It’s not always an easy conversation for men to have, but talking about prostate problems is a critical part of staying healthy.

Symptoms such as urinary frequency, urgency, or difficulty going to the bathroom can signal a medical condition, and a delayed diagnosis can lead to unnecessary suffering.

For years, Chris Golden was frequently heading to the bathroom.

He even brought it up to his doctor.

“He just kind of blew it off as, oh, you had a Diet Coke this morning, so that’s what’s causing you to go to the bathroom,” Golden said.

But the problem progressed, so he switched doctors and got a referral to a urologist who found Golden’s prostate-specific antigen, or PSA, levels elevated.

He eventually was diagnosed with benign prostatic hyperplasia, also called an enlarged prostate, or BPH.

“Apparently my prostate was something like 10 or 12 times the normal size and we couldn’t figure it out,” Golden said.

About 50% of men around age 50 have an enlarged prostate, and that number increases with age says Dr. Jay Amin with Orlando Health.

“I think the important part is making sure that you’re seeing someone who is able to assess those symptoms and offer you the correct procedure,” he said.

Amin does several different prostate procedures but says he most often recommends one called HoLEP, which he says is done in an hour.

“Once the patient is under anesthesia, and is completely asleep, I put a little small camera through the urethra, into the prostate, and then I use a laser to essentially remove those enlarged sections of the prostate,” said Amin. “It really allows for massive amounts of urinary improvement.”

It’s the procedure Golden chose since he didn’t want his prostate removed.

Now, more than two months later, he’s feeling symptom relief.

“It’s definitely, definitely improved and I’m definitely rested more, and it’s definitely a plus,” Golden said.

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