[Kok! Health] 'Jeonlipseonbidaejung' Lowering Men's Quality of Life: Symptoms and Treatments?

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Gwan-joo] A representative disease that lowers the 'quality of life' for middle-aged men is benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). Despite frequent trips to the bathroom, urination is not satisfying; rather, it becomes difficult to urinate, and a feeling of residual urine is experienced after urination.

BPH is a condition in which the prostate surrounding the urethra enlarges, compressing the urethra and causing various urinary symptoms. According to the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service, about 95% of all BPH patients last year were aged 50 or older.

If urination is difficult, you should suspect it

BPH interferes with the basic physiological function of urination, affecting social life and lowering quality of life. Typical symptoms include weak urine stream and unsatisfactory urination symptoms, storage symptoms such as frequent urination due to inability to store urine well, and post-urination symptoms such as urine leakage into underwear even after finishing urination. If you experience these symptoms, you should suspect BPH.

If BPH is suspected, it is necessary to receive an accurate diagnosis before treatment. The presence of the disease can be confirmed through digital rectal examination, which involves directly touching the prostate, as well as prostate ultrasound, uroflowmetry, and post-void residual ultrasound. If BPH is confirmed through testing, early treatment is important. Sometimes BPH is neglected because it is a benign disease that does not threaten life, but if left untreated, it can lead to bladder dysfunction, decreased kidney function, urinary tract infections, bladder stones, and hematuria.

Treatment methods vary depending on the timing

Treatment methods for BPH can be broadly divided into medication and surgical therapy. Medication improves symptoms of urethral compression caused by prostate enlargement and suppresses the secretion of the DHT hormone, reducing the prostate size to 20-30% of its original size.

However, for severe or advanced BPH patients who are difficult to treat with medication, surgical therapy is necessary. Transurethral surgery is performed under lower body anesthesia to eliminate pain and involves removing part of the prostate blocking the urethra. Since it directly removes the problematic prostate, it is an excellent treatment method in terms of effectiveness.

Dr. Kim Jong-won, a urology specialist at H Plus Yangji Hospital, said, “Since BPH commonly occurs in men after middle age, it is most important to receive treatment before symptoms worsen. Regular check-ups should be conducted for consistent management, and when suspicious symptoms such as discomfort in using the bathroom appear, you should visit a specialist for accurate examination and treatment.”