Enlarged Prostate (BPH)

Benign prostatic hyperplasia

If you have benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), it means that your prostate gland is enlarged. The prostate, about the size of a walnut in men, surrounds the urethra, the tube through which urine and semen leave the body. The seminal vesicles and the prostate generate fluid that mixes with sperm to form semen.

During normal urination, urine flows from the bladder through the urethra into the prostate and then out of the body through the urethra. However, for unknown reasons, the prostate can enlarge as you age. If you have BPH, your prostate can grow large enough to narrow or block the part of the urethra that passes through it, making it difficult to urinate.

Symptoms of BPH include frequent urination, especially at night, a weak or interrupted urine stream, and difficulty urinating. If left untreated, BPH can lead to problems such as the inability to urinate, bladder and kidney damage, bladder infections, bladder stones, and incontinence.

To treat BPH, there are several options. If your symptoms are mild, you can opt for regular observation to make sure they don't get worse. Medications such as alpha-blockers and 5-alpha-reductase inhibitors can improve urine flow and shrink the prostate. If medications don't help, surgical procedures such as transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) may be considered, where prostate tissue blocking the urethra is removed.

Other options include minimally invasive procedures, such as the use of lasers or electrical energy to remove part of the prostate. For very large prostates, open prostatectomy may be recommended, in which an incision is made in the abdomen to remove prostate tissue.

Although BPH cannot be prevented, some lifestyle changes can help alleviate symptoms. Avoiding certain medications, stopping drinking fluids before bedtime, reducing alcohol and caffeine intake, and practicing double voiding are measures that can improve quality of life if you have BPH.