Ask the Doctor: Decongestants and BPH, eye issues, prostate cancer pain
Each Tuesday, Doctor Rob Riley joins us to answer viewers' medical questions. Here are the questions he addressed on March 21.
BPH stands for benign prostatic hyperplasia. This is sometimes just called an enlarged prostate, and most men will have some degree of this as they get older. It can cause some difficulties with urination, and decongestants that we take sometimes for colds can temporarily make things worse. That's why there's a warning on the bottle. In reality, men with BPH who have mild symptoms can almost always use these medications safely for the short time they need them. But if someone has a lot of difficulty with urination, or if they've had trouble with decongestants in the past, it's best to avoid these products. A better choice might be the decongestant nasal sprays—things like Afrin, that aren't absorbed much and just work where they're sprayed. The limitation with those is that they can only be used safely for about three days.
Like a lot of things in medicine, the best treatment really depends on knowing the cause. The list of things that can cause red, irritated eyes is pretty long, and the treatments are different. If there's a bacterial infection, then antibiotic drops help. If it's a viral infection, we mostly just wait it out and things get better on their own. Allergies can do this, and a combination of eye drops and oral medications do the trick. Excessive eye dryness is common this time of year, and the lubricant drops help that. There are certain chronic illnesses which can have red, irritated eyes as a symptom. So, there's no one treatment for irritated eyes. It would be important for our viewer to get together with his doctor to figure out the cause so the right treatment can be started.
First, I'm sorry that our viewer is having to deal with this problem. But yes, there are things that can be done at home aside from pain medications. First, staying in a good sleep cycle can be really important. Pain is greater when we're not well-rested. Staying as active as possible helps too. Good nutrition. Some people find that applying ice or heat to painful areas can give some relief. Relaxation techniques like deep breathing and meditation can be helpful in managing chronic pain. All of these things can be done together with whatever medication plan you and your doctor put together to help you stay as pain-free as possible.
Dr. Riley joins us from Memorial Family Medicine.
