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Running Off The Pitching Mound To Pee Too Often? An Enlarged Prostate May Be To Blame

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Amateur pitching is a fun way to enjoy baseball long after high school or college. Unfortunately, aging pitchers may find themselves running off the mound due to frequent urination. They may be suffering from an enlarged prostate and need serious medical help.

Symptoms Of This Problem

Pitchers who are suffering from an enlarged prostate are likely to have problems with frequent urination and then an inability to urinate. As the condition worsens, the inflammation will eventually cause a blockage of the urethra. So while they may initially have to run off the field and go more often, they may end up with a more serious problem.

As you can imagine, a blocked bladder can cause serious damage to a person's body if left untreated. Understanding what causes it and how a pitcher may contribute to its development is important to find the proper treatment method.

What Causes It?

There are many problems that can cause a pitcher to develop an enlarged prostate. Temporary or severe symptoms are often caused by a problem like a bacteria or a virus. Inflammation of this type is typically temporary and should go away soon. For a pitcher, this is great news because it means they can get on the mound and avoid a serious break in their career.

More serious problems that can cause chronic enlargement include getting older and developing serious lower urinary tract symptoms or LUTS. These conditions often occur when a pitcher has too much testosterone in the body, which may be a concern if they take any kind of performance-enhancing substances.

Treating This Problem

Pitchers affected by this problem has several different treatment options to consider. The first is alpha blockers. These help relax the bladder muscles and decrease the problems associated with this condition. It is typically used for those who are having trouble urinating, though. Another treatment option is five-alpha reductase inhibitors. These treatments block the hormones that cause the prostate gland to grow.

Often these medications are combined and added to a treatment method like TUMT. This treatment method uses microwave heat to destroy problematic prostate tissue effectively. Other heat-based methods include thermotherapy, which uses hot-water in the same way. Surgical treatment methods may also be necessary.

Which of these treatment methods is right for the average baseball pitcher? They should try to choose something that doesn't impact their pitching capabilities too much. An outpatient procedure like TUMT is a good choice, but it offers only temporary relief. Talk to a prostate doctor carefully before choosing a method.  

Contact a medical office like Advanced Urology Associates for more information and assistance. 


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