helps prevent and delay the progression of enlarged prostate symptoms.

For more great info on the prostate gland visit http://www.prostatecancertruths.com a website offering tips, advice and resources on topics such as prostate cancer diagnostic tests, prostate cancer diet and even natural prostate cancer treatment options plus so much more.