By David Ndirangu
Worth Noting:
- Research has shown that BPH is extremely common in middle aged and elderly men. It affects about 50% of men at the age of 60 and about 90% for those over 85 years but how to prevent it from occurring is still not known. The experts have however agreed that BPH is a normal physiological process of aging most likely caused by hormonal changes as one gets older.
- Some common symptoms of enlarged prostate include; dripping of urine at the end of urinating, inability to urinate – that is having a slowed or delayed start of the urinary stream, incomplete emptying of the bladder (urinary retention)
When I was in Kiriti Primary School, somewhere around standard four to five, there was this very fascinating game us boys used to play. In the school that time, the urinal for all the boys was a section of ground next to a live fence (hedge) that was the boundary between the school compound and one Karweni’s farm.
The urinal had three sides surrounded by mabati (iron sheets) but the fourth side was the hedge and just after the hedge was a paddock where Karweni’s cows used to graze. The floor was made of hard core stones packed a bit loose to allow the urine to seep through into the earth. So we used to compete to find who would shoot the susu (urine) furthest. Of course some of the boys were sharp shooters. After setting the correct angle and gathering enough velocity, they were able to get it over the fairly tall fence and right into Karweni’s paddock.
These were the celebrated pace setters.
A few years ago, my medic brother called Kamondoori was advising me that all men above 40 years should practise the above game once in a while albeit with a bit of improvements, as a self-test for enlarged prostate. The prostate is a gland that surrounds the urethra i.e. the tube through which urine passes out of the body. Enlarged prostate also called Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH) therefore means that the prostate gland has grown bigger. BPH is not cancerous and is not known to increase the risk of prostate cancer.
Research has shown that BPH is extremely common in middle aged and elderly men. It affects about 50% of men at the age of 60 and about 90% for those over 85 years but how to prevent it from occurring is still not known. The experts have however agreed that BPH is a normal physiological process of aging most likely caused by hormonal changes as one gets older.
Some common symptoms of enlarged prostate include; dripping of urine at the end of urinating, inability to urinate – that is having a slowed or delayed start of the urinary stream, incomplete emptying of the bladder (urinary retention), failure to hold urine or urine accidentally leaking (incontinence), feeling the need to urinate two or more times per night, experiencing pain during urination or passing bloody urine (indicating an infection), getting a strong and sudden urge to urinate and attaining only a weak urine stream when you finally visit the ‘gents’.
Most men mildly affected by enlarged prostate are able to go about their normal activities of daily living and may not need to seek medical attention unless the symptoms become overly uncomfortable or in case of infection. In order to prevent the BPH condition from escalating to those extreme levels one should; maintain a healthy weight, increase the amount and variety of vegetables in your diet, reduce eating of red meat, exercise regularly and is possible as guided by a trained professional, increase intake of water and other healthy fluids, manage stress and stop smoking.
We can now revisit the self-test game. In place of Karweni’s hedge, these days we have proper urinals with tiled walls or some other bowl like receptacles. This time it is self-competition in the sense that the old boy need not compete with any other. So the idea is to aim at a particular point and release. If the urine stream hits below the target spot, there is possibility that BPH has commenced and is compressing the urethra. If upon subsequent self-tests the urine stream keeps hitting lower and lower below target, then there is need to be concerned. However, should the urine stream miss the target spot and instead drop on your shoes, it indicates a serious case and that it is time to seek medical attention without delay.
David Ndirangu BSc. International Business Administration (USIU- A) CPA (K). Business Management Consultant and Author of the book; This is DAVE. Email: ndirangudavid2023@gmail.com
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