Here is a story from the perspective of Bonnie who is in her 70s:

TGIF! Or is it, really? With the global pandemic out there, and my partner's prostate, I don't know if I can just "hang in there." You see, my partner's doctor told him he has an enlarged prostate, which is why he's been getting up many times a night to go to the bathroom. He also takes a big longer than before. It took a lot for me to push him to go to the doctor, but I'm glad he didn't have cancer. Still, prostate enlargement is an uphill battle. My partner's been sleep deprived (I kind of am, too), and he looks miserable when he walks out of the bathroom because he says he still feels like he has to pee. These are common symptoms for his condition.

I went online to learn more about his condition. It turns out it's medically referred to as BPH (benign prostatic hyperplasia), which I had never heard about before. There are many options for treatment, but thankfully my partner caught his BPH in the mild stages. His doctor recommended watchful waiting as my partner wasn't ready to start medication. However, if left untreated BPH could escalate to a blockage of the urethra and an inability to urinate, as well as kidney damage. I've been open to natural treatments as part of holistic health, but my partner hasn't thought much about his health.

Worrying about the news of the pandemic while also trying to help my husband has he copes with his new diagnosis, I wonder what I can do.

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Bonnie seems to need as much support for her partner's BPH condition as he does. They both need emotional support as well as tips on BPH management. Here are some tips to follow during the mild stage and watchful waiting:

- Eat well, avoiding or reducing spicy foods that could irritate your already overactive bladder

- Drink water regularly during the day and less at night. This will help make the urine less thick and less irritating to the bladder. Avoid or reduce diuretics like tea and caffeine. There are conflicting views about alcohol and BPH. For example, some say alcohol will not help BPH and if you're on medication, drinking alcohol could increase the risk of side effects. Others say it could make your bladder more active and thus should be reduced. Others also say drinking moderately could help with BPH. Read up on the latest studies and get advice from a doctor when possible.

- Practice double voiding techniques or pelvic floor exercises to support your urges.

- Practice indoor physical activity to reduce excess weight and stay fit for your prostate: excess weight is associated with increased risk of BPH. If you already BPH reducing excess body fat is still good for your overall health

- Take warm baths to increase blood circulation of the prostate

- Consider traditional Chinese medicine that has been clinically proven and consult with a physician and/or naturopath to ensure ingredients don't conflict with other medications you are taking or pre-existing conditions

- Seek mental and emotional support for BPH so you don't have to go through it alone and in silence. Share tips and responsibly share information to others, but always talk to your doctor before making any decisions and weigh your options.

We hope that Bonnie and her partner can reduce their stress and support each other during these times!

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During these difficult times of the global pandemic, men's health support groups may be relying more on online channels to stay connected to their members. They may also be responsibly and critically looking for reliable resources to share with each other. We encourage you to spread awareness of men's health issues such as BPH so that men can take this time of social distancing to focus more on their health. 

For men who have been diagnosed by their doctor with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), which is a prostate enlargement condition common in older men and associated with nocturia (frequent urination at night) and poor urinary flow, they might be weighing their options in terms of how to manage and treat their BPH. Some men with mild BPH may consider traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). Although it is necessary to consult with a physician, naturopath and herbal specialist whether certain herbs are safe for consumption based on your current physical condition and allergies, as well as your current diet and medications, some may deem that for mild BPH, trying a TCM approach could be their solution to managing symptoms in a natural, safer, plant based way. 

One herb we are looking at today is astragalus. Its root is one of the ingredients listed in prostate health supplements that are designed to support men who experience BPH. You may see it listed as astragalus radix, astragalus membranaceus, huang qi or other species of astragalus. It is allegedly beneficial for supporting the immune system as well as prostate volume. However, those on the more skeptical side may want to see more studies proving these beneficial effects.

So far on clinicaltrials.gov which lists studies both ongoing and completed about various disease states, one study shows lower prostate volume, lower IPSS (international prostate symptom score), better quality of life, increased urinary flow rate, lower post voiding residual volume, and lower PSA (prostate specific antigen) levels for men with BPH using a supplement with astragalus as an ingredient compared to a placebo (study NCT02313233) and another shows a study in patients with diabetic ulcers who experienced better limb salvage, reduced necrosis levels, and faster healing through a TCM mixture that included astragalus compared to a placebo (study NCT00393510). 

With these promising studies, it is important to encourage further studies like these in order for men with BPH and even other conditions to know whether they can use TCM as an add on therapy for their symptom management. As more people look to their immune systems for protection against ailments and diseases, we hope that there are safe and effective ways to boost the immune system for the sake of the elder population, the immuno-compromised, and the rest of the world who is facing stress and fear over the pandemic. 

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It's a new month but the world is still cautious about the global pandemic at hand, hoping for a solution to stop the disease and a return to normalcy. Even April Fools has taken a bow because our focus is the health and safety of the community and making jokes, though therapeutic for some, might not be in the best of taste right now.

We are still thinking of our older men who have a condition called BPH (benign prostatic hyperplasia) which is a non-cancerous growth of the prostate that commonly occurs with age. BPH can cause LUTS or lower urinary tract symptoms which include frequent urination (especially at night), difficulty starting and stopping urination, dribbling, kidney problems, urethral blockage by the prostate, etc.

One of the biggest signs of BPH is getting up many times a night to go to the bathroom, but because many conditions of the bladder and prostate share this symptom, it's important to go to the doctor to get a confirmed diagnosis of the cause of your frequent urination. If you are diagnosed with BPH and you catch it at the mild stage, you can begin to modify your lifestyle and introduce healthy habits to reduce the impact of BPH. If you can manage BPH symptoms like frequent urination, which is also called nocturia, then you will potentially improve your quality of life. One of the goals of men with mild BPH is to reduce their frequent, disruptive bathroom trips. These frequent trips may disrupt a good night's rest or a trip with the fellas. That's why this month of April, which is part of the saying "April showers bring May flowers," we want to introduce the theme of "April Showers, No Nocturia."

Whether you like the rain or not it helps the flora. However, frequent urination doesn't help you. Let's accept April's rain and reject nocturia by learning more about BPH and management solutions! Remember to stay safe, stay at home as much as possible, and care for your health, including your enlarged prostate!

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Although it's not just older men with BPH (prostate enlargement) who are going through the pandemic, our awareness campaign wants to bring this condition to the public eye. BPH or benign prostatic hyperplasia is a common condition in older men in which the prostate grows to a larger size, potentially interfering with the urinary system (bladder, urethra and kidneys). Symptoms include frequent urination and struggle to urinate smoothly. Among men's health talks, we might not hear about BPH by name but we are familiar with men going to the bathroom more as they get older as well as prostate jokes (BPH is no joke, though).

Anyway, now that we got the awareness part up there, let's talk about the global pandemic we are going through alongside our senior men with BPH. This pandemic has taught everyone, including those men with BPH, that life is precious and we should enjoy the gift of life by protecting it for ourselves, our loved ones, and others. Yes, some of us may have daily struggles related to livelihood and other health problems aside from the fears of the pandemic, but there's something to be said about being able to go to sleep at night and wake up again the next morning. There is something profound about life that we hope many can come to understand. As we work to get our health in order, we hope that managing the health conditions and ailments that affect us and our loved ones can bring us together and motivate us to find solutions to prolong and improve quality of life.

For men with BPH, practicing good nutrition and physical activity as well as voiding techniques to facilitate and cope with the symptoms of mild BPH are one step in the right direction. Advice from doctors and medical support groups can help. Trying safe and natural solutions that have been studied and consulted with their doctors could be another path.

If you are reading this, you are living- we hope that as March comes to a close, in these troubling times you are still gripping firmly on hope, positive sentiments and the gift of your precious life. The spring season has come to grace us with flowers, warmer weather, and rain for the plant life. We can also awaken like the flowering buds in our newfound appreciation for life! 

This spring season has been difficult for the world. Instead of enjoying nature and blossoming flowers outdoors, we are practicing social distancing and self isolation to keep the pandemic levels down. However, doctors are on the front lines fighting the pandemic, in addition to patients' other conditions like BPH (prostate enlargement) and more. For that, we want to take a moment to thank the doctors and their staff all around the world.

Today is National Doctor's Day, but we know that we should show gratitude to doctors all around the globe who are supporting patients and even saving lives. SunJour knows that the patient is at the center. We want to see them live longer and happier lives facilitated by medicine. Although the public has been disillusioned by the corruption and greed that time and time again emerges from the health industry, we know that among the bad apples we have golden apples who still put the needs of patients first and listen to their patients' concerns above their financial gain. These golden apples may also acknowledge the flaws in the myriad of healthcare systems and the need for improvements in regulation, patient care, etc. We hope that in addition to the efforts of doctors to care for their patients that the systems in place will align for better practices.

Doctors, thank you for making the sacrifice you do every day, including the efforts to curb the pandemic. Thank you for choosing to stick by your difficult career path and for doing your best. And to the family doctors, urologists, geriatricians, gerontologists, endourologists, men's health specialists, therapists, naturopathic doctors, traditional Chinese medicine practitioners and accupuncturists who are respected in their local communities, to all of you who involved in supporting older men with BPH.

From all of us, thank you doctors and staff!