Understanding BPH: A Guide for CouplesUnderstanding BPH: A Guide for Couples
A Quest for Well-Being
Dr Shravan Panuganti talks with Valeria Teles about benign prostatic hyperplasia, explaining its symptoms, impact on couples and modern treatment options. The conversation focuses on reducing fear, encouraging open discussion and highlighting how early, compassionate action can improve quality of life for both partners.
53:11•30 Aug 2026
Understanding BPH and How It Impacts Couples’ Sleep, Sex and Peace of Mind
Episode Overview
- BPH is extremely common in ageing men and can cause weak urinary stream, frequent night-time trips to the bathroom and interrupted sleep.
- Partners often notice the impact of BPH first, and attending appointments together can help ensure a fuller, more honest picture of symptoms.
- Modern treatments for BPH aim to protect sexual function and avoid issues like erectile dysfunction and incontinence that were linked to older surgeries.
- Dietary changes such as reducing processed foods and red meat and adopting a more Mediterranean-style approach may support overall health and urinary comfort.
- Early, honest conversations and seeking evaluation do not commit anyone to surgery, but they do provide knowledge and options instead of fear and regret.
“Just because someone is getting older, it doesn’t mean you have to live with your symptoms.”
What drives someone to seek a life without silent suffering in their relationship? This conversation between host Valeria Teles and urologist Dr Shravan Panuganti centres on benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and how it quietly impacts couples’ sleep, intimacy and peace of mind.
You’ll hear Dr Panuganti explain BPH in very down-to-earth language: an ageing prostate that “creates this bottleneck effect” so men strain to pass urine, wake up multiple times a night and often shrug it off as just getting older.
He pushes back on that idea, saying, “Just because someone is getting older, it doesn’t mean you have to live with your symptoms.” The episode speaks directly to partners who are watching their husbands, fathers or loved ones struggle but feel unsure how to bring it up. Dr Panuganti suggests gentle, supportive questions rather than confrontation, and even encourages wives to attend appointments so the history comes from both sides.
He’s frank about men’s fear of losing sexual function and reassures them that newer treatments, like minimally invasive balloon-based procedures, are designed to protect sexual health. There’s plenty here for anyone who cares about prevention too. BPH may be tied to ageing, but diet, lifestyle and early intervention can slow problems down. The chat touches on Mediterranean-style eating, cutting back on processed foods and red meat, and being realistic about how hard long-term diet change can be.
Beyond the medical details, the tone stays warm and human. Dr Panuganti jokes that he’s “not good at anything else” but urology, admits his own weaknesses with junk food, and stresses that knowledge and open conversation are far better than denial and regret. If interrupted sleep, slow trips to the loo or worries about sexual side effects are quietly sitting between you and your partner, could this be the honest, practical talk that gets you both moving towards help?
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