Enlarged prostate gland: what to do?

Depends on why that bad boy is enlarged (prostatitis, cancer, infection etc)

If infection, you will get antibiotics which are largely ineffective. Eventually it will shrink on its own. Basically waking up a few times at night is not a game changer. You will learn to live with it.

You need to do a PSA test, preferably with a urologist. Normal numbers are around 1 to 4. Above 4 is elevated and possible indication of problems.

At your age getting up 2 to 3 times per night is fairly common. Go to a urologist for full answer.

You need to do a PSA test, preferably with a urologist. Normal numbers are around 1 to 4. Above 4 is elevated and possible indication of problems.

At your age getting up 2 to 3 times per night is fairly common. Go to a urologist for full answer.

SoonI'llNeedAWheelbarrow wrote:

I'm 53 and in great health as far as I can tell: ripped and lean, I only run a tiny bit now, but I walk, swim, stretch, and strength train. Yet I awake a few times each night to urinate and am at or even past the age of the onset of an enlarged prostate gland that most men experience. What is the best way to deal with an enlarged prostate gland?

Not to be patronizing, but to fix a problem, you have to first know what the root of the problem--the REAL problem--IS. From the info above, the reason you believe you have an enlarged prostate is because you are having difficulty urinating, esp. at night, and are at an age when many men experience prostate-related "issues". If this is all you know at this time, the next step is to figure out why you are experiencing this. Make an appointment with your primary care physician or a urologist...

Get a PSA test. I was a few years younger than you, and my PSA rose from 3,9 to 5.1.

Biopsy found two tumors in gland, though not malignant I had full prostate surgery to remove gland.

Thirty years later I have not had a problem, and no urination difficulties.

Get the PSA.

vincent44 wrote:

Get a PSA test. I was a few years younger than you, and my PSA rose from 3,9 to 5.1.

Biopsy found two tumors in gland, though not malignant I had full prostate surgery to remove gland.

Thirty years later I have not had a problem, and no urination difficulties.

Get the PSA.

Times have changed and medical opinion re: the efficacy of the PSA in addition to having your prostate removed are not as common, thankfully, as in the past. Tread carefully as an enlarged prostate and even prostate cancer can be managed very differently.

The medical community is slowly turning against P.S.A. screening. Last year, The New England Journal of Medicine published results from the two largest studies of the screening procedure, one in Europe and one in the United States. The results from the American study show that over a period of 7 to 10 years, screening did not reduce the death rate in men 55 and over.

The European study showed a small decline in death rates, but also found that 48 men would need to be treated to save one life. That’s 47 men who, in all likelihood, can no longer function sexually or stay out of the bathroom for long.

Numerous early screening proponents, including Thomas Stamey, a well-known Stanford University urologist, have come out against routine testing; last month, the American Cancer Society urged more caution in using the test. The American College of Preventive Medicine also concluded that there was insufficient evidence to recommend routine screening.

Prostate cancer may get a lot of press, but consider the numbers: American men have a 16 percent lifetime chance of receiving a diagnosis of prostate cancer, but only a 3 percent chance of dying from it. That’s because the majority of prostate cancers grow slowly. In other words, men lucky enough to reach old age are much more likely to die with prostate cancer than to die of it.

Probably you should see a doctor.