Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH) as a condition is not something alarming for you in terms of your health. Other than trouble urinating, there are not many other physical or health problems that are associated with BPH. However, the effects of an enlarged prostate are far-reaching in terms of your sexual health. BPH, affects your libido, and sexual satisfaction, and even causes erectile dysfunction. 

It can be difficult to cope with these symptoms by yourself because patients often don’t know about this side of BPH. So, let’s take a closer look at how does BPH cause erectile dysfunction, its impact on sexual health, and the possible BPH erectile dysfunction treatment options available today.

How Does BPH Cause Erectile Dysfunction?

BPH does not directly cause Erectile Dysfunction (ED) when you get treated for BPH, the various medications and surgical treatments can cause side effects like ED. Before you get deeper into the issue, you should know that both BPH and Erectile Dysfunction issues are curable with medical treatment. So, now that you know that, let’s learn about how BPH treatments can cause ED.

BPH Medicines & ED

BPH medicines help reduce the size of your enlarged prostate while relieving the pressure it creates over your urethra, which inhibits your ability to urinate properly. How does it do that? These medicines affect the smooth muscles of your prostate and bladder neck, which makes urination easier. However, these medications have a certain side effects, which can make it difficult for you to achieve an erection after continued exposure to these medicines.

The BPH medicines like alpha-blockers and 5-alpha reductase inhibitors are linked directly with causing difficulty in getting an erection. It also affects your libido adversely and can cause difficulty ejaculating. Retrograde ejaculation is another side effect of these medications which causes semen to not come out of the tip of your penis on ejaculation, but rather it goes into your bladder. These side effects can be temporary, which can stop after you stop taking the medicine, or they can have long-standing effects beyond your medication timeline.

To combat this, doctors often use other medicines like Tadalafil which are used to treat ED, but which also can be used in treating the symptoms of BPH. Doctors often will prescribe sildenafil or Cialis alongside your BPH medication to combat the side effects that come from them. However, these medicines together can have certain side effects like low blood pressure, dizziness, and headaches. To combat this, doctors will often prescribe these medicines to be consumed at night, in order to limit the possibility of any harm to the patient due to the lower blood pressure.

BPH Surgeries & ED

BPH surgeries don’t directly cause ED, but if the surgery goes wrong even by a little, it can cause side effects like ED. Even if the surgery doesn’t go wrong, ED can be a side effect of the procedure and can take some time to get over. However, with BPH surgeries, the probability of getting affected by ED is very low if you get your surgery from reputable institutions like MASSH.

BPH surgeries use high-powered lasers to melt the extra prostate tissues that have overgrown. If the prostate has overgrown massively, surgery is used to remove the extra parts of your prostate and take them out of your body using special surgical tools. During the extraction process, if your internal parts are hurt in any way it can cause side effects like ED. How do the insides get hurt from surgery?

These surgeries use lasers, which can have adverse effects on the neighboring tissues of your urinary tract. The collateral damage can cause side effects when the procedure is performed. To counteract this side effect, doctors today use highly directed and guided lasers that do not damage the surrounding tissues at all. As a patient, you should choose to go through the surgery with doctors and institutions that offer surgery through these highly specialized holmium lasers and have experience performing the surgery. This will help you keep the probability of the side effects at bay.

How To Deal With The Risk of ED During BPH Treatment?

There are a few ways you can counter the risk of ED if you have BPH. However, before you learn about the ways, do be sure to always speak with your doctor regarding your concerns before you make a decision about your treatment. If you are concerned about your sexual health, you can relay your concerns to your doctor and they will be able to give you options on how you can get rid of your side effects without hampering your quality of life. With that being said, let’s explore the various ways to deal with the risk of ED during BPH treatment.

Alternative Medicine & Therapy

Alternative medicine is an option that will help you reduce your probability of getting side effects like ED. You can ask your doctor to replace any medication that has side effects with herbal options to reduce the risks. However, herbal medicines can have different potency to treat your condition and it too can have other side effects. So, based on the judgment of your doctor and the severity of your symptoms you can opt for alternative medicine.

In terms of alternative therapy, acupuncture is a popular therapy option that can relieve the symptoms of BPH. While it can’t help reduce the size of your prostate to a great extent, it can help you get over the symptoms like difficulty urinating and frequency. Acupuncture does not have side effects. If you can get over the initial fear of getting the therapy, you will be able to get relief from your symptoms over time. So, this is another option you can explore based on your doctor’s input.

Minimally Invasive Surgery From MASSH

At MASSH, you can go through minimally invasive surgeries for your enlarged prostate. These surgeries are low-risk and have a quick recovery. Our doctors are well-experienced in handling all types of BPH cases and are equipped with the best in-line surgical tools that allow zero-error surgeries. These procedures have a very low possibility of damaging your neighboring tissues as they are highly directed and use the required amount of power to only melt the required tissues. So, getting your surgery done by experienced institutions can also be a way for you to reduce the risk of getting ED post-surgery.

Conclusion

All types of erectile dysfunction cases are treatable. So, even if you get ED as a side effect of your BPH treatment, it can be treated. However, to reduce the risk of any side effects and to keep your physical and sexual health at peak, visit MASSH today. You can also check out their website to learn more about the minimally invasive BPH treatment options.