Treatment for Enlarged Prostate


You and your doctor will work together to develop a treatment plan to help reduce symptoms and prevent complications. This plan will likely include one or more of the following:


Watchful waiting—This is when you meet regularly with your doctor to keep an eye on changes in the size of your prostate. This is an option for mild symptoms that don’t bother you.


Medicines—This is the most common treatment if your symptoms are affecting your life. There are two types of medicines:


• Alpha blockers—These relax the prostate muscles and bladder to improve urine flow. They help relieve symptoms, but don’t shrink your prostate.


• 5-Alpha-reductase inhibitors (5-ARIs)—These block the hormone that causes your prostate to grow. They help relieve symptoms by shrinking your prostate.


Your doctor may also suggest you take both medicines at once. Often, this is more effective than taking one alone.


6 |HealthyAdvice.com (continued on p. 8)


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