BPH (Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia) is an enlarged prostate gland. The prostate gland surrounds the urethra and assists in reproduction. As men age, the prostate gets larger, in fact most older men have BPH to some degree and about half of men over 75 experience BPH symptoms. BPH is a very minor condition, and is not related to prostate cancer, however symptoms can cause discomfort and be inconvenient.
When the prostate gets enlarged, it begins to put pressure on the bladder and urethra. A lot of the symptoms of BPH tend to relate to urination. Here are the 7 most commons symptoms:
- Difficulty starting urination. The enlarged prostate messes with the pressure of your bladder to pass urine. This can have damaging effects on your kidneys.
- Weak urine stream. As the urethra becomes constrained, urine passes at a much slower rate.
- Urgent need to urinate. You may go from not needing to urinate to suddenly needing to go because of how the bladder gets constrained.
- Issues with sleeping. Pressure from the enlarged prostate can mess with nerve signaling in the middle of the night. This leads to you thinking you have to urinate when you don’t.
- Feeling the inability to completely empty your bladder. You may not be able to completely empty your bladder which can lead to UTI and stone issues.
- Urinary tract infection. This is caused by the urine that sits in your bladder which you can’t fully empty, creating an environment for bacteria to thrive.
- Bladder stones. The left over urine can also crystallize to create bladder stones.
BPH simply can cause these symptoms to happen, but having these symptoms doesn’t necessarily mean you have BPH. There are many reasons why you may have urinary issues. Talk to Dr. Siddiq about proper diagnosis.
Treating BPH
Treatment for BPH entirely depends on the case. Very minor cases may just need changes in lifestyle. Beyond that there’s medication and in some cases, surgery options may be available. Keep in mind, there is no permanent cure of BPH, but treatment options are meant to lower the symptoms caused by BPH to help your quality of life.
For more information on BPH, call Dr. Siddiq at (337) 439-8857