Men older than 40 who experience urinary urgency are advised to get checked for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) to allow early detection and treatment, a doctor said recently.
BPH gained attention in the media recently after it was revealed that King Charles III had undergone treatment for the condition, and that he was “doing well” afterward.
The king’s public disclosure of his experience with BPH led to a surge in searches on the UK’s National Health Service Web site for information about the condition.
Photo courtesy of Tungyuan Hospital
Many men older than 40 have BPH but fail to get treated in a timely manner due to embarrassment over the condition, Cathay General Hospital urologist Wang Yan-chieh (王彥傑) said.
Symptoms of the condition, which is characterized by an enlarged prostate that leads to frequent or urgent urination, are exacerbated in the winter when people use cold medications more often, he said.
Such medications usually contain antihistamines, which are a diuretic, he added.
An increase in age and male hormones could lead to prostate enlargement in men, and half of men older than 50 develop BPH, he said, adding that heredity and obesity are also possible causes of the condition.
“BPH symptoms are particularly evident during the Lunar New Year holiday since more people suffer from colds, and people get stuck in traffic where they cannot get to a restroom,” he said.
“Those traveling between north and south Taiwan for the holiday are also more susceptible due to the change in climate,” he said.
Those in their 40s who experience frequent or urgent urination should consult with a physician, since the condition can worsen if left untreated, he said, adding that it could lead to renal edema or uremia if it becomes severe.
“Generally speaking, if you need to get up to urinate two or more times after going to bed, you should seek medical treatment as soon as possible,” he said.
Taipei and New Taipei City government officials are aiming to have the first phase of the Wanhua-Jungho-Shulin Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) line completed and opened by 2027, following the arrival of the first train set yesterday. The 22km-long Light Green Line would connect four densely populated districts in Taipei and New Taipei City: Wanhua (萬華), Jhonghe (中和), Tucheng (土城) and Shulin (樹林). The first phase of the project would connect Wanhua and Jhonghe districts, with Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall and Chukuang (莒光) being the terminal stations. The two municipalities jointly hosted a ceremony for the first train to be used
MILITARY AID: Taiwan has received a first batch of US long-range tactical missiles ahead of schedule, with a second shipment expected to be delivered by 2026 The US’ early delivery of long-range tactical ballistic missiles to Taiwan last month carries political and strategic significance, a military source said yesterday. According to the Ministry of National Defense’s budget report, the batch of military hardware from the US, including 11 sets of M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) and 64 MGM-140 Army Tactical Missile Systems, had been scheduled to be delivered to Taiwan between the end of this year and the beginning of next year. However, the first batch arrived last month, earlier than scheduled, with the second batch —18 sets of HIMARS, 20 MGM-140 missiles and 864 M30
Representative to the US Alexander Yui delivered a letter from the government to US president-elect Donald Trump during a meeting with a former Trump administration official, CNN reported yesterday. Yui on Thursday met with former US national security adviser Robert O’Brien over a private lunch in Salt Lake City, Utah, with US Representative Chris Stewart, the Web site of the US cable news channel reported, citing three sources familiar with the matter. “During that lunch the letter was passed along, and then shared with Trump, two of the sources said,” CNN said. O’Brien declined to comment on the lunch, as did the Taipei
A woman who allegedly attacked a high-school student with a utility knife, injuring his face, on a Taipei metro train late on Friday has been transferred to prosecutors, police said yesterday. The incident occurred near MRT Xinpu Station at about 10:17pm on a Bannan Line train headed toward Dingpu, New Taipei City police said. Before police arrived at the station to arrest the suspect, a woman surnamed Wang (王) who is in her early 40s, she had already been subdued by four male passengers, one of whom was an off-duty Taipei police officer, police said. The student, 17, who sustained a cut about
RSS