Overview

Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH) — also referred to as an enlarged prostate, is a common condition that occurs in men as they grow older. An enlarged prostate gland can cause Bladder Outlet Obstruction (BOO) resulting in Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms (LUTS).

LUTS includes low urinary flow, hesitancy, dribbling, incomplete emptying, Urgency, Frequency and Nocturia. These symptoms can significantly affect a man’s quality of life.

Other potential problems that can be caused by an enlarged prostate include UTI, hematuria, bladder stone, acute urinary retention and kidney failure.

Anatomy and Function

The prostate is a small walnut-size gland found in men that is located between the bladder and the penile urethra. The urethra is the tube that passes urine from your bladder out of your penis. The urethra passes directly through the middle of the prostate gland and this portion of the urethra close to the bladder is called the prostatic urethra.

The function of the prostate gland is to secrete fluid and enzymes that liquefies the semen and protects the sperm as it moves towards fertilizing an egg in the female genital tract.

Pathology

Most men have continued prostate growth throughout their lives presumably due to hormonal changes. When the prostate enlarges, it can cause obstruction of the prostatic urethra and block the flow of urine. This results in a Bladder Outlet Obstruction (BOO) that can impede the flow causing Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms (LUTS).

The prostate size does not necessarily correlate with the symptoms severity. Some men have an enlarged prostate without BOO and without any urinary symptoms.

Signs and Symptoms

If you have BPH/BOO, common signs and symptoms you may experience include:

• Sudden need to urinate or difficulty to postpone urination (urgency)

• Increased frequency of urination (frequency)

• Increased need to urinate during the night (nocturia)

• Urine flow changes such as:

  • difficulty starting to urinate

  • weak urine flow

  • stopping and starting (hesitancy)

  • dribbling at the end of urination

• Feeling of incomplete bladder emptying

Other symptoms of BPH include:

• Urinary tract infection

• Inability to urinate (Acute Urinary Retention)

• Blood in the urine (Hematuria)

• Bladder stones (formed because of stagnation of urine in the bladder)

Treatments

There are many treatments for symptoms caused by BPH depending on the severity including:

• Lifestyle changes

• Medication

• Minimally Invasive Treatment

• Surgery

Please click here to learn more about our BPH treatments.