Benign prostate hyperplasia is a medical term to describe an enlarged prostate, a condition which can make urination difficult or even impossible. The growth of prostate gland squeezes the urethra, which can restrict the flow of urine from the bladder, causing inconvenient urinary symptoms.
The prostate is a male gland located just below the urinary bladder of men. The size of the prostate increases with age. The reason for this is not known, risk factors include age and functioning testes. When the prostate increases in size, the condition is referred to as Benign prostatic hyperplasia and is not cancerous. It is normal for the prostate gland to grow as you get older. Sometimes the size of the prostate increases in size due to certain medical conditions. In most cases, it does not lead to prostate cancer. More than half of all men over the age of 60 and 80% of all men have enlarged prostate which is not cancerous.
Effect of enlarged prostate on the bladder
An enlarged prostate can press around the urethra, interfering with the urine flow through the urethra which means bladder needs to apply more pressure to get the urine out. This cause the thickening of bladder walls, which reduces the capacity and contractibility, reducing its ability to expel urine. The result may be frequent urination accompanied by a weak stream, sudden urges to urinate. If the bladder cannot pull itself together and the urine inside can’t be squeezed out, the build-up of residual urine can be the breeding ground for bacteria that lead to infections of the urinary tract. Other associated complications include leakage, or backflow of urine into the kidneys, damaging them.
Recognizing the Symptoms of BPH
The symptoms of an enlarged prostate blocking the urethra include difficulty in emptying the bladder, weak urine flow, trouble resisting the urge to urinate, the need to urinate often and at night, feeling that the bladder is not completely emptied. Urine leakage.
The problems associated with the bladder emptying can sometimes completely stop the urine flow and cause urinary tract infections that are difficult to treat. The symptoms may also the result of other illness of the urinary system. One must take the advice of a doctor of one or more of these symptoms to persist.
An enlarged prostate begins to squeeze the urethra, and when that happens, an affected individual might find difficulty in passing water. He must go to the toilet more often during the day or night. Because it is difficult for your bladder to squeeze out the urine, it will never completely and takes a shorter time for it to fill up again.
Over time, other symptoms of an enlarged prostate begin to develop. As the bladder muscle has to do extra work, the bladder wall can become thicker and less flexible, and the bladder can also become overactive. This cause the need to pass urine urgently which is often called a surge continence.
Also Read: Bladder Cancer Causes, Symptoms and Treatment
Diagnosing & Treating BPH
An individual with an enlarged prostate or benign prostatic hyperplasia might undergo several different tests to find out if he has BPH. A urine test along with other tests need to be carried out at a health care center. There will be a need for some tests to rule out other conditions that cause similar symptoms to benign prostatic hyperplasia such as prostate cancer.
Treatment depends on the severity of the symptoms. There no need for immediate treatment in case of mild symptoms, but it is essential to have a regular prostate check-up. An individual with an enlarged prostate often advised making lifestyle changes such as linting alcohol intake, caffeine, drinking less artificial sweeteners. Medications to reduce the size of the prostate and relax your bladder symptoms may be recommended to treat the moderate to severe symptoms of BPH. Different type of medication is available that helps to reduce bladder infections symptoms and improve to get rid of bladder pain.
Another option, surgery is recommended for men with moderate to severe symptoms of BPH that have failed to respond to the medicinal therapy. Discuss a doctor to know more about treating benign prostate enlargement.
