Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia – a condition causing bothersome urinary symptoms in men due to an enlarged prostate – afflicts an estimated 24% of Filipino males aged 50 to 59 years old. This is according to GlaxoSmithKline Philippines (GSK) which has launched the “FUN to be WISE” campaign to prevent the onset of BPH.
FUN to be WISE (FUNWISE) stands for the symptoms men must check to know if they have BPH –
F for frequency – over the past two months, how often have you had to urinate two hours after your last one?
U for urgency – over the past month, have you found =it difficult to postpone urination, and how often?
N for nocturia – Over the past month, how many times do you typically get up at night to urinate?
W for weak stream – over the past month, how often have you had a weak urinary stream
I for Intermittency – over the past month, how often have you found yourself to have stopped and started again while you were urinating?
S for straining – over the past month, how often have you had to push or strain to begin to urinate?
E for incomplete emptying – over the past month, how often have you had a sensation of not emptying a bladder completely after you finish urinating?
GSK’s urology experts Dr. Carmela Lapitan and Dr. Jay Javier said that while BPH is often not cancerous (hence the word ‘benign’), it is important for affected males to seek medical advice because it can affect their quality of life. This is where education drives like the FUN to be WISE campaign becomes important.
The doctors said that if left untreated, the disease can hinder daily activities. It can also entail additional expense for the subject since patients have to undergo medication. In severe cases, surgery is recommended.If symptoms are ignored, the condition can lead to complications like urinary tract infection, prostatitis or inflammation of the prostate, bladder problems or kidney stones and worst, cancer of the prostate or bladder.
If you are a male and experiencing symptoms, don’t forget to consult your doctor for a diagnosis. Remember, prevention is always better than cure.
Photos from the media conference held at Shangri-La Makati:
GSK executives –
Dr. Javier (left) and Dr Lapitan (right)
For more information, visit www.gsk.com.ph
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