Diagnosing BPH:

The procedures needed for an accurate diagnosis of benign prostatic hyperplasia are usually left to a urologist, a doctor who specializes in problems of the urinary tract and male reproductive system. There are a number of tests that can be conducted to determine the severity and extent of your condition. The most common tests are listed below. However, it is important to note that there are more specific tests that can be done to check for prostate enlargement. As well, testing procedures are determined by the urologist and will vary from individual to individual.

• Urine Flow Study: Patients will be asked to urinate into a special device. This will provide data that is used to evaluate the rate at which urine flows.
  
  
• Rectal Ultrasound: This type of ultrasound is conducted when prostate cancer is suspected. The echo patterns emitted from the probe returns patterns of sound waves which form an image of the prostate gland on a display monitor.
  
  
• Cytoscopy: A cytoscope, or tube that contains a lens and light system (inserted into the opening of the urethra), shows the health of urethra and bladder by displaying a real-time picture. The doctor is able to determine the size of the prostate gland and locate the area of obstruction.
  
  
• Digital Rectal Exam: This test is considered standard when assessing prostate enlargement. It is commonly the first test that is performed. During this procedure your physician will insert a gloved finger into the rectal cavity and will feel the part of the prostate closest to the rectum. This provides the doctor with the approximate size of the gland, and will give him an idea of the prostate's current condition.
  
  
• Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) Test: PSA tests are used to rule out infection (prostatitis) and cancer as a possible cause for urinary symptoms. PSA is the protein produced by the prostate's cells, as elevated levels of this protein are witnessed in both BPH and prostate cancer patients. In fact, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration recommends both the digital rectal exam and PSA testing for detection of cancer in men over the age of 50. However, because it is difficult to discriminate cancer from benign prostate conditions, specialists will usually only implement PSA tests to find elevations that are abnormal, rather than differentiate between the two conditions.
  
  
• International Prostate Symptoms Score: The International Prostate Symptoms Score, or IPSS, this test, unlike laboratory or other objective tests, is based on the patients personal experience. Prostate conditions are rated on the basis of severity. The higher the score, the more severe the condition. Other indexing systems, including the Symptom Problem Index (SPI) and the BPH Impact Index (BII), are often used in conjunction with the IPSS to guage different quality-of-life and disease issues resulting from the condition.

Conventional Treatments for Enlarged Prostate:

Conventional treatments for BPH are dependant upon a number of factors, namely, urine flow, prostate inflammation, prostate size, and PSA levels. In addition, the IPSS is used by numerous physicians as a means to determine condition severity and individual treatment options. Men over the age of 50 are more likely to need treatment for symptom management. That being said, mild prostate enlargement is often treated with "watchful waiting." "Watchful waiting" involves lifestyle changes and annual examinations after an initial examination has shown that there are no other underlying prostate disorders. 

Moderate symptom management usually encompasses the use of prescription medications to ease the discomfort of the enlarged prostate. There are two common types of medication used: alpha-blockers and anti-androgens (e.g finasteride). Most men are administered alpha-blockers. It is estimated that 40% of men suffering from what they deem as moderate symptoms will seek prescription drug treatments.

Patients with scores indicated the severest of symptoms almost always seek treatment. Again, prescription medications are the primary choice. However, nearly a quarter of all men who present severe symptoms opt, or need, surgery. There are many choices with surgical procedures to ease prostate discomfort. The standard procedure (90% of cases), however, remains a transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP). During this procedure, the surgeon uses a resectoscope to remove any obstructing tissue. The pieces of tissue are carried by fluid to the bladder where it is then flushed out at the end of the 90 minute operation. 

Avistate is Your non-invasive option for prostate health and BPH symptom management:

Despite the advances is conventional prostate treatments, four out of ten men require invasive surgical procedures for symptom relief. Additionally, the recovery time for these procedures is months. Many men also have resounding effects in areas of sexual functioning and pleasure during intercourse. Finally, what many patients fail to realize, is that BPH surgeries leave much of the prostate intact; therefore BPH can still be possible in patients even though surgery and the healing process has been completed.

Avistate is a non-invasive prostate support formula that has been designed to support current prostate health and lessen the many discomforting symptoms associated with prostate enlargement. Research has shown that diet plays an integral role in the maintenance and promotion of prostate health. In fact, nutritional supplementation with amino acids and saw palmetto has been shown to diminish the harmful effects of 5-alpha-reductase on the prostate. Avistate not only contains saw palmetto, but other key nutrients that have been clinically proven to promote prostate function and lessen the severity of BPH. Avistate's unique, synergistic prostate formula includes:

• Serenoa repens (Saw Palmetto): Saw palmetto is an effective treatment for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). Several clinical studies have shown significant improvement in lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) like frequent urination, painful urination, hesitancy, urgency, and perineal heaviness. It also decreases nocturia, improves peak and mean urinary flow, and lowers residual urine volume in patients with BPH.
  
  
• Pygeum africanum (Pygeum bark): A review of current studies on pygeum for BPH suggests that this botanical medicine is also an effective and safe treatment, improving both urological symptoms and measurements of flow.
  
  
• Urtica dioica (Nettle root): Urtica is another safe and effective herbal treatment for BPH. It may work through an antiproliferative effect on prostatic cells and may also lessen the effects of androgenic hormones by competitively blocking access to human sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG).
  
  
• Isoflavones (soy extract): Epidemiological studies show that diets higher in soy products are associated with reduced risk and progression of prostate cancer and prostatitis, or inflammation of the prostate gland. The isoflavone, genistien, appears to be involved in the pathogenesis of BPH and prostate cancer.
  
  
• Lycopene: Lycopene is beneficial for both prevention and treatment of prostate cancer. Men who consume 6 mg per day or more of lycopene from foods such as tomatoes and tomato products seem to have a significantly reduced risk of developing prostate cancer.
  
  
• Selenium:  Serum levels of selenium appear to be lower in patients with conditions of the prostate.