Cure for Enlarged Prostate

The bark of the Varun plant (Crataeva nurvula) has been used in the traditional forms of Indian medicine such as Ayurveda and Unani medicine for the treatment of kidney stones and enlargement of the prostate. The successful usage of this plant for this treatment has been demonstrated as far back as 1973 by Dr. Deshpande of the Institute of Medical Sciences at Varanasi, India. His research documented the usage of this plant to improve the tone of the bladder in the post-operative treatment of twelve patients who had undergone prostatectomy.

Further research was also carried out by the Central Council for Research in Ayurveda and Siddha in 1985. During the course of this research, powder from the bark of the Varun plant was given to fifty six patients with enlarged prostates. As a control, this treatment was also administered to ten volunteers who did not have any enlargement of the prostate. After six months of administering this treatment it was observed that there was an improvement in the quality of residual urine in the bladders of the test subjects.

At the beginning of the treatment, seventy five per cent of the patients had residual urine of 100-300 ml urine; however by the end of six months, only 50 per cent of the patients had this amount of residual urine. It was also observed that the intensity of the symptoms lessened.

In addition to the Varun plant, there are many other herbs that are used in the treatment of enlarged prostate. The Bergenia ligulata or Pashanbheda, as it is commonly known, is mentioned in the book Medicinal Plants of India published by the Indian Council of Medical Research. Another popular herbal preparation is a decoction of Dolichos biflorus, commonly known as Kulattha.

Even though the recent advances in allopathic medicine in the treatment of renal stones may seem to render these traditional methods of treatment superfluous, it must be kept in mind that these treatments may be out of the reach of many patients. Under such circumstances, further research and development in the herbal treatment of such conditions warrants serious consideration.

Enlarged Prostate

There are several men who suffer from prostate problems at some point or the other, and an enlarged prostate occurs more commonly, as men age. Other terms for an enlarged prostate gland include Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH) as well as Prostatic Hypertrophy. Although this condition can affect anybody, enlarged prostate in young men is not as common as it is in men who are over the age of 40. In fact, more than 50% of the men who are over the age of 60 are likely to have at least a few signs of enlarged prostate. Men who have a family history of this condition are also more likely to suffer from it, as compared to the others. An enlarged prostate gland could block the flow of urine, which in turn could trigger off other bladder problems or could even affect the urinary tract and the kidneys.

Enlarged prostate causes

In most men, the prostate continues to grow for the entire course of their lives. As a result of this, at times, the continued growth could cause the prostate gland to become large enough to block the flow of urine and bring about other adverse symptoms. Most medical health care providers are still not sure of what causes an enlarged prostate. However, there is a theory that as men age, there are changes in the balance of their sex hormones, which could be the main cause for an enlarged prostate.

Enlarged prostate symptoms

The different signs and symptoms of an enlarged prostate may vary, depending on the severity. Given below are some of the common enlarged prostate symptoms:

Difficulty in urinating, especially in the beginning
Dribbling towards the end of urination
Impaired functioning of the kidneys
Inability to empty the bladder
Increase in the urge to urinate
Infections in the urinary tract
Presence of blood in the urine
Stones in the bladder
Weak flow of urine

As soon as any of the signs of enlarged prostate mentioned above become evident, it is important to people to visit a doctor, so that the enlarged prostate treatment can be started without any further delay.

Enlarged prostate treatment

The first step in treating this condition usually includes enlarged prostate medication, such as alpha blockers, 5 alpha reductase inhibitors and combination drug therapy. In case enlarged prostate medication does not seem to be as effective as required, then a doctor could advise a patient to opt for an enlarged prostate surgery. There are several different procedures that could be followed for a surgery and all of them help reduce the size of the prostate. However, there are certain side effects associated with enlarged prostate surgery, which is probably why there are many men who prefer opting for enlarged prostate natural treatment, which include lifestyle and dietary changes. Men who are following an enlarged prostate diet are required to limit their intake of alcohol, caffeine, liquids (just before bedtime) and water pills or diuretics. Getting the adequate amount of exercise and setting up a proper daily schedule can also help alleviate the enlarged prostate symptoms to a great extent.

Submitted on January 16, 2014