Bangalore: A seventy-two-year old man Sanaj Nambiar (name changed) from Calicut was in immense pain due to enlarged prostate for over a decade. He was going through severe difficulties including pain while urinating, difficulty in walking and imbalance due to urinary urgency and frequent urination in the night. The problem made it difficult for Nambiar to carry out basic and normal activities of life. After years of suffering, Nambiar’s family finally decided to consult a doctor and today he is leading a perfectly normal life.
Older adults frequently suffer from urologic problems specific to their age group. This can be a result of normal physiological changes associated with aging, or due to interactions of other underlying health conditions such as diabetes, heart and lung problems, or difficulties with walking and mobility.
“Urological problems are rapidly becoming an alarming issue among st men between the ages of 45 and 75.Nearly 50% of all men have enlarged prostate by the age of 60. 50%of those will have some symptoms related to prostate. The prostate gradually increases in size and if left untreated, results in several problems such as difficulty in urination, incomplete bladder emptying, possible infection and kidney damage,” said Dr Manohar T, Consultant Urologist, Columbia Asia Referral Hospital, Yeshwanthpur (CARHY)
In a country like India, very often people suffering from urological problems choose to keep silent till the last minute. Little do these people know that if these issues are not resolved at the earliest, it can lead to chronic retention of urine with added damage to the bladder function and might land up in kidney damage.
Hence it is very important to be aware of the risk factors and symptoms such as poor urine flow, increased frequency of urination, dribbling of urine, urgency, retention of urine, abdomen pain, pain while urinating, blood in urine, passing of stone in urine, swelling in legs/face, blood/red colored urine, pre – existing kidney diseases, diabetic & hypertensive patients.
“Many men will experience prostate enlargement as they get older, some to the point that it will cause urination problems. Men who have bothersome urinary symptoms need to understand what is considered healthy and normal in terms of bladder health and should be proactive about talking to their doctors in order to get a proper diagnosis and to find the right approach for treatment, “added Dr Manohar, the only surgeon in the whole of South India who has the skills and the necessary expertise to conduct surgeries through latest technology. He has got experience to treat kidney stones, various cancers and prostate diseases through the latest LASER technologies.