Cancer Science & Therapy

Herbal Management of Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia

Abstract

Nyamai DW, Arika WM, Rachuonyo HO, Wambani JR and Ngugi MP

Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is an age dependent condition that affects old men. The condition is associated with symptoms like frequency in urination, hesistancy, nocturia, weak urine stream and sexual dysfunction. There is thus, need for update of the medications of the disease. Most BPH patients use conventional methods that include drugs targeting 5-alpha reductase enzyme and invasive surgery. These conventional methods lead to severe side effects including erectile dysfunction and gynecomastia. People prefer to go for phytotherapy for the management of the condition to avoid these adverse effects. Finasteride, for example has been found to cause erectile disfunction unlike Serenoa repens whose side effects are infrequent and mild. This review provides information on conventional methods of alleviating the condition as well as phytotherapy options. Alternative medicine alleviate the symptoms of BPH but have less severe or no side effects.