This is what men expect as they get older

It is a completely normal biological process that the prostate enlarges as we age. Still, the idea scares many men. In most cases it is unfounded.

An enlarged prostate affects every man at some point. “The prostate begins to grow from the age of 45,” explains Dr. Wolfgang Bühmann, urologist and press spokesman for the Professional Association of German Urologists eV “It cannot be prevented. It is not an illness, but a completely normal process.”

The expert advises that you should accept this change in your body and ask a doctor for advice if you notice the first symptoms and suffer from them. These include, among other things, a frequent urge to urinate, the so-called dribbling after the man has gone to the toilet, and a weakened stream of urine.

There are two medications that can be used to treat an enlarged prostate. On the one hand, these are preparations with the active ingredient finasteride and on the other hand, so-called alpha blockers. “Finasteride shrinks the prostate because the active ingredient inhibits the growth of the gland,” explains the urologist.

“However, it takes up to six months for those affected to feel improvement.” A much more common therapy is the administration of alpha blockers. These ensure that the bladder neck loosens. If this muscle is relaxed, urine flows much better and the bladder can empty completely. The constant urge to urinate subsides.

If the symptoms of an enlarged prostate are accompanied by incontinence, i.e. sudden loss of urine, certain bladder medications can help calm the overstimulated organ. Insoles are also possible aids, says Bühmann. “Unfortunately, pelvic floor training hardly helps at all for men,” he adds.

“It’s hard as a man to try to tense the pelvic floor because you can’t feel it. It’s much easier for women.” The measure of repeatedly stopping one’s urine stream and thereby demanding the bladder sphincter for a few seconds is also not effective enough to experience relief from symptoms in everyday life. The most effective way is to go to the doctor.

The urologist doesn’t think it makes sense to carry out his own experiments: “Doctors are there to help. Just as I take my car to the workshop, I should also take care of my body. If you tinker with your own brakes, you risk crashing into a tree “It’s the same with health,” emphasizes Bühmann.

Every man also experiences potency problems as he gets older. “The good Lord only designed us to last 40 years and with the sole aim of multiplying. Therefore, it is completely normal that desire and penile stiffness decrease as we get older,” says Bühmann. “The wear and tear cannot be avoided. You have to think of it this way: the penis is like a sponge. The elasticity of the cell walls ensures that blood flows into the penis and stores it so that the penis remains stiff. The older the cell walls get , the softer they become. Just like a sponge that becomes wobbly after frequent use.”

The cell walls can only be strengthened to a limited extent: “It’s not that easy, after all, the penis needs a quarter of a liter of blood in a very short time to become stiff,” explains the expert. Viagra is a possible help, but the drug only works if there is enough desire and excitement. And desire also diminishes with age. “Men should become more relaxed about their sexuality and assume that their potency decreases with age,” advises Bühmann. “There are so many other things that enrich life. At some point, sex no longer plays the main role.”