Symptoms Of Prostatic Hyperplasia

The prostate makes some of the milky fluid (semen) that carries sperm. The gland is the size of a walnut and is found just below the bladder, which stores urine. The prostate wraps around a tube (the urethra) that carries urine from the bladder out through the tip of the penis. During a man's orgasm (sexual climax), muscles squeeze the prostate's fluid into the urethra. Sperm, which are made in the testicles, also go into the urethra during orgasm. The milky fluid carries the sperm through the penis during orgasm.

Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is an enlarged but otherwise normal prostate. It is common in older men and may cause no problems at all.

The cause of BPH is not well understood. For centuries, it has been known that BPH occurs mainly in older men and that it doesn't develop in men whose testes were removed before puberty. For this reason, some researchers believe that factors related to aging and the testes may spur the development of BPH.

Throughout their lives, men produce both testosterone, an important male hormone, and small amounts of estrogen, a female hormone. As men age, the amount of active testosterone in the blood decreases, leaving a higher proportion of estrogen. Studies done with animals have suggested that BPH may occur because the higher amount of estrogen within the gland increases the activity of substances that promote cell growth.

Some researchers suggest that BPH may develop as a result of "instructions" given to cells early in life. According to this theory, BPH occurs because cells in one section of the gland follow these instructions and "reawaken" later in life. These "reawakened" cells then deliver signals to other cells in the gland, instructing them to grow or making them more sensitive to hormones that influence growth.

The most common symptom of BPH is trouble urinating. Many men with BPH have no bothersome symptoms. But BPH may cause some men to have problems urinating. Put a check next to the symptoms that you have:

  • I feel that I have not completely emptied my bladder after I stop urinating.
  • I urinate often.
  • I stop and start when I urinate.
  • I have a strong and sudden desire to urinate that is hard to delay.
  • My urine stream is weak.
  • I need to push or strain to start the urine stream. I often wake up at night to urinate.

As the prostate grows in BPH, it squeezes the urethra (urinary tube). This narrows the tube and can cause problems with urination. Sometimes with BPH you can also have urinary infection or bleeding.

In the early stages of BPH, the bladder muscle can still force urine through the narrowed urethra by squeezing harder. But if the blockage continues, the bladder muscle gets stronger, thicker, and more sensitive. The result is a stronger need to urinate.

In some cases, you may have trouble forcing urine through the urethra. This means the bladder cannot empty completely. Some men may find that they suddenly cannot urinate (a condition called acute urinary retention). Over time, a few men might have bladder or kidney problems or both.

Sometimes BPH causes infection of the urinary tract. This can cause burning or pain when you urinate. The urinary tract is the path that urine takes as it leaves the body. The tract includes the kidneys, ureters, bladder, and urethra.

If you have symptoms that bother you, see a doctor. He or she can find out if BPH -- or another disease -- is the cause. If you do have BPH, your doctor can also see if it has caused other problems.

Currently, the five ways of treating BPH are:

  • Watchful waiting.
  • Alpha blocker drug treatment.
  • Finasteride drug treatment.
  • Balloon dilation.
  • Surgery.

Surgery will do the best job of relieving your urinary symptoms, but it also has more risk than the other treatments. Unless you have a serious complication of BPH that makes surgery the only good choice, you can choose from a range of treatments. Which one you choose if any depends on how much your symptoms bother you. Your choice also depends on how much risk you are willing to take to improve your symptoms. You and your doctor will decide together.

Discuss It!

Scott Burckhard said:

Is it possible that the number of orgasms in a man's life could be linked in some way to BPH?