Let's change the scene a little.



You're visiting your doctor because you're a little worried because your father had quite a bad prostate problem and you've started dribbling a tiny bit in your underwear after you've been to the toilet. You describe your symptoms to your doctor and he tells you they are not severe enough to warrant treatment. Two years go by and now the problem is much worse, and now your sex life is deteriorating - time for action!! You visit your doctor again and now he acknowledges that yes, it is a problem and gives you a prescription for Proscar or Hytrin, a quick visit to the chemist and you're on your way.

You've been told that Proscar can take 6 months to a year to work properly and the side effects kick in before the relief does. This is not with every person but about 1/3 of you experience nausea, headaches, heart racing, dizziness, impotency. These become the order of your day, but you were given this by a doctor so it has to be good right?

Well not completely.

For starters, when it comes to prostate issues the problem has often been there for a long time before the symptoms surface. Generally doctors are more symptom orientated than concerned with preventative measures, this means that they only begin to treat something after it has broken. Your doctor doesn't have time to go in depth into your situation and identify early signs and symptoms that can lead them to diagnose and prevent early prostate problems. After all, they're seeing between 25-40 patients a day, every day!! They do very well to cope with their workload.

One of the roles of a doctor is to officially diagnose problems so insurances are obliged to pay out for your treatment. Insurance companies have strict health insurance criteria preventing pre-diagnosis, they won't pay out on a partial problem, it has to be fully blown. So again you are stuck with the situation of not being looked after until it has already happened. With your prostate, you can act before it becomes a problem, or if you are starting to have symptoms, you can nip them in the bud before they completely take over your life. In many instance, herbal supplements can prevent problems arising in the first place by their daily use, coupled with a moderate exercise program and a well-supplemented diet.

Most doctors do not believe in herbal therapies for treating disease and some may even advise you against their use. The large majority of the medical profession are not trained in the helpful uses and cures brought about by nature and are very cautious about even new technological cures. To give them their dues, they are to a degree, correct in their caution. As with anything beneficial from Mother Nature, it can be toxic when overused or handled incorrectly. Basically, a good rule of thumb would be to never take any herb unless you know exactly what it is, and what it may do.

More men are seeking treatments outside of normal medical practice, alot of their changes revolve around diet, herbal and high quality nutritional products. Any of the natural remedies available can help you far more than what your doctor would think, because it is not their field of expertise. They will not generally prescribe, recommend or point you in the direction of them.

For example, take saw palmetto(US$15-$30), effective in 90% of patients within the first month and next to no side effects. Compare this to Proscar(US$45-$96), effective in just over 50% of its patients and takes up to a year with a long, long list of side effects, and some of them can be permanent.

Listen to your body, and look at minor signs and symptoms, brush up on your family history. If your father or grandfather had a prostate problem, then you should take note. This can help you prevent, intervene and treat prostate and other health problems early on. It's up to you to not become a victim of treatments that leave you in pain, impotent or incontinent. There are alternatives available and they don't have to involve drugs, surgery or radiation.