If youre over 40, youve got a ticking time bomb in your backside. Its called benign prostatic hyperplasiaor BPH for short. This is the number one problem in older men.

Your prostate is normally about the size and shape of a walnut and is located at the base of your penis. It surrounds your urethra the tube your urine flows through and thats exactly why its likely to cause you problems.

As you get older, your prostate grows and begins to squeeze the urethra and obstruct normal flow. Most mens prostates begin enlarging after 40. If you make it to eighty, you have an 80% chance of having BPH.

So, what are the symptoms of BPH?

Constant urge to urinate
Frequent nighttime urination
Dribbling or leaking after urination
Difficulty starting urination
A weak stream
Never feeling the bladder is empty

Factors that increase your risk

The major factors that increase your risk of developing BPH include:

Your medical history
Family history
Diet
Hormone levels

Prevention strategies

Its never too early to start preventing BPHYou can save yourself a lot of problems later. And if you already have the symptoms you can keep them from getting worse.

Here are some simple and easy precautions you can take right now:

1. Get enough Omega-3 fatty acids: These are the essential fatty acids in fish, eggs, nuts and flax seed oil. You can get them by eating one of these foods every dayremember most fish that provide Omega-3 are contaminated with mercuryor by taking a supplement.

Studies have shown Omega-3 seems to stop the conversion of the chemical that triggers prostate growth. The recommended dose is between 3 and 6 grams a day.

2. Eat healthy: Basically, cut down on the crap sugars, hydrogenated oilsthe things that tend to cause inflammation. Get plenty of protein and veggies. And, to be safe, add a good, natural food base, multivitamin.

3. Watch your DHT levels: Most doctors will tell you that testosterone is the cause of prostate enlargement and give you treatments to reduce it. Now thats great! The very thing that makes you male and gives you your virility is being taken away from you.

Dr. Al Sears wrote, Testosterone is one of many related steroid hormones. Several are interconverted. Testosterone, for instance, can be converted into estrogens. But testosterone can also be converted into DHT. DHT is 9 times more powerful at stimulating growth of prostate tissue than testosterone is.

Testosterone maintains normal health of your prostate but DHT stimulates an overgrowth. DHT sends signals to the prostate tissue, making it swell. As the tissue swells, it impinges on the surrounding urinary and reproductive systems. (DHT is also the chemical that causes men to develop male pattern baldness.)

Your body converts testosterone to DHT with an enzyme called 5-alpha reductase. Exposure to stress and steroid related toxins in the environment appear to increase the activity of 5-alpha reductase. This deals a double blow to your manhood. It robs you of testosterone and it increases DHT.

But, without the presence of 5-alpha reductase, testosterone will not convert into DHT. And this is the concept behind well-designed BPH treatments. If you can block the action of the 5-alpha reductase, you can prevent and treat prostate enlargement while increasing, not lowering your testosterone.

Dr. Sears goes on to say, You can stop 5-alpha reductase from making DHT with natural supplements. The best inhibitors of 5-alpha reductase come to us in the form of plant sterols. Ive talked about some of these supplements before. Saw palmetto, pygeum, and pumpkinseed are the big three.

4. Get a regular exam: BPH and the worst case, prostate cancer arent something to fool around with. Especially if youre over 40, you should see your doctor for a prostate check-up once a year. Include hormone blood tests, physical exam, and a comprehensive PSA test in your routine.