An enlarged prostate affects half of men ages 51 to 60, according to the Urology Care Foundation, and your risk increases as you get older. Benign prostatic hyperplasia, or BPH, is non-cancerous, but that doesn’t mean you should ignore it. Its symptoms can disrupt your life and lead to complications if left untreated. Fortunately, you have options.
Growth Trajectory: Understanding Prostate Enlargement
The prostate is a walnut-sized gland that produces a substance found in semen. It goes through two stages of growth, with the first during puberty and the second around age 25 which lasts for decades. For some men, prostate growth happens unnoticed without causing symptoms. For others, symptoms may occur if the prostate expands enough to affect surrounding areas.
If you have BPH, your prostate may press against the urethra, the tube that carries urine and semen out of the body, which can make it difficult to urinate. In addition, too much prostate growth can cause bladder changes. For example, the bladder wall may thicken and eventually may struggle to empty. As a result, you may have additional urinary symptoms.
Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia Risk Factors
Experts aren’t exactly sure what causes excessive prostate enlargement. Declining testosterone levels, which increase estrogen levels in the blood, may help fuel prostate growth as you age, according to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. A rise in the hormone dihydrotestosterone, which stimulates the development of male characteristics, in the prostate may also play a role.
Certain factors can increase your risk of BPH, including:
- Age 40 and older
- Cardiovascular disease
- Erectile dysfunction
- Family history of an enlarged prostate
- Lack of exercise
- Obesity
- Type 2 diabetes
Symptoms of Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia
Many people with BPH need to urinate more often than normal, often every hour or two. Other symptoms of BPH include:
- Dribbling after urination
- Inability to fully empty your bladder
- Pain after urination
- Sudden urges to urinate
- Urinary incontinence
- Urinating more than twice a night
- Urine that looks or smells strange
- Weak or intermittent urine stream
Urinary symptoms can occur due to a variety of conditions, not just BPH. That’s why it’s important to see your primary care provider to find out what’s causing your symptoms. If you need specialty care, you may be referred to a urologist.
Some urinary symptoms need immediate attention. If you’re unable to urinate, go to the nearest emergency department right away. It may be a sign of a blocked urethra.
Is Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia Serious?
An enlarged prostate does not lead to prostate cancer or testicular cancer. However, BPH won’t go away on its own, and it can have a major effect on your quality of life and health if left untreated. This condition can interrupt your sleep and disrupt your work and social life. In addition, several complications are possible, including:
- Bladder damage
- Bladder stones
- Blood in the urine
- Kidney damage
- Urinary tract infections
- Urine retention
Diagnosis and Treatment
To diagnose BPH, your primary care provider or urologist will gather information about your symptoms and conduct a physical exam. The medical provider may conduct a digital rectal exam to feel the prostate and gauge its size. Imaging tests, such as an ultrasound, can measure the prostate’s size. Urine tests can determine your ability to pass urine, and blood tests can rule out cancer.
The goal of treatment is to control symptoms. Medical providers can choose from a variety of options ranging from conservative therapies to surgery. Options include:
- Close monitoring. Also known as active surveillance, long-term monitoring may be appropriate if symptoms aren’t disrupting your life. You’ll have regular visits with your primary care provider or urologist, who will check whether benign prostatic hyperplasia is stable or progressing.
- Lifestyle changes. This treatment often goes hand-in-hand with close monitoring. You’ll make changes that can help reduce symptoms, such as avoiding caffeine and learning how to hold urine longer.
- Medications. A variety of medicines can help with symptoms. For example, alpha-blockers—a common group of medications used to treat an enlarged prostate—can relax the bladder and prostate muscles. That may ease urine flow.
- Minimally invasive procedures. Catheter or cystoscope procedures can destroy excess prostate tissue, which relieves pressure on the urethra.
- Surgical treatments. Surgery may be a good option if other treatments have been ineffective or aren’t right for you. You may undergo surgery to remove part or all of the prostate, widen the urethra, or destroy prostate tissue with a laser.
- Novel treatments. There are new treatments being developed. One that has shown a lot of success uses the natural energy stored in water vapor to reduce the size of the prostate. This is performed at our UM Shore Medical Group – Urology practice.
Listen to a Podcast
An enlarged or swollen prostate (also known as benign prostatic hyperplasia) doesn’t go away on its own. In this podcast, Dr. Christopher Runz of UM Shore Regional Health talks about ways to recognize the disruptive symptoms of an enlarged prostate and what you can do to find relief.
More to Read
- Should I See a Urologist or My Primary Care Provider?
- Everything You Need to Know About Urinary Incontinence
