5 signs you could be an extreme bathroom planner

Have you avoided events and activities you enjoy because of urgent and frequent trips to the bathroom? A recent survey sponsored by Teleflex Incorporated, of 1,000 men in the United States, 45 years and older, who have experienced at least one urinary symptom associated with BPH shows that you may not be alone.

Approximately 45% of men surveyed have avoided events or activities they enjoy due to their urinary symptoms.¹

Men over 45 with urinary symptoms common with an enlarged prostate, also known as benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), may anticipate and plan for their urgent and frequent bathroom needs. Whether they rearrange their morning schedules in anticipation of interrupted sleep, limit the amount they drink, or purposefully seek out and stay close to the bathroom, this type of extreme bathroom planning can disrupt normal daily activities.

The survey explored how urinary symptoms commonly associated with BPH impact men’s daily lives.

So how do you know if you could be an extreme bathroom planner?
If you answer “yes” to the following questions, it might be time to schedule a check-up with your doctor.

• Do you avoid activities you enjoy because of your urinary symptoms?
  Approximately 45% of men surveyed have avoided events or activities they enjoy due to their urinary symptoms.¹
  

• Do you map out travel routes based on the availability of restroom facilities?
  More than 40% of men surveyed have chosen certain routes (roads, highways, etc.) on road trips because they have more or better availability of restroom facilities.¹

• Do you locate the closest bathroom as soon as you go somewhere new?
  About 1 in 5 men surveyed said that locating the closest bathroom is the first thing they do when they go somewhere new.¹

• Do you pick event seating based on bathroom access?
  About 43% of men surveyed have selected their seats when purchasing tickets to a sporting or entertainment event because it has better or easier access to the restroom.¹

• Do you limit the amount you drink during the day?
  Nearly 62% of men surveyed have limited the amount they drink throughout the day even when they have access to a restroom to avoid a frequent or urgent need to urinate (61.86%).¹

It’s important for men to be aware of symptoms of BPH, including frequent trips to the bathroom during both the daytime and nighttime. While not all urinary symptoms are caused by BPH, men over the age of 45 who are experiencing urgent or frequent urinary symptoms, should consider speaking with their doctor about their prostate health.^2,3

Over 660 million men worldwide may have BPH.⁴ A portion of those men will experience symptoms of BPH such as urgency to urinate, frequency of urination, dribbling or other symptoms.  BPH is unrelated to, but more common than, prostate cancer,^5,6.  If left untreated, it can lead to permanent bladder damage.⁷ The sooner BPH is treated, the more chance men can improve their symptoms and quality of life.

Medications are a very common treatment option for men diagnosed with BPH. In a U.S. survey conducted by Teleflex, over 65% of men  diagnosed with BPH have taken a medication to treat their condition.¹ Approximately one in four of these men said their medication was ‘not very effective’ or ‘not effective at all’ in helping them reduce their need to plan their next bathroom trip to urinate.¹

It is important to consult your urologist to find a treatment that can help you live a more active life with fewer interruptions from urinary symptoms. Depending on the severity of your symptoms, your doctor may recommend one or more approaches, including the “wait and see” approach, a minimally invasive approach or surgery. Find out more about the BPH treatment options here.