Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH)

Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH) is one of the most common medical conditions impacting men. In fact, according to the American Urological Association, 50 percent of men age 50 and above have symptoms of BPH, and 90 percent of men 80 and older can have it. Starting around the age of 25, the prostate, which is normally the size of a walnut or golf ball, starts to grow. As men continue to age, the prostate tissue can continue to expand. It can eventually grow to the size of an orange and begin to restrict the flow of urine through the urethra. Once the urethra becomes squeezed, it can become more difficult for men to completely empty their bladder.

Usually, BPH starts as a quality-of-life condition where men need to urinate more frequently, have urination urgency, wake up several times at night to use the bathroom or have the feeling the bladder does not completely empty. Urine remaining in the bladder can lead to more serious medical conditions like infections of the bladder, infection of the prostate, infection of the testicles, stone formation, damage to the lining of the bladder or even kidney failure. BPH is not cancer and does not lead to cancer, although BPH and prostate cancer can occur at the same time.

What Does the Prostate Do?

The prostate is part of the male reproductive system. It wraps around the urethra, which is a tube that carries urine from the bladder to be voided when a man urinates. As the prostate tissue expands in men with BPH, the tissue effectively begins to “pinch off” the urethra making it more difficult to urinate.

Symptoms of BPH

• Urination frequency (every one to two hours)
• Urination urgency
• Feeling as if the bladder is full even after urination
• Waking several times while sleeping to urinate
• Weak or intermittent urine stream
• Needing to strain to urinate

Risk Factors for BPH

• Aging, especially men over 50 years old
• Family history of BPH, especially on the father’s side
• Weight gain/obesity
• Sedentary lifestyle

Treatment Options for BPH

Learn more about transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) and the UroLift® System, two surgical options offered at Wellington Regional Medical Center to treat BPH.