Therapy

When a patient is told that he or she has been diagnosed with an enlarged prostate, they ask themselves what can be done about it. There are a number of different treatment options for prostate enlargement. These depend, among other things, on the severity of the disease and the associated symptoms.

They can be divided into conservative and surgical treatment options. Both herbal and medicinal preparations are used as conservative therapy. If both preparations do not help and the symptoms are so pronounced, then surgery as part of a prostate enlargement should be considered.

However, this is not carried out in the early stages, but as soon as possible after the conservative treatment options have been exhausted. Accompanying and supportive measures can also be included in the therapy. Especially in the early stages, it is possible to wait in a controlled manner and observe the symptoms for some time.

In addition, diuretic drinks such as coffee or green tea and the intake of diuretics should be avoided.By “natural treatment” is understood a conservative therapy using herbal medicines. These remedies are mainly used for mild stages of prostate enlargement. There they can often alleviate the symptoms, at least initially.

The most important role in the treatment of prostate enlargement is played by medicinal pumpkin, saw palmetto and nettle. The pumpkin seeds or pumpkin seeds contain plant hormones, so-called phytosterols, which belong to the steroid group. They possibly counteract a further increase in prostate enlargement.

When nettle is used, parts of the stinging nettle root are mainly used. Stinging nettle leaves, on the other hand, tend to promote urination and have a counterproductive effect on prostate enlargement. The saw palmetto also contains so-called phytosterols.

They are also said to reduce the formation of steroids, more precisely of dihydrotestosterone, and thus counteract further growth of the prostate. Otherwise, the herbal preparations used as part of a natural treatment have no effect on the size of the prostate. If prostate enlargement is at an advanced stage and the use of medication does not lead to any improvement, surgical measures are used.

During surgery, the prostate tissue is removed down to the capsule. However, the capsule itself remains in place. This has the advantage that the enlarged prostate no longer constricts the urethra.

There are various surgical techniques. The standard is currently the so-called “TURP”. Spelled out, this means “transurethral resection of the prostate”.

In this procedure, a surgical instrument is advanced through the urethra to the prostate. The prostate tissue is then removed with the help of a camera and a small wire loop. An electric current flows through the wire loop so that any bleeding can be stopped immediately.

The surgery is also performed under general or local anesthesia as standard. In addition to the general surgical and anaesthetic risks, there are also special risks associated with “TURP”. It can lead to ejaculation disorder. The so-called “TUR syndrome” can also possibly occur. This involves symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, confusion and restlessness, which are caused by the hypotonic irrigation fluid used during the operation.