Does an Enlarged Prostate Affect a Man Sexually?
One of the many unfortunate side effects of an enlarged prostate is the potential for sexual problems. An enlarged prostate can reduce a man’s sexual satisfaction and sex drive and cause erectile dysfunction. To make matters worse, some treatment methods can negatively affect sexual function, compounding the problem. The good news? Treatments that do not cause sexual dysfunction are available.
It Can Affect You Sexually, But It Won’t Always
While an enlarged prostate can affect a man sexually, it is important to note that this is not always the case. You may notice:
- Reduced sexual drive
- Reduced sexual satisfaction
- Erectile dysfunction (ED is the inability to get or keep an erection.)
Symptoms and side effects related to urination are much more common than those related to sexual function.
Certain Treatments Can Affect a Man Sexually
Even if you are lucky enough to avoid sexual side effects from your enlarged prostate, there is a chance that your treatment can cause sexual problems. Whether it does depends on the treatment you receive. Some treatment options will not cause adverse sexual effects, while others are more likely to.
As an Effect of Medication
Most interventional radiologists and urologists suggest trying medications before resorting to surgery. These can include alpha-blockers and 5-alpha reductase inhibitors. Unfortunately, many of these medications come with potential side effects, such as:
- Erectile dysfunction
- Lower sperm count
- Reduced libido
As an Effect of Surgery
If the medications don’t work, your doctor may suggest surgery or another invasive procedure to treat the enlarged prostate. Urologic based invasive procedures (i.e. transurethral procedures including TURP, aquablation, Rezum, greenlight laser and Urolift) will typically have a significant risk of adverse effects on your sexual health.
Cialis As a Potential Treatment for Enlarged Prostates
If you are concerned about an enlarged prostate affecting your sexual health, there is some good news regarding treatments. Although alpha-blockers and 5-alpha reductase inhibitors are still more common, Cialis is one of the medications that can treat an enlarged prostate. As most people know, Cialis is also used to treat erectile dysfunction. Cialis can treat both the enlarged prostate and the sexual side effects of the condition at the same time. Unfortunately, Cialis usually provides only partial relief of symptoms, and usually on people who only have mild or moderate symptoms to begin with.
PAE Doesn’t Have Sexual Side Effects
Prostate artery embolization (PAE) is a minimally invasive, safe, and effective procedure that does not affect your sexual performance. Even better, with PAE, you can engage in sexual activity just a few days after the procedure, making PAE the preferred first-line solution for patients who want to treat their enlarged prostate quickly with minimal side effects and downtime.
PAE: The Least Invasive Yet Effective Choice That Will Not Affect Your Sexual Performance
Why take a chance on any other procedure? You can reduce your risk of sexual side effects and start healing quickly with prostate artery embolization from Prostate Specialists of Miami?
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Frequently Asked Questions
BPH stands for benign prostatic hyperplasia. This is the medical term for an enlarged prostate gland. While enlarged, the gland is not cancerous.
You should seek medical treatment when you start showing signs of BPH. Go to a medical provider immediately if the symptoms are significant. Significant symptoms include blood in the urine, pain in the urinary tract or abdominal area, or painful and frequent urination. You also need to seek immediate medical care if you cannot urinate.
If you don’t seek treatment for BPH, you could develop long-term problems. Because BPH prevents the bladder from fully emptying, you can get urinary tract infections. The condition can also lead to bladder stones, incontinence, and blood in your urine due to an infection. Lastly, urinary retention is a possibility. This occurs when the obstruction is so significant that you cannot urinate.
You can develop a variety of symptoms as a result of an enlarged prostate. First, you might notice that you dribble when you finish urinating. You also might have to get up two or more times in the middle of the night to urinate. It can take longer to start urinating, and the stream might be weak. You also might have to strain to get the urine to come out.
Many men complain of a sudden, overwhelming urge to urinate. Urinating can be painful, and there might be blood in the urine. Eventually, you might become incontinent or lose the ability to urinate.
Dr. Adam Gropper
Dr. Adam Gropper is a board-certified Diagnostic & Interventional Radiologist. Before undertaking his medical training, Dr. Gropper was an engineer at General Dynamics Corporation, working on various projects including cruise missile guidance systems, “Star Wars” strategic defense simulations, and others. He is a lifelong “techie,” and has always been an early adopter and innovator of new technologies in treating vascular problems with minimally invasive approaches.
Dr. Gropper received his M.D. from Emory University, where he also completed his residency and fellowship training in Vascular & Interventional Radiology. He has been practicing in Florida since 1999. He has served as an Associate Professor at FIU Medical School and recently retired from his position as Chief of Radiology at Jackson North Medical Center after 10 years of service.
Why Choose Prostate Specialists of Miami?
- PAE is the least invasive option of all BPH treatments.
- PAE is performed in-office under mild sedation.
- With PAE there are no unwanted sexual side effects.
- PAE offers an easy recovery with most patients experiencing an improvement in symptoms within two to four weeks.
- PAE has a high rate of long-term success.
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