Q: I am a 50 years old male is suffering from benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) grade 1 diagnosed by a rectal examination. The doctor has prescribed Alfoo for 15 days. I have the following problems - the flow of urine is good but need to exert pressure by sitting down on the pot for the last bit of urine. At times there is irritation in the urinary bladder and there is a sense of relief on emptying the bladder. Three years back, I underwent uroflowmetery test, which was normal and PSA check - 0.96. What should be the course of treatment?

A:According to your descriptions, it seems that you have early symptoms of prostatic enlargement. You recently had rectal examination but you may need to repeat your serum PSA as it was last done 3 years ago. Routine urine examination (Urinalysis) should also be done to detect presence of any microscopic blood in the urine. The initial course of treatment in BPH is alpha-blocker medications like Urimax or Alfoo. These are effective medications and work in most men. I am not sure whether they helped you in relieving your urinary symptoms or not. If they did, then you may need to continue taking one of them because usually their actions are temporary and reversible. You should be regularly checked by an Urologist for detail prostatic examination.