Stem cell therapy and Benign prostatic hyperplasia

Stem Cell Therapy

Benign prostatic hyperplasia can be described as a condition in which the prostate gland is enlarged. This disease is more predominant in older adults, most people above the age of 50. Prostate enlargement is not cancerous, so there are no chances of it migrating to other parts of the body. Some of the symptoms of this disease include increased urine urgency, more frequent nocturnal urination, problems urinating, urine dribbling, and inability to empty the bladder. The exact cause of benign prostatic hyperplasia is not known yet, however, there are some factors that can increase the development of the disease. Some of the factors that contribute to the development of this disease include overweight and obesity, erectile dysfunction, sedentary lifestyle and so on. Also, it has been discovered that stem cells might play a role in the growth of a tumor. Some of the medications that are used for the treatment of this disease, which includes calcium channel blockers, anticholinergic often makes the symptoms worse. The disease is diagnosed based on the presenting symptoms. An important way of treating this disease is modifying one’s lifestyle. Engaging in more physical activities, such as frequent jogging, or working out in the gym, swimming reduces the risk of having the disease and also improves the symptoms. In addition, losing some weight, and reducing the consumption of caffeine also makes the prognosis better.

What are the signs and symptoms of Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia?

The signs and symptoms of this disease largely depend on the severity of the disease. However, the symptoms of this disease typically get worse as time goes on. Below are some of the signs and symptoms of Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia;

Increased urination urgency: People with an enlarged prostate gland tend to have an increased urge to urinate.
Surge in the urination frequency: Benign prostatic hyperplasia patients tend to urinate more than normal. This is one of the symptoms to be seen.
Problems initiating urination: Patients often have a hard time starting urination. Although they might have the urge to urinate, it becomes difficult to bring the urine out.
Problems emptying the bladder: People affected by benign prostatic hyperplasia find it difficult totally emptying their bladder. In addition to this, they might also experience dribbling, especially at the end of urination.
Poor urine stream: They might also experience a sudden stop in the stream of their urine, then it continues, and then stops again. This is predominant in people affected by this condition.
Involuntary nocturnal micturition: Patients might experience urine incontinence at night. There often occur as a urine leak, after a sudden urge to urinate.

Some of the signs and symptoms that are not usually seen include the following;

The infection of the urinary tract.
Difficulty in urination.
Hematuria: This means the presence of blood in the urine.

It’s important to know that the severity of the symptoms is not directly connected to the size of the prostate gland. There have been cases, where people with large sized prostate gland display mild symptoms, on the other hand, people with small sized enlargement of the prostate glands, sometimes do display serious symptoms.

What Are The Causes Of Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia?

There are many causes of benign prostatic hyperplasia, however, there are 3 main causes that have been identified and well described. They include hormones, diet, and degeneration.

Hormones: The male sex hormones have been identified as one of the factors that cause the growth and abnormal enlargement of the prostate gland. The hormones do not directly cause this enlargement, but they have to be present for it to occur. An evidence of this theory is that castrated men do not develop benign prostatic hyperplasia.
Diet: It has also been observed that diet plays a huge role in the development of benign prostatic hyperplasia. According to a study carried out in China, it was observed that people who consumed a high amount of protein food, have more chances of developing this condition. As an illustration, it was discovered that men living in rural areas, had a low occurrence of benign prostatic hyperplasia. This can be attributed to the low amount of protein they consume, as compared to the heavy protein diet men in the urban areas consume. This is one of the reasons why this condition is more predominant in cities than in rural areas.
Degeneration of the tissues: This disease is age-related. There is a study that has shown that benign prostatic hyperplasia might be a result of the fibrosis and the weakening of the prostatic tissues. The tissues of the prostate gland are useful for the gland to function effectively.

There are other causes of benign prostatic hyperplasia other than the ones above. They are;

Cancer of either the prostate gland or the bladder.
Renal and bladder stones
Infection of the urinary tract
Prostatitis
Problems with the nerves that control the bladder

What Are The Risk Factors Of Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia?

Age: This disease occurs more in older adults. Although it starts in most people at age 40, the majority of the cases starts presenting with symptoms at around the age of 50. So age has a direct connection with the condition. The older you become, the more the chances of having benign prostatic hyperplasia.
Diabetes and cardiovascular diseases: Studies have shown that metabolic diseases such as obesity and other heart-related diseases tend to increase to increase the risk of having benign prostatic hyperplasia.

How Is Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia Currently Treated?

There are many types of treatment for this medical condition. However, the treatment method your physician would choose depends on the factors surrounding the disease, such as age, size of the prostate and so on. Medications such as alpha blockers, combination drug therapy are often used. In addition, surgery might be suggested if the size of the gland is really big.