Most of us are familiar with the use of Botox as a cosmetic treatment, but is it seriously being suggested that it might help in the treatment of an enlarged prostate? Well, the answer would seem to be ‘yes’.
Botox, which is the trade name for a preparation of botulinum toxin type A, has been used for some time now as a temporary solution to facial lines. Principally a treatment for women, it has also become increasingly popular with men for removing the frown lines on the brow.
Recently however a team of researchers from the United States and Taiwan have been studying the use of Botox as a solution for the problem of an enlarged prostate gland and have had some surprising results.
The researchers studied a small test group of forty-one men with enlarged prostates. The men were between the ages of forty-nine and seventy-nine and all received Botox injected directly into the prostate gland.
Although not all of the test group responded to the treatment, three quarters reported a significant improvement in symptoms and, in some cases, this improvement lasted for up to a year after treatment. In addition, eighty percent of the group reported that they were able to completely empty their bladder within anywhere from a week to a month following receipt of the injection.
Botox, which would appear at this early stage and in this small test sample to have no significant side effects, works by relaxing the prostate gland and relieving pressure on the urethra.
Although in most cases an enlarged prostate is not a serious problem, it frequently becomes increasingly inconvenient and difficult to live with as it causes frequent urination which can uncomfortable, or even painful. Treatment is of course available but many men are reluctant to undergo common forms of treatment as these carry a number of side effects including the possibility of impotence.
Although it is early days and further testing will be required, if Botox can indeed relieve the symptoms of an enlarged prostate then this might just become a popular choice for many sufferers.
