BPE Testing and Treatment
If you're having problems urinating, talk to
your doctor. He may order some of the following
tests to see if BPH has affected your bladder
or kidneys and to rule out cancer as a cause of
your symptoms. Urodynamic studies refer to a group
of studies designed to test how well your bladder
fills and stores urine and how well it empties.
The prostate specific antigen (PSA) test is a
blood-screening test for prostate cancer. While
BPH does not cause cancer, some men can have BPH
and cancer at the same time. It's important to
remember that the PSA test is not perfect. Some
men receive false- positive PSA test results showing
they have cancer when they don't. Others will
receive a false-negative showing no cancer when
they actually do have it. For that reason, not
all doctors agree that PSA tests are helpful.
Because each man with BPH is different, you and
your doctor should discuss if this test is right
for you. Your doctor may recommend additional
procedures, depending upon your situation.
Do You Need Treatment?
If you have BPH, it doesn't necessarily need
to be treated. You may have BPH and never experience
any symptoms. If your symptoms are mild, you may
not need treatment right away. And you may fall
into the one-third of men whose mild symptoms
go away without treatment.
Your BPH needs to be treated only if your urinary
tract has been damaged, is in danger of being
damaged, or your symptoms are severe enough to
bother you.
When deciding whether you need treatment, talk
to your doctor. You also need to ask yourself
a few questions:
- Do my symptoms keep me from doing the things
I enjoy?
- Do I want treatment now?
- What are the risks? Do I understand them?
Am I willing to accept those risks in order
to get rid of my symptoms?
Once you've decided to be treated for your BPH,
you'll have a number of options available to you,
including monitoring, medication or surgery.
Each treatment has its own benefits and risks.
Talk to your doctor about which treatment is best
for you, and ask these questions:
- What is this treatment's success rate?
- How much better will I feel after this treatment?
- What are this treatment's risks? What are
my chances of experiencing adverse side effects?
- How long will this treatment work?
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