Swelling of the prostate gland and elevated prostate specific antigen (PSA) are the latest conditions targeted by the pharmaceutical industry in their media blitz advertising campaign. Their goal is clearly to reach the millions of men suffering the dis comfort and dysfunction of benign prostate diseases and to mobilize anxiety about the 30,000 men who die annually from prostate cancer. The awareness of the problem is good – but are drugs and surgery our only – or our wisest – choices?
Let us understand the Prostate Issue and learn the Positive Steps we can take to support prostate health and to prevent prostate disease.
The Cost of Benign Prostatic Hypertrophy (BPH)
Benign (non-cancerous) Prostate Hypertrophy (BPH) alone contributes to over one billion dollars spent annually in pursuit of relief for symptoms of:
- Awakening from sleep to urinating a number of times per night.
- Feeling the bladder is not empty and frequent urination
- Difficulty beginning urination
While these symptoms are inconvenient, embarrassing, and uncomfortable they are not immediately life threatening like heart attack or stroke.
What Is Benign Prostate Hypertrophy (BPH)?
BPH is simply prostate gland swelling which is commonly related to an inflammation and/or infection of the lower urinary tract and prostate. This swelling leads to in complete emptying of the bladder while increasing the risk of urinary tract infection. This vicious cycle of – swelling – urinary retention – infection – swelling –causes a worsening of symptoms, sometimes even leading to prostate cancer.
Understanding PSA and Its Role in Prostate Health
Prostate Specific Antigen – PSA
PSA is a protein that increases in the blood of men with various conditions of the prostate, including hypertrophy, inflammation, infection, and cancer. It is NOT a specific indicator of cancer, merely an indicator of it tissue stress. Fueled by media frenzy and fear of prostate cancer, men often are counseled to aggressively pursue diagnostic studies and treatment of elevated PSA.
But research shows that 85% of the time a man has an increase in PSA it is due to inflammation and infections of the prostate gland that have gone untreated and unsupported healthful choices — not cancer!
Time for Healthful Choices in Daily Life
It is time for healthful choices!
“I get up so many times at night to use the bathroom I feel tired and worn out in the morning!”
“I can’t take long drives anymore without planning frequent rest stops and often.”
“I just drink less water, so I do not have to ‘go’ as often.”
Western Lifestyle and BPH “Men who lead a western lifestyle have a much higher incidence of symptomatic BPH than men who lead a traditional or rural lifestyle.
Treating the Root Causes of BPH
Treating the Causes of Benign Prostate Hypertrophy In order to treat the causes we must understand them; Thus, They are:
- Inflammation
- Infection
- Autoimmune disease Inflammation and Infection.
Unhealthful lifestyle choices lead to impaired immune function that can lead to inflammation and decreased resistance to infection. Incomplete bladder emptying and sexual activity both may lead to bacterial concentrations causing infection of the urinary tract. Over months and years, bladder and prostate tissues stressed in this way could become damaged and result in autoimmune disease.
Preventing BPH with Nutritional Essentials Autoimmune Disease. When the protein component of an injured tissue enters the bloodstream, an antibody-antigen reaction develops against that tissue. If the injured tissue is from the prostate, one may suffer autoimmune attack on the prostate.
Thus, the micro-trauma of infection or inflammation may lead to autoimmune disease and the breakdown in health of the prostate. Preventing BPH with The Nutritional Essentials Preventing problems is always preferred to treatment after the fact. A healthful strategy for prevention of BPH is to follow the Nutritional Essentials Lifestyle. A lifestyle of increased healthful whole foods is known to enhance the health of the entire body, including the prostate.
Let us explore these positive steps together more closely — steps that may reduce or even eliminate the need for medications that sometimes carry significant risks or side effects.