Waking up to go to the bathroom multiple times per night? It’s not because you’re ‘getting old’

(Family Features) It’s a common misconception: the older you get, the more frequently you need to use the bathroom at night. Did you know waking up more than once per night to urinate is a medical condition known as nocturia? Shockingly, 64 percent of American adults do not know.

A recent Harris Poll of more than 2,000 U.S. adults, endorsed by The Simon Foundation for Continence, National Association for Continence (NAFC) and the Prostate Conditions Education Council (PCEC), found that approximately one-third of them suffer from nocturia. Nocturia, which forces individuals to get up more than once per night to urinate, is a leading cause of sleep loss and can put one’s health at risk.

“Before receiving treatment for nocturia, I typically wound up making five trips to the bathroom each night, which I knew wasn’t normal,” said Jack Fagan, a 67-year-old resident of Sewell, NJ. “Treatment has made a noticeable impact on my quality of sleep. I find myself more refreshed and have the energy to enjoy time with family and friends.”

Most people living with nocturia (72 percent) reported they are negatively impacted by the condition at night; 43 percent of whom have trouble falling back to sleep, 12 percent indicated they wake up their partners and 10 percent expressed nervousness about tripping or falling while walking to the bathroom. The impact of nocturia-induced sleep loss can be wide-ranging, affecting physical and mental health. Sixty-one percent of nocturia sufferers experience daytime issues as a result of nighttime urination, including: drowsiness, irritability and reduced productivity and concentration.

Sixty-six percent of nocturia sufferers surveyed have never discussed their symptoms with a healthcare professional; half of respondents reported they thought it was a normal part of aging, and 27 percent believed nothing could be done to remedy the problem.

“We see patients who have suffered with nocturia for many years, as it slowly progresses from getting up twice to over four times per night to urinate,” said Roger Dmochowski, M.D., a nocturia sufferer and professor within the department of urologic surgery at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. “In my personal and professional experience, nocturia can have serious implications for an individual’s emotional state and daily life, due to sleep disruption, if not diagnosed and treated. Up until recently, we didn’t have effective treatments.”

For more information on nocturia, visit www.whatisnocturia.com, or  www.simonfoundation.org/nocturia.

The Harris Poll survey was funded by Avadel Pharmaceuticals and Serenity Pharmaceuticals.

Photo courtesy of Getty Images

Treatment Options for Men with Enlarged Prostate

(Family Features) If you’re a male over the age of 45, chances are you may be suffering from a condition more common than prostate cancer – benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). More commonly known as enlarged prostate, BPH can cause bothersome urinary symptoms that can worsen with age. In fact, nearly 40 million men in the United States are affected by enlarged prostate, according to research published in the “Journal of Urology.”

During Men’s Health Month, consider these steps from the experts at NeoTract, Inc., manufacturer of the UroLift System, for alleviating enlarged prostate symptoms:

Signs You Should See a Urologist

An enlarged prostate obstructs the bladder opening and can lead to a myriad of bothersome urinary symptoms. Symptoms of BPH include frequent urination, a weak or slow urine stream, incomplete bladder emptying, difficulty or delay in starting urination and a urine stream that stops and starts. It’s important to see a physician if any of these problems arise or persist.

Enlarged prostate can also cause loss of productivity and sleep and, in some cases, can lead to depression. According to a survey sponsored by NeoTract, one of the most common symptoms of BPH – interrupted sleep – is also impacting men’s partners. Sixty-four percent of women surveyed who were affected by their partners' BPH symptoms said it impacts their sleep, too.

Traditional Treatment Options

Medication is often the first-line therapy for enlarged prostate, but relief can be inadequate and temporary. Some patients may suffer uncomfortable side effects from the medications, including dizziness, headaches and sexual dysfunction, which can prompt them to quit using the drugs.

“Medical and surgical treatments for BPH ranging from medications to surgery have been used for decades with varying degrees of success and side effects,” said Dr. David O. Sussman, DO, FACOS. “Medications can be helpful in relieving symptoms for some men, but patients must continue taking them long-term to maintain the effects.”

The classic alternative for patients who opt against medication is surgery that cuts, heats or removes prostate tissue to open the blocked urethra. Sussman said surgical options such as transurethral resection of the prostate or photovaporization of the prostate are usually effective. However, these options typically require general anesthesia, overnight hospitalization and post-operative catheterization. Surgery can also increase the risk of erectile dysfunction or loss of ejaculation.

An Alternative Treatment Method

Another option for men looking to relieve their BPH symptoms without undergoing major surgery or taking long-term BPH medications is the UroLift System treatment, a minimally invasive procedure that takes less than an hour and doesn’t require any cutting, heating or removal of prostate tissue.

A urologist uses the device to lift and move the enlarged prostate tissue out of the way so it no longer blocks the urethra (the passageway that urine flows through). Tiny implants are then used to hold the tissue in place, leaving an unobstructed pathway for urine to flow through normally.

Most common side effects are mild-to-moderate and include pain or burning with urination, blood in urine, pelvic pain, urgent need to urinate or the inability to control the urge. The procedure has a low catheter rate and most symptoms resolve within 2-4 weeks after the procedure.

To learn more, visit UroLift.com .

Photo courtesy of Getty Images (Man at the doctors)