Men, Don't Ignore Symptoms of Enlarged Prostate

Friday, July 30, 2004

ROCHESTER, Minn. — Men, if you're trudging to the bathroom four or five times a night, it might be more than an inconvenience.

With age, many men develop an enlarged prostate. Symptoms such as frequent urination or difficulty starting urination may seem like nuisances you can tolerate. But if left untreated too long, an enlarged prostate can damage your bladder muscle and your kidneys.

The August issue of Mayo Clinic Health Letter recommends that men see their doctor sooner rather than later — before damage becomes irreversible.

Prostate enlargement affects about half of men in their 60s and close to 80 percent of those between ages 70 and 90. A range of treatment options include medication and minimally invasive therapies to reduce the size of the prostate. Surgery is typically reserved for more severe problems.

Mayo Clinic in Rochester — Lisa Lucier
507-284-5005 (days)
507-284-2511 (evenings)
email: newsbureau@mayo.edu

Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville — Erik Kaldor
904-953-2299
Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale — Anne Tewksbury
480-301-436

Mayo Clinic Health Letter is an eight-page monthly newsletter of reliable, accurate and practical information on today's health and medical news. To subscribe, please call toll free 800-333-9037, extension 9PR1.

###

To obtain the latest news releases from Mayo Clinic, go to www.mayoclinic.org/news. MayoClinic.com is available as a resource for your health stories.