The Best Homeopathic Treatments for BPH

BPH, or benign prostatic hypertrophy, is a common condition among men over 50. If you have been diagnosed with BPH, your health care provider has probably told you about both drug and surgical options to relieve its symptoms. However, homeopathic treatments, when used under a health care provider's supervision, can also relieve the symptoms of BPH without the side effects of drugs or the danger of surgery.

What is BPH?

• While often confused with prostate cancer, BPH is not considered a terminal or serious condition. The symptoms are nonetheless painful and worsen your quality of life.

  BPH results when the cells of the prostate gland overmultiply, causing a an enlarged prostate. The enlarged prostate in turn constricts the urethra, making it difficult to urinate and empty the bladder.

  Among BPH's symptoms: difficulty in passing or beginning to pass urine, a weak urine stream, straining to pass urine, feeling of bladder fullness, urgent need to pass urine, and waking up several times a night to urinate.

  If the bladder, urinary tract or kidneys do not fully empty, serious infection can occur, which is the most dangerous result of BPH.

Medical treatment of BPH

• Although BPH can affect your quality of life, it is a condition that most health care providers choose to monitor rather than treat unless it is resulting in bladder, kidney or urinary tract infections.

  When BPH causes other health problems, various pharmaceutical drugs are recommended, including alpha blockers. Other treatments include surgery, laser surgery and catheterization.

Homeopathic Treatments for BPH

• Many people choose homeopathic treatment of BPH in order to avoid taking drugs with a long list of side effects, or surgery that can be dangerous.

  Among the homeopathic treatments for BPH, the most often cited is saw palmetto. An herbal remedy, saw palmetto has been clinically shown to reduce the symptoms of BPH, with no known drug interactions and minimal side effects, the most common being gastrointestinal complaints.

  Pygeum is another herbal remedy shown to lessen symptoms of BPH. With few known drug interactions and few side effects, pygeum, like saw palmetto and serenoa, is a homeopathic treatment for BPH that is growing in popularity.

  As with any homeopathic treatment, it is always recommended that you discuss your interest in using these remedies with your health care provider, who can assist you in deciding whether or not these remedies are right for your medical condition.