Millions of men around the world suffer from an enlarged prostate condition called benign prostatic hyperplasia. The prostate gland is situated under the bladder and when it gets enlarged it puts pressure on the bladder. This creates a sensation of wanting to urinate frequently. Over 50% of men over the age of 50 suffer from an enlarged prostate. Though most of the cases are non-cancerous (benign) and respond to conventional treatments, there are numerous side effects with the current set of conventional treatments on the market today.In a recent study, a Botox injection has proved to be successful at alleviating this condition.

Botox which is widely used for cosmetic purposes to erase wrinkles and other facial lines is now finding other uses. One such use is for the treatment of excessive sweating. Now Botox has proved to be successful in treating enlarged prostate, with very few or no side effects. When Botox is injected directly into the prostate, it relaxes the muscles within the prostate thereby allowing the person to completely empty the bladder. Other studies have shown that the actual size of the prostate gets smaller and even PSA levels come down. PSA levels are measured to evaluate the risk of prostate cancer among men over 40.

Though all of these results look promising, Botox is yet to be approved for treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia in the US. It is being used in other countries for this treatment successfully.