Jim Shannon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-07-13.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to reduce the incidence of people being diagnosed with enlarged prostates.

David Mowat

In the majority of men, the prostate grows larger with age, and patients usually present to a general practitioner with symptoms of an enlarged prostate after the age of 50. Symptoms can include: weak urine flow; needing to urinate more often, especially at night; a feeling that your bladder has not emptied properly; and, difficulty starting to urinate. Some men find their symptoms are manageable and cause few problems, other find their symptoms worsening, which can impact on wellbeing and quality of life.

For patients who need treatment, there are a number of approaches available including lifestyle and dietary adjustments, medicines and surgery.