The prostate is an organ that below the bladder which surrounds part of the urethra. Its normal size is the one of a golf ball. One of its functions is to maintain with life the spermatozoa in reproductive stage, but it does not perform any function in man's capacity to have sexual relations.
By effects of age and dihydrotestosterone -a waste byproduct of testosterone- originates the growth of the gland which, as it grows, compresses the urethra causing two types of symptoms: obstructive symptoms and irritation symptoms. The benign growth of the prostate appears in approximately 50% of the men between the ages of 50 to 59 years, and in more than 80% of those males older than 80 years.
Systemic Medicine offers therapeutic preventive and curative effects, which do not produce indirect effects. It represents a valid option vis-à-vis synthetic treatments, because it uses herbal products that diminish the size of the prostate, obtaining the improvement of symptoms and quality of life avoiding surgeries that in many cases are unnecessary.
Symptoms:
Only half of the patients with BPH have some symptoms, such as:
Nycturia (necessity to urinate 2 times or more at night).
Increased urinary frequency, with mictional urgency.
Urinary Incontinence.
Decrease of the urinary torrent force, post-mictional dripping.
Acute urination retention.
Delayed beginning of miction, intermittence and incomplete drained sensation.
Diagnosis:
Not all patients with the above described symptoms undergo prostate growth; therefore, it is necessary to discard other pathologies that also produce them, such as: Diabetes, prostatitis, prostate or bladder cancer, vesicle or urethral stenosis, neurogenic bladder and others. Also, it is important to discard the adverse effects of medicines that aggravate urinary symptoms, such as: anti-allergic, anti-flu and diuretics.
In order to know the size, surface and symmetry of the prostate it's required to practice the rectal tact. The tact is not specific for this condition; therefore there could be BPH with a normal rectal tact, because it underestimates the size of the prostate, since during the examination the peri-urethral zone cannot be felt.
The prostate specific antigen (PSA) is high in 30 to 50% of the cases, with values between 4 and 10 ng. This is not specific either, inasmuch as PSA also rises due to prostate cancer or cases of prostatitis, vesicles and recent sexual relations.
In order to improve the specificity of the examination the free PSA is used that has a smaller proportion in patients with cancer. When using free PSA over total PSA relation, the difference is more significant. Smaller than 15% values suggests' prostate cancer.
Tran-rectal echosonogram is not essential before making a careful delay or when applying medical therapeutic and is only considered before surgery.
Treatment : The goal of the treatment is to reduce the symptoms, the complications, and the necessity of surgery. According to severity of the symptoms the therapeutic modality is chosen.
1) Constant Monitoring: it is used in patients with slight to moderate symptoms, in which active therapy is not indicated, singled-out clinical parameters are watched and general measures like reducing the ingestion of alcohol and caffeine and avoiding drinking liquids when lying down are suggested.
2) Synthetic Treatment: adrenergic blocking and inhibitors of dihydrotestosterone formation are used. Nevertheless, these drugs can produce indirect effect of importance, such as: arterial hypotension, vertigo, ejaculation problems and impotence or diminution of libido. They do not have anti-tumor like effects nor do they delay the advance of the disease. Surgery is reserved in the cases of an elevated risk of obstruction, but may produce incontinence, erectile dysfunction and ejaculation issues.
The systemic treatment is based on increasing the levels of energy of the patient, using energy adaptogens, improving the corporal regulating mechanisms (biological Intelligence) and improving the structure and prostate function, by means of adaptogens such as Serenoa repens and Pygeum africanum, that blocks the production of dihydrotestosterone and relaxes the area musculature, therefore alleviating the symptoms, while at the same time they improve the quality of life of the patient, and avoid the use of drugs with potential indirect effect.
