‘Prostate issues manageable with timely diagnosis and treatment’

Once males reach the age of 50, their prostate gland starts enlarging and tend to cause problems in urination, often resulting in acute urinary retention that may lead to serious kidney problems, urologists and surgeons said at a press conference on Thursday.

“Enlargement of prostate gland is like the graying of our hair. For some, the process starts in their 40s, while others undergo the change in their 50s, 60s or even 70s. However, on average, about half of males above 50 years old complain of problems related to urination, which is due to Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH), a condition where prostate gland gets enlarged,” explained Dr Salman El-Khalid, a urologist associated with the Kidney Center, at the conference held at the Karachi Press Club (KPC).

Accompanied by Dr Aziz Abdullah, a surgeon at Liaquat National Hospital (LNH), Dr Salman said that problems of prostate gland often result in bothersome urinary symptoms and highlighted shame or shyness as a core reason why men do not visit their urologists for treatment at an early stage.

“If detected early, this condition, BPH, can be diagnosed with simple medical tests and can be treated with simple drugs available in the city. But if left untreated, it may evolve into a very painful ailment that eventually requires surgery for effective treatment,” said Dr Salman.

Dr Aziz Abdullah, who heads the urology department at LNH, said BPH was a serious health issue that calls for timely detection and treatment, warning that delaying medical check could lead to complicated problems that make surgery imperative.

He stressed the need for creating awareness about the prostate gland problems, stating that only with better information could we be able to convince people to seek timely treatment options that could stave off the need for surgeries.

To a query, both urologists said another problem related to the prostate gland was cancer, which displays symptoms similar to BPH. “Due to our people’s hesitance to visit doctors for prostate related problems, the risk of letting the cancer spread is much too high.”

“Through a simple blood test, known as PSA, prostate gland cancer can be detected and, if diagnosed at an early stage, it can be treated without any major problem,” Dr Salman said.

The medical experts urged the print and electronic media to play their due role in highlighting the matter and to create awareness regarding prostate issues. “The people of Pakistan must learn to take this issue seriously and we have to convince them that there is no shame in visiting their doctors when facing urination problems.”