Why is it important to better manage stress to ease BPH symptoms? To improve your quality of life. It’s easy to understand how the symptoms of an enlarged prostate or BPH can cause stress. Having an urgent need to find a bathroom at work, while traveling or when you’re on a golf course or on the road is stressful. Having to get up four or five times during the night can lead to poor sleep, which also adds to your stress. So what to do? Let’s take a closer look at this situation.

Can stress cause BPH and associated symptoms?

The short answer is no. But the longer version says stress can make symptoms worse. And that’s what several studies have shown.

For example, a study of 83 men with BPH enrolled in the Medical Therapy of Prostatic Symptoms (MTOPS) clinical trial found in 2005 that men who had experienced recent stress had more difficulty emptying their bladder than men who did not have stress. The most stressed men had the most severe BPH symptoms.

It may come as no surprise then, that another study published in July 2020 in the Journal of Endourology found that men experienced higher levels of anxiety as their BPH symptoms worsened.

This makes stress management another way to help relieve symptoms of BPH. Here are some simple tips that can be easily incorporated into daily life to relieve stress and help avoid the adrenaline rush that can make BPH symptoms worse.

Relax

Stress, nervousness, and tension can make your symptoms worse and may increase your need to urinate, which in turn will increase your stress and anxiety levels. Instead, try to relax to break this cycle. Reduce stress with breathing exercises and other stress-reduction techniques that will help you deal with the problem instead of worrying about it.

Keep moving

Exercise is a proven stress reliever. According to the Anxiety & Depression Association of America, regular aerobic exercise can help lower blood pressure, improve sleep, and elevate your mood. And it doesn’t have to be long – even five minutes of exercise a day can help reduce anxiety.

Make your bladder happy

Avoid putting too much pressure on your bladder to reduce your BPH symptoms. Simple actions can help you avoid irritating your bladder and pelvic muscles to improve your lower urinary tract symptoms.

• Take the time to empty your bladder completely when you urinate. If you have difficulty, try the technique of double urination (take a moment after you are finished and try to urinate again).
• Do not wait. Delaying urination and waiting until the “last minute” can make urination more difficult.
• Do Kegel exercises. Strengthening the muscles around your bladder will help improve bladder control.

Adopt healthy habits

For men with BPH, there are several ways that can help relieve symptoms throughout the day. These may include avoiding drinking fluids a few hours before bedtime, avoiding caffeine, and not holding your urine for too long.

Be proactive about the health of your prostate and bladder

Although BPH symptoms do not require treatment for everyone, it is still important to see your doctor to stay as healthy as possible.

If your BPH symptoms worsen or start to affect your daily life, it is important to meet with a medical expert who can help you determine the best treatment for you.

Take the time to visit each of our pages on this website, as well as our YouTube channel, in order to get familiar with the disease with our expert lectures, our section on available resources, the support that is offered to you.

Do you have any questions or concerns? Above all, do not hesitate. Contact us at 1 855 899-2873 to discuss with a nurse specializing in uro-oncology. It’s simple and free, like all our services.

Pages of our site that might interest you
Want to know more? Just click on the link below.
Prostate diseases
Complementary and alternative medicine

PROCURE news that may interest you
Each week, we publish a blog article. Here are a few for you.
Blood in the urine – what does that mean exactly?
Worried about your symptoms? When to consult!
My bladder is full and I am no longer urinating!

Written by PROCURE. © All rights reserved – 2021