Men age 50 and over may face daily interruptions due to a commonly disregarded health condition – enlarged prostate or benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). Characterized by frequent urination, urgency, nocturia, hesitancy, intermittency, feeling of incomplete emptying of the bladder, and a weak stream, this non-cancerous condition may cause a man to take frequent trips to the bathroom. However, the majority of men often don’t do anything to address their symptoms, they merely accommodate their daily routines to their condition. Men age 50 and over may experience disrupted sleep with three to four interruptions per night to urinate, causing fatigue and irritability for them and their partners. These men may also avoid long car trips because of their need to stop every hour, or they may adjust their route around rest stops where bathrooms exist, otherwise known as “toilet-mapping.”

According to a recent Men’s Health Network (MHN) survey, almost 10 percent (an estimated 3.2 million) of men 50+ would wait at least a year, if ever, to see a doctor about their urinary problems. According to the National Institute of Health, BPH affects more than 50 percent of men over age 60 and as many as 90 percent of men over age 70².  But many men may remain undiagnosed because men often tolerate symptoms as they associate them with a common part of the aging process. If left untreated, BPH symptoms could put men at risk for additional problems such as sexual dysfunction, bladder infections, or kidney damage.

The Back to Life Without Interruptions educational campaign was created by the MHN to encourage men age 50 and over to see a physician if they urinate every two hours or more, and urge men not to accept these types of daily interruptions. The program is designed to provide men with the tools they need to talk to their doctor and partners about their urination problems.

Back to Life Without Interruptions is made possible by the campaign sponsor, sanofi-aventis U.S. LLC