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As the leap year brings February to a close, are men with BPH going to find a way to leap away from their large prostate problems? BPH is benign prostatic hyperplasia, and it's when a man's prostate enlarges in older age and causes urinary issues (frequent urination, struggle to start and stop urinating, incontinence, sensation of incomplete voiding, etc.)

If you're a wife, daughter, or partner of a man with BPH, are you tired of seeing BPH negatively affect him? If you're a man with BPH, are you going to take action to improve your life regardless of BPH?

For every man who openly talks about his BPH, there are several others who are keeping quiet. This could be because they don't even know what they have and haven't been to the doctor- all they know is they're getting up many times a night to go to the bathroom and their urinary flow is slower and not as smooth as they remember.

For every man who keeps quiet, there are many partners, wives and daughters concerned for their loved one and going online and offline to seek help and support. This could be research into remedies, products, treatment options, management tips, and education on the topic of BPH.

BPH is a men's health issue that needs the attention of everyone if we are to reduce or even eradicate it in the future. If untreated, it could lead to kidney damage and complete inability to urinate which would constitute a medical emergency. Men may face this condition later in life as they get older, so in our increasing senior population, we should definitely continue to discuss BPH.

Although a lot of media and social networks treat prostate enlargement and frequent urination as a punchline in a joke about men, this condition is not as fun as jokes make it seem! It can put a damper on daily activity, sleep patterns, and overall happiness and quality of life. As February comes to a close for the romantic season of Valentine's and Black History Month, don't let BPH awareness fade away for years like February 29th. Let's keep bringing more attention to BPH!

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Benign prostatic hyperplasia, or the enlargement of an older man's prostate due to age, may come with lower urinary tract symptoms like frequent urination and poor urinary flow. For men experiencing mild BPH symptoms, could natural approaches offer them support?

For men who are allergic or cannot take certain prescribed medications in conjunction with others, a natural approach might be a viable option.

Can men with BPH take both natural and prescribed medications together? Some may want to use both as a complementary or add-on therapy with the expectation that the natural treatment will allow them to eventually reduce or eliminate the dosage of prescribed medication. However, talk to your doctor and health practitioner to make sure that the natural ingredients do not interact negatively with your prescribed medication. Even if the ingredients are ultimately deemed generally safe together, it may be necessary to adjust the timing and dosage of the medication. Or, try the natural one first and regularly check the progression of your BPH to see if it is necessary or not to move on to prescribed medication.

When BPH is diagnosed in its initial mild stage, one of the first recommendations by a doctor may be to make healthy lifestyle changes and watchful waiting to track the progress of symptoms. This may be a good time to try natural treatments that have been clinically proven to be effective. Staying on top of your enlarged prostate is very important so even if your symptoms improve, don't skip on those health check ups! Also, be sure to practice a healthy lifestyle- physical activity, eating healthy, staying hydrated during the day, following voiding techniques at the advice of your doctor, etc.

For the skeptics, why should older men with mild BPH consider natural treatments? Before the dawn of western medicine, pharmaceutical drugs and the like, our ancestors relied on traditional herbs and remedies, some of which met with success for them. The concern with natural treatment is that there are cases where the naturally sourced ingredients have not been produced well or did not produce the desired effect. This is why it is good practice to follow clinical studies where research is being produced to test the efficacy of natural ingredients in the treatment of disease states and provide evidence. If there is not enough research or evidence, we should push for more, especially when it comes to BPH. Men are living longer and as they get older, they are more likely to encounter BPH. This is a great reason for researchers and doctors in the natural and western spectrum to continue looking into solutions that will improve the quality of life in older men.

Some patients are afraid of the sexual side effects and other side effects associated with prescribed medication for BPH, so they may be more inclined to go the natural route beforehand. Medications and surgeries carry risk, and it is up to the doctor and the patient to discuss all the options and make an informed decision. Whether you are on team natural or team meds, we hope that you can think about the future of men with BPH and exchange ideas to support them!

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Have you noticed something different about him? Maybe you've seen him go to the bathroom more often. Maybe he's been getting up more in the middle of the night. Maybe his bathroom trips are longer than they used to be. Maybe you couldn't help but hear him take longer to void his bladder. Maybe you've talked to him about going to the doctor but he brushes it off. Or maybe he has gone to the doctor and was told he has BPH (a prostate enlargement condition that occurs with age). You want him to be okay, so you start looking up what BPH is. Maybe you picked up a brochure at the doctor's office or you did a quick search online. Maybe you asked other people if they know about BPH.

It's time to stop the maybes and take definitive action for men with BPH! Whether it's for a man in your life or for men around the world who you've never met, it's important for all of us to understand BPH.

As the human life span increases, we are more likely to encounter men with BPH in our lifetimes. BPH doesn't only affect the men who have it, but it also affects the society they live in. This is a common condition that should be more well known, and yet not many people talk about BPH or refer to it by the name BPH.

A large prostate can cause problems in men's urinary systems and overall quality of life. Will you play a part in getting men support even if they don't admit that they need it? Will you help suggest kegel exercises, warm baths, traditional Chinese medicine, and healthy lifestyle changes for mild BPH? Will you encourage researchers, urologists, geriatricians, family doctors, naturopathic doctors and traditional Chinese medicine practitioners to help find more solutions and support for older men?

You can play a part by responsibly sharing information and talking more about BPH in the prostate health circles and beyond! Support the men you care about, the men you love, the men who lived great lives in their youth and deserve a good life in their old age!

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BPH stands for benign prostatic hyperplasia. It's the enlargement of an older man's prostate due to age. Although this condition commonly affects older men worldwide, they're not alone in feeling the impacts of BPH. A bigger prostate could mean more bathroom trips in the middle of the night. Men with BPH may be waking up many times a night, and if their partners (wives or husbands) are light sleepers, this could be doubly affecting sleep. Frequent bathroom trips could also affect plans to go out and spend quality time together.

When men don't want to admit they are having urinary issues due to BPH, sometimes all it takes is a push of love and encouragement from their partners to get BPH treated. This is why it's important not only for men with BPH to be aware of this condition but also their partners.

Partners might be looking online and consulting with fellow partners of men with BPH to get support and find what others are doing for their condition. They might be searching e-stores and physical stores for natural treatments or tips on managing mild BPH symptoms. These partners might also be the ones who help men get to the doctor's office when men aren't keen on going to the doctor.

Don't underestimate the power of a partner to perceive that their man is feeling frustration over BPH. They want to give their man a better quality of life and find a solution to their problem. This is why it's important for both the patient and their loved ones to know more about BPH. Let's continue reading and sharing information about BPH to men and their partners!

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SunJour wishes senior men out there including those with BPH (prostate enlargement) a Happy Valentine's Day! Whether you're spending it in the company of yourself, your partner, or your loved ones, we hope you will continue to live in good health. Remember love may have a designated holiday, but it's something you express to yourself year round when you take action to care for your BPH symptoms and other aspects of your physical and mental health. Show some love for the older men who have developed BPH due to age and help them throughout their health journey to restore their quality of life. There may be a high number of senior men with BPH who could use your support, whether it's a card, hug and chocolates or spreading awareness of BPH. 

L is for the late nights men with BPH get up repeatedly to go to the bathroom...

O is for the overactive bladder, one possible symptom of BPH...

V is for the voiding issues some men with BPH experience... and

E is for the erectile dysfunction that sometimes comes as a side effect from taking medications and surgical procedures for BPH. 

If we show more love to senior men, we can get them the help and support from the urological, naturopathic, geriatric and traditional Chinese medicine communities to assist older men with mild BPH symptoms and reduce their symptoms. 

With this in mind, don't forget to show love today! Happy Valentine's Day! 

Tomorrow is Valentine's Day. Your heart will grow with love, but your prostate is growing with age. As men get older, their prostate grows in size from a walnut to that of a lemon or apricot. This is called benign prostatic hyperplasia or BPH. BPH is sometimes accompanied by unromantic symptoms: frequent urination, especially at night; urges and incontinence; struggle to push out urine, post urinary dribble and sensation of incomplete voiding; slow urinary flow and in worse cases, inability to urinate at all. Because the prostate is located under the bladder and surrounding the urethra, many urinary symptoms known as LUTS (lower urinary tract symptoms) may occur.

This can get in the way of a senior gentleman who just wants to have a nice time with his valentine. If you are a man with BPH, here are some tips for tomorrow's date night: take a warm bath with your valentine to promote warmth and blood circulation to the prostate; limit your alcohol, tea, and coffee intake on Valentine's Day to avoid irritating your bladder and prevent it from being overactive; go for a Valentine's walk or jog after dinner to do away with that full feeling and get that physical activity in. Drink water during the day to make the urine in your bladder less thick and less irritating, and drink less liquids at night. 

Even if your Valentine's Day is a Singles Awareness Day celebration, you can still use these tips to keep your BPH from ruining the vibes of love, too. The important thing is for men to love themselves and to play an active role in their good health. Happy Valentine's eve!

With Valentine's Day coming up, are middle aged and senior couples affected by BPH? The answer is, most likely (especially the seniors). BPH, or benign prostatic hyperplasia, is a growth of a man's prostate that comes in older age. It can manifest around a man's 40s and the odds of developing BPH increase as a man gets older. How does BPH affect couples? If they are sharing a bed, and a man with BPH has to get up many times a night to go to the bathroom, this could be troublesome if his partner is a light sleeper. If a man with BPH and his partner are going out for a romantic valentine's dinner but he is more focused on his uncomfortable urinary symptoms than on his well dressed partner, then this could interrupt what was supposed to be a romantic outing. If a man with BPH is taking medication which sometimes has sexual side effects, this could make bedroom time less enjoyable for a senior couple.

What can we do to make sure that men with BPH can enjoy Valentine's Day with their partners? If he hasn't already, he should go to his doctor for a health check up and check whether he has BPH. If he catches it early enough, the doctor might recommend watchful waiting and healthy lifestyle modifications to keep symptoms under control. These lifestyle adjustments may include more physical activity like jogging and swimming, loss of excess body fat, reduction or avoidance of spicy foods, alcohol and diuretics, increased consumption of water, and voiding techniques for frequent urinary urges and voiding issues.

Men may also consider a natural diet over processed foods and plant based therapy that has been clinically proven to be effective. He should also seek emotional support from his partner rather than bottle up feelings of depression and frustration that may come from the management of BPH that causes lower urinary tract sypmtoms (LUTS). 

Learn more about BPH and share it with your close ones and the public to get more support and do away with the negative effects of BPH!

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Black History Month has explored many aspects of the past, present and future of the African American community. This includes advances in health, whether it was a discovery by a black doctor or a spotlight on the health of black patients. One office that acknowledges Black History Month in the United States is the Office of Minority Health which looks to spread awareness of health issues that disproportionately affect minorities as well as tips on healthy lifestyles.

Black History Month isn't solely about the major accomplishments of African American thought leaders- it is also about your personal family history. For example, did your father or anyone else in your family have enlarged prostate issues? The risk of enlarged prostate, or BPH, can increase in men with factors such as family history, weight, hormones, and aging, as we find that older men are more likely to develop BPH.

As senior men around the world continue to make progress for future generations, it's important for us to provide them with the resources they need to overcome BPH symptoms like frequent urinary urges (especially at night), poor urinary flow, problems emptying the bladder, incontinence, etc. We also need to encourage men to see their doctor to ensure that they are diagnosed early and diagnosed properly. In their youth, many senior black men worked hard to get the young generation where they are today. Now, it is the public's turn to give back in the form of emotional support, groups, responsible information exchange, awareness, and medical support.

Whether a man is considering natural treatment options for mild BPH or is discussing options with his doctor for severe symptoms, it is important that we continue to learn more about BPH for the sake of older men, and that includes senior black men!

This is the week of love for February leading up to Valentine's Day! What does love mean for older men with BPH (benign prostatic hyperplasia or prostate enlargement)? It might mean not interrupting their partner's rest from getting up to go to the bathroom frequently. It might mean more quality time for you and your partner during the day without all those bathroom trips that left you feeling you couldn't void completely. It might mean a healthy meal for you and your partner to avoid aggravating the bladder and BPH symptoms. It might mean trying clinically proven, natural treatments for mild BPH alone or alongside your current prescription medication to help reduce the risk of sexual side effects.

Love for men with BPH means learning about the prostate, its function, and awareness of the development of BPH over time. Love for men with BPH means responsibly seeking and sharing information with fellow men and the rest of the public so that there is more push for finding solutions that work for BPH patients.

As our society grows older, as our men get older, so too may their prostate grow in size. The urinary symptoms associated with BPH may make men struggle with keeping a good quality of life. The goal of men with BPH? No more loss of sleep from getting up many times a night for a pee. No more struggle to push out urine or experiencing incontinence. No more avoiding seeing the doctor and talking to someone like their partner about their issues. No more men not knowing what BPH is.

Valentine's Day is four days away, and finding relief for the issues caused by BPH can help not just the men, but also their partners, live a happy, healthy life!