If you've been dealing with odd changes in the way you urinate or the frequency with which you need to find a bathroom, it's possible that you've got an enlarged prostate gland, or benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). While an official diagnosis can only come from your physician after an examination and some tests, making these adjustments to your daily behavior could ease symptoms:

Go More Often

To ease pressure and help you avoid worrying yourself about it, start using bathrooms more often. The enlargement of your prostate affects how often you get an urge for the toilet, and if your bladder isn't ever completely full, that urge may be diminished and you might feel somewhat better.

Avoid Drinking after a Particular Hour

A common reason men even notice there's a problem is that they awake in the night for repeated trips to the toilet. While the enlarged prostate may be causing that, you might be able to decrease those bathroom visits with a little scheduling. Cut down on water, tea and other liquids in the hours before bedtime, especially alcoholic drinks. Alcohol may be affecting the tonality of your muscles, which can affect how well your body is able to cope with the enlarged prostate.

Look Up Medications

Needing toilets more and more often isn't the only change you may be experiencing. You might notice dribbling urine that starts but then stops and then starts again. Changes like this could be linked to various medications you're on for other health conditions. If you're someone who needs to take a pill or inject yourself each day, do some research into the prescription drugs you're using. It's possible they're having some side effects. You should also ask your personal doctor about this.

Chill Out

If you're under a lot of work stress or having relationship problems, enlarged prostate issues can only exacerbate those problems. However, stress can also make your prostate issues seem worse too. In fact, during periods of high stress, even without prostate problems, you may use toilets more often. Therefore, to ease some of the discomforts you have, look for ways to mitigate and eliminate the stress in your life. You might try exercise, counseling, prayer and other methods to do this.

Seeing a doctor for your prostate issues is smart, even if you think you can make these changes. They might recommend other treatments to consider so you can urinate normally once more. Contact a medical office like Advanced Urology Associates for more information and assistance.