His health affects you too.

Understand. Communicate. Support. Take action

You live with BPH too.

BPH is also a partner's or spouse's issue too. Why? If your partner has BPH, you feel it too. You might be losing sleep due to his frequent bathroom trips at night. Maybe you are unable to take long trips with your partner because of his BPH symptoms. Maybe you can’t go to the theater or a sports event because he’s worried about embarrassing leakage or a sudden need to use the bathroom in public places. And maybe it’s affecting your sex life.3

BPH is a common, treatable condition that occurs in the vast majority of men sooner or later as they age. But left untreated, symptoms of BPH can worsen significantly and lead to complications such as urinary tract infections, bladder and kidney damage, or incontinence.2 Early diagnosis and treatment can help prevent this from happening.

And even though BPH is not related to cancer, many of the symptoms of BPH are similar to those of more serious conditions such as prostate cancer. So it is important to have your partner talk to a doctor about his BPH symptoms.

But most men with BPH symptoms wait years before seeing a doctor.10 There are many reasons for this reluctance:10

He may be embarrassed to discuss urinary problems with a doctor
He may assume that urinary symptoms are just a natural part of the aging process and that there’s nothing to be done
He may have heard about complications of BPH surgery from friends or family
He may have had previous unpleasant reactions to older medical treatments for BPH
He may be unaware of currently available treatments for BPH

So don’t just stand BY your man. Stand UP for his health and your peace of mind.

Learn all you can about BPH, its diagnosis, and treatment
Pay attention to symptoms in your loved one
Start the conversation with him, even if it’s difficult
Get him to see that he owes it to himself and to you to seek medical care. Help him prepare so he can feel more in control of the process. Offer to go with him to the doctor. It helps to have another person to listen and ask questions
Understand how BPH treatment may affect his sexual function and be prepared to help work through those changes with him

Learn about treatment options for BPH

References

Fenter TC, Naslund MJ, Shah MB, et al. The cost of treating the 10 most prevalent diseases in men 50 years of age or older. Am J Manag Care. 2006;12(4 suppl):S90-S98
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. Prostate enlargement: benign prostatic hyperplasia. NIH Publication No. 07-3012. June 2006.
Shvartzman P, Borkan JM, Stoliar L, et al. Second-hand prostatism: effects of prostatic symptoms on spouses’ quality of life, daily routines and family relationships. Family Pract. 2001;18:610-613.
American Urological Association. AUA guideline on management of benign prostatic hyperplasia (2003). Chapter 1: Diagnosis and treatment recommendations. J Urol. 2003;170:530-547
Nickel JC. Comparison of clinical trials with finasteride and dutasteride. Rev Urol. 2004;6 Suppl 9:S31-9
Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH): A Patient’s Guide. Available at: http://www.auanet.org/content/guidelines-and-quality-care/clinical-guidelines/patient-guides/bph_guide_2003.pdf. Accessed February 4, 2009.
Brawer MK. A multicenter study on the efficacy and safety of interstitial laser coagulation versus α-blockade in subjects with symptomatic benign prostatic hyperplasia: preliminary results. Rev Urol. 2005;7(suppl 9):S29-S33.
Medline Plus Medical Encyclopedia from NIH: Enlarged Prostate. Available at: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000381.htm. Accessed March 5, 2009.
Moriyama N, Nasu K, Takeuchi T, et al. Quantification and distribution of a1-adrenoceptor subtype mRNAs in human vas deferens: comparison with those of epididymal and pelvic portions. Br J Pharmacol. 1997;122:1009-1014.
Kuritzky L. A primary care physician’s perspective on benign prostatic hyperplasia. Rev Urol. 2003;5(suppl 5):S42-S48.
Wolters R, et al: Lower urinary tract symptoms: social influence is more important than symptoms in seeking medical care. BJU Int. 2002;90:655–661.
Rosen RC, Giuliano F, Cason CC. Sexual dysfunction and lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) associated with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). Eur Urol 2005;47:824–837.
Ponholzer A, Madersbacher S. Lower urinary tract symptoms and erectile dysfunction; Links for diagnosis, management and treatment. Int J Impot Res. 2007;19:544-550.
National Institute on Aging: Talking With Your Doctor. Available at: http://www.nia.nih.gov/HealthInformation/Publications/TalkingWithYourDoctor/. Accessed March 5, 2009.
de Mey C, Michel MC, McEwen J, Moreland T. A double-blind comparison of terazosin and tamsulosin on their differential effects on ambulatory blood pressure and nocturnal orthostatic stress testing. Eur Urol. 1998;33(5):481-8.
http://www.dictionary.com
Atlas of Human Anatomy, Frank H. Netter, MD, Ciba-Geigy Corporation, Summit, NJ, 1989.

Talking to your doctor

It may help you to fill out the American Urological Association BPH Symptom Score Questionnaire.

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