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Lifestyle and home remedies
By Mayo Clinic staffMaking some lifestyle changes can often help control the symptoms of an enlarged prostate and prevent your condition from worsening. Consider these measures:
- Limit beverages in the evening. Don't drink anything for an hour or two before bedtime to help you avoid wake-up trips to the bathroom at night.
- Limit caffeine or alcohol. These can increase urine production, irritate your bladder and worsen your symptoms.
- Limit diuretics. If you take water pills (diuretics), talk to your doctor. Maybe a lower dose, a milder diuretic or a change in the time you take your medication will help. Don't stop taking diuretics without first talking to your doctor.
- Limit decongestants or antihistamines. These drugs tighten the band of muscles around your urethra that control urine flow, which makes it harder to urinate.
- Go when you feel the urge. Try to urinate when you first feel the urge. Waiting too long to urinate may overstretch the bladder muscle and cause damage.
- Schedule bathroom visits. Try to urinate at regular times to "retrain" the bladder. This can be done every four to six hours during the day and can be especially useful if you have severe frequency and urgency.
- Stay active. Inactivity causes you to retain urine. Even a small amount of exercise can help reduce urinary problems caused by BPH.
- Keep warm. Colder temperatures can cause urine retention and increase your urgency to urinate.
