Prostate Enlargement is an enlargement of the prostate gland in men that is not cancerous. The medical term for an enlarged prostate is benign prostatic enlargement (BPE), which can influence how you pee (urinate). As men become older, benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), often known as prostate gland enlargement, becomes more common. An enlarged prostate gland can produce unpleasant urinary symptoms including stopping urine from leaving the bladder. It can also create difficulties with the bladder, urinary tract, or kidneys.
Part of your urethra, the tube that takes urine and sperm out of your penis, is surrounded by your prostate. When you have BPH, your prostate grows larger than usual, causing the urethra to become constricted. This can make your pee stream weak, causing you to wake up frequently at night to go to the bathroom. It may also cause other unpleasant urinary symptoms. Your prostate is larger than usual if you have BPH. The urethra can be squeezed by a big prostate.
BPH isn’t prostate cancer, and it doesn’t increase your chances of getting it.
It’s a prevalent ailment in older men, and there are a variety of therapies available, ranging from lifestyle changes to medication to surgery. Your doctor can help you choose the best care based on your age, health, and how the condition affects you.
There are numerous therapies for enlarged prostates (BPH), but each has its own set of side effects and risks.
These nightly bathroom runs may be the first indicator of an enlarged prostate for most men. Other signs and symptoms include the inability to start a stream of pee, leaking, or dribbling. An enlarged prostate, like grey hair, is a natural by-product of aging, according to experts. The problem is that the overnight bathroom runs become increasingly frequent, eventually creeping into the daytime routine.
Kevin Slawin, MD, a professor of urology at Baylor School of Medicine in Houston, adds, “They can’t go through a meeting or a plane journey without getting up.” “It’s quite inconvenient… and when they have to go, they have to go all the way.”
Enlarged prostate, benign prostate hyperplasia, or simply BPH are all terms for the same condition.
Symptoms of enlarged prostate can include: –
- A weak or slow urinary stream;
- A feeling of incomplete bladder emptying;
- Difficulty starting urination;
- Frequent urination;
- Urgency to urinate;
- Getting up frequently at night to urinate;
- A urinary stream that starts and stops;
- Straining to urinate;
- Continued dribbling of urine; and
- Returning to urinate again minutes after finishing.
If you’re having urinary problems, discuss them with your doctor. Even if you don’t find urinary symptoms bothersome, it’s important to identify or rule out any underlying causes. Untreated, urinary problems might lead to obstruction of the urinary tract.
If you’re unable to pass any urine, seek immediate medical attention.
Underneath your bladder is the prostate gland. The urethra (the tube that takes urine from the bladder out of your penis) passes through the prostate’s core. When the prostate grows larger, it begins to obstruct the flow of urine.
Most men’s prostates continue to grow throughout their lives. Many men’s prostates swell to the point where they produce urinary symptoms or considerably obstruct urine flow as a result of their continuing growth.
What causes the prostate to expand isn’t completely understood. It could, however, be owing to changes in sex hormone balance as males become older.
Complications of an enlarged prostate can include: –
- Sudden Inability to Urinate (Urinary Retention): – You might need to have a tube (catheter) inserted into your bladder to drain the urine. Some men with an enlarged prostate need surgery to relieve urinary retention.
- Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs): – Inability to fully empty the bladder can increase the risk of infection in your urinary tract. If UTIs occur frequently, you might need surgery to remove part of the prostate.
- Bladder Stones: – These are generally caused by an inability to completely empty the bladder. Bladder stones can cause infection, bladder irritation, blood in the urine and obstruction of urine flow.
- Bladder Damage: – A bladder that hasn’t emptied completely can stretch and weaken over time. As a result, the muscular wall of the bladder no longer contracts properly, making it harder to fully empty your bladder.
- Kidney Damage: – Pressure in the bladder from urinary retention can directly damage the kidneys or allow bladder infections to reach the kidneys.
