Enlarged prostate mostly affects older men. 1 in 5 men aged between 50 to 60 are known to suffer from enlarged prostate, medically termed as Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH). As men age, the cells in the prostate gland multiply leading to an enlarged prostate.

This is not a cause of worry, as BPH is non-cancerous. However, those suffering experience a host of symptoms which can cause discomfort and affect their quality of life.

Symptoms
BPH symptoms arise when an enlarged prostate pushes against the bladder and urinary tract, leading to issues like a frequent urge to urinate (especially at night), weak urine stream, continuous dribbling of urine, feeling of incomplete bladder emptying and trouble to start a urine stream.

The male sex hormones are a definite causative factor for enlarged prostate. Medication and surgery options (based on the severity of symptoms) are the conventional treatment plans. To avoid the long-term side effects, you can adopt a proper diet and lifestyle changes as a natural prostate treatment options.

Natural prostate treatment options:

Diet and lifestyle changes
Before resorting to medication and surgery, some lifestyle changes can help to relieve the symptoms. These include:

Avoid/limit the intake of caffeine and alcohol
Restrict the consumption of fluids in the evening
Engage in a good amount of physical activity
Make it a point to visit the restroom every 3 hours
Maintain a healthy weight
Include in your diet an adequate intake of healthy fats
Kegel Exercises
These pelvic floor exercises help to strengthen the muscles of the pelvic diaphragm and help to relieve the discomfort. Regular Kegel exercises help to tighten and clench specific pelvic muscles, helping to control urination. Best performed 3 to 5 times a day, these exercises support the bladder and close the sphincter. Kegal exercises are the healthiest natural prostate treatment option.

You can also perform the following exercises:

• Empty your bladder. Lie on your back with knees bent and held apart. Tighten the pelvic floor muscles for 5 seconds and relax them for 5 seconds. Alternate this cycle 10 to 20 times.
  Squeeze the muscles of your anus, then relax the pelvic floor muscles. Perform 10 to 20 repetitions.
  You can perform these exercises at any time of the day.
• Sitz bath
  An alternate hot and cold sitz bath is a soothing and effective treatment for enlarged prostate. While the hot bath relaxes the pelvic muscles, reduces the swelling and promotes healing, the cold bath eases the pain.
  To prepare a sitz bath, fill one bathtub with hot water and add ½ tsp Epsom salt to it. Sit in this water, immersed up to your waist for 3 minutes. Next, sit for 1 minute in a bathtub filled with cold water to which a few drops of any essential oil has been added.
  Do two repetitions. Ensure that you always end with the cold water bath. Follow this routine twice a week.

Herbal Supplements

• Saw Palmetto
  Widely used as a therapeutic remedy, saw palmetto helps to improve urine dysfunction and an overactive bladder in those suffering from BPH. Conclusive studies certify its safety over prolonged use.
• Stinging nettle
  The root contains bioactive phytochemicals that shrink the prostate tissue. Stinging nettle is a natural diuretic as well. It helps to flush out the inflammatory waste through urine. A tea can be infused out of nettle leaves. Add a teaspoon of the leaves to a cup of hot water, and let this steep. Drink this concoction 2 to 3 times a day. Stinging nettles can be consumed in the form of a supplement as well. Stinging nettle contains hydrophobic constituents which inhibit membrane cell activity and suppress the metabolism and growth of prostate cells. This is a very good natural prostate treatment option.
• Pumpkin seed oil
  Studies have found that pumpkin seed oil reduces symptoms in just three months. Urine flow rate improves in six months. The phytosterols contained in pumpkin seeds shrink the prostate. They also contain chemicals that help maintain the prostate in good health.
• Cornsilk
  A time-tested remedy to treat prostate enlargement: boil the silk of fresh corn in water, and drink three teacups of this brew each day. Corn silk is a natural diuretic that helps relax the urinary muscles and improve urine flow.
• Watermelon tea
  Drink a tea made from watermelon seeds. Add one pint of hot water to a 1/8th cup of watermelon seeds. Allow to cool and sip on this tea.
• Soy foods
  The phytoestrogens contained in soy foods help to reduce testosterone production, inhibiting prostate enlargement. They also limit the growth of blood capillaries that can form around the prostate tumors.

Other herbal supplements that help to treat prostate enlargement include garlic, rye grass pollen extracts, pygeum, apple cider vinegar, and beta-sitosterol.

Prostate enlargement can be easily managed through lifestyle and diet changes. Include Kegel exercises in your daily workout regime. These are very effective to tighten the pelvic floor muscles. Plus, you can also use herbal supplements, either raw or as capsules.