By TERRY NAU

Sports editor

PAWTUCKET – Hall of Fame baseball player Mike Schmidt has taken on a new challenge – raising awareness of Benign Prostatic Hyperplasic, more commonly known as enlarged prostate.
Schmidt is touring the country, visiting major and minor league stadiums to spread the word, signing autographs and speaking to men over 40 about the issues of awareness and taking action on any symptoms they might be experiencing.
Schmidt, who turns 59 next month, was diagnosed with BPH five years ago.
“I knew once I turned 50 that there would be changes in my body,” he said, “but I was not prepared for the frequent and urgent needs to use the bathroom. These bathroom breaks got in the way of life’s normal moments. When my doctor diagnosed me with BPH, I was relieved to learn that it was a common condition. I was also relieved to know BPH is not cancer. Together, we developed a game plan to manage my symptoms.”
 Schmidt eventually became spokesman for a Sanofi Aventis campaign that hopes to get older men talking to their doctors when they experience symptoms like frequent urination, as Schmidt himself did.

“When I’m visiting ball parks as part of our campaign, I go out and sign autographs for kids,” Schmidt said, “I’ll look up at the fathers and ask them when’s the last time they were checked for BPH. And some of them will admit they haven’t had a checkup. But they tell me they will go to their doctor and get it done. If I can get two or three of them to go to their doctors, then I feel like I’m doing something (good).”
Schmidt’s father, now 83 years old, has an advanced case of BHP.
“It has become a serious lifestyle issue for my dad,” Schmidt said. “My dad always has to be near a bathroom. You know, his generation was very set in their ways when it came to seeing doctors. They thought they were all too strong for that. Now we know that 90 percent of men in their 70s will have enlarged prostate. It is something all men have to get checked on an annual basis, if necessary.”
A recent survey of men over 50 years of age revealed that 70 percent of respondents change their daily routines to compensate for the need to urinate frequently, rather than seek medical attention.
According to a fact sheet distributed by the Sanofi Aventis campaign, here are some symptoms of BPH:
-- Frequent need to urinate in short intervals.
-- Feeling of little warning when the urge to urinate develops.
-- Need to urinate during the night.
-- Weak urine stream.
-- Delay and difficulty in initiating urination.
-- Feeling of incomplete emptying of the bladder.
-- Stopping and starting several times during urination.
The fact sheet goes on to explain that patients suffering from any of these symptoms are advised to first have a physical examination with their doctor to identify these symptoms and discuss treatment options.
Medications are the most common way to control bothersome symptoms of BPH. Alpha-1 blockers are prescribed to relax the muscles in and around the prostate, making it easier to urinate. Physicians may also prescribe 5-alpha-reductase inhibitors to reduce the size of the enlarged prostate in some men.
If BPH is left untreated, it can put men at risk for sexual dysfunctions, acute urinary retention, bladder infections, bladder stones and even kidney damage.
Mike Schmidt says his case of BPH is under control and he can now relax with his family, play golf and other outdoor activities without worrying about having to go to the bathroom.
“Our campaign is all about men having an awareness of this problem and doing something about it before it’s too late,” Schmidt admitted. “My life is a lot better now since I’ve been on medication to control my problem. I’m happy to be the spokesman for Sanofi Aventis in this important mission.”