Men urged not to ignore any changes in their waterworks (From Southend Standard)

Men urged not to ignore any changes in their waterworks

4:00pm Wednesday 2nd December 2009

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MEN are being urged not to ignore changes to the way their bladders work.

The warning is part of a campaign to raise awareness of a condition which affects more than a third of men aged over 50.

It is estimated more than 19,000 men in south Essex suffer from benign prostatic hyperplasia, a non-cancerous enlargement of the prostate gland.

The condition can cause a range of unpleasant symptoms, including frequent night-time waking to pass urine, running to the toilet, incontinence and difficulty urinating. It can also lead to irritability, anxiety and loss of sex drive.

If untreated, it can lead to more serious conditions, such as kidney and bladder problems, leading to hospital treatment.

Amanda McLean, chief executive of Prostate UK, the charity running the campaign, said: “Our mission is to stop prostate disease ruining lives. Awareness of BPH is very low, despite the fact it’s such a prevalent condition.

“It is currently under-diagnosed and under-treated in the UK. We want to change that.

“Men need to know urinary symptoms don’t have to be part and parcel of getting older. They can put their embarrassment to one side and get medical help to improve their lives.”

The charity estimates treating BPH when it has progressed to more serious conditions costs the NHS more than £111million a year.

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