Your prostate grows in size as a result of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), which we refer to here as “prostate enlargement” for easy understanding. It is the most prevalent prostate condition in males and people who are born male, impacting almost all of them as they age.
Symptoms of prostate enlargement include urination problems and an urgent desire to urinate. Medication, surgery, and minimally invasive techniques are all options for treatment.
What exactly is benign prostatic enlargement (BPH)?
Benign prostatic enlargement (BPH)is a disorder in which the size of your prostate increases.
The prostate gland is located underneath the bladder and in front of the rectum. It’s around the size of a walnut and surrounds a portion of your urethra.
The urethra is a tube in your body that drains urine (pee) and sperm (ejaculate).
If your prostate swells in size, it might obstruct the passage of urine and ejaculate via your urethra.
BPH is not cancer. However, BPH symptoms may signify more severe problems, such as prostate cancer.
Is having benign prostatic hyperplasia a risk factor for prostate cancer?
According to research, having BPH does not raise your chance of acquiring prostate cancer. However, the symptoms of BPH and prostate cancer are identical. If you have BPH, you may also have undiscovered prostate cancer.
Every individual with a prostate should get a prostate screening every year between the ages of 55 and 69 to help identify prostate cancer in its early stages. If you are Black or have a family history of prostate cancer, you are at a higher risk of developing the disease. If you have a higher risk of prostate cancer, you should begin tests at the age of 40.
Who is affected by benign prostatic enlargement?
BPH is the most prevalent prostate issue in males and persons who were born male (AMAB). Almost everyone who has a prostate will experience some enlargement as they get older.
What is the prevalence of benign prostatic hyperplasia?
Benign prostatic hyperplasia is a frequent condition.
By the age of 60, almost half of all men with a prostate will show indications of BPH. Approximately 90% of people will exhibit symptoms of the illness by the age of 85.
Approximately half of all BPH patients will develop symptoms that need therapy.
What are the symptoms of benign prostatic hyperplasia?
Your urethra is surrounded by your prostate. When BPH causes your prostate to expand, it might produce a urethral obstruction. As a consequence, early BPH symptoms include:
- Urinating too slowly or dribbling.
- Difficulty urination
- Frequent urination (incontinence).
- Urgent need to urinate (urgency).
- Inability to empty your bladder entirely.
- Pain during ejaculation or when urinating.
- Your urine stinks.
What happens if an enlarged prostate is left untreated?
CAUSES AND SYMPTOMS
Without therapy, BPH may create more urethral obstruction, worsening your symptoms. It may also result in:
- Infection of the urinary tract.
- Stones in the bladder.
- You have blood in your urine.
- Kidney injury caused by urine backflow from the bladder to the kidney. Pee backflow puts strain on your kidney.
What is the root cause of benign prostatic hyperplasia?
Medical professionals and academics are unsure what causes BPH.
According to one idea, the quantity of testosterone in your body diminishes as you age (low testosterone). Your oestrogen levels stay constant at the same time. Your prostate cells may increase as a result of these hormonal changes. Supplemental testosterone, on the other hand, may cause or aggravate BPH.
Dihydrotestosterone levels are greater in older men in AMAB patients (DHT). DHT is a more strong type of testosterone that causes your prostate to enlarge.
Is benign prostatic hyperplasia spreadable?
BPH is not communicable. BPH cannot be passed on to another individual.
What kind of physician handles benign prostatic hyperplasia?
If your doctor feels you have BPH, he or she may recommend you to a urologist. A urologist is a doctor who specialises in the treatment of urinary system disorders.
DIAGNOSTIC AND TESTING
What are the symptoms of benign prostatic hyperplasia?
Your healthcare professional will ask you questions about your medical history and do a physical examination. A digital rectal exam is part of the physical exam.
Your healthcare practitioner will delicately put their gloved digit (finger) into your rectum during a digital rectal exam. They will feel the margins and surface of your prostate, estimate its size, and look for any hard regions that might be cancer.
Your physician may also prescribe:
- A questionnaire to assess the intensity of your symptoms.
- A urine flow test is used to determine the speed of your pee stream.
- A research to determine how much pee remains in your bladder after you’ve peed.
- A cystoscopy will be performed to examine your bladder.
TREATMENT AND MANAGEMENT
Is benign prostatic hyperplasia curable?
BPH does not have a cure. However, there are therapy alternatives available to assist relieve your discomfort.
What is the treatment for benign prostatic hyperplasia?
If your symptoms are minor, you may not need therapy. Your doctor may advise you to take a “watchful waiting” strategy, in which you arrange frequent consultations to ensure that your BPH does not worsen.
Among the treatment possibilities are:
Medications
The most typically recommended drugs relax the prostate muscle, reducing stress on the urethra. Here are several examples:
- Flomax® (tamsulosin).
- Terazosin (brand name Hytrin®).
- Cardura® (doxazosin).
- Uroxatral® (alfuzosin).
- Rapaflo® (silodosin).
Some drugs reduce DHT production, which might delay the development of your prostate gland. People with bigger prostates benefit the most from these drugs. Here are several examples:
- Proscar® (finasteride).
- Avodart® (dutasteride).
Your doctor may recommend a combination of drugs to address your symptoms while also improving your urine flow. Dutasteride plus tamsulosin (Jalyn®) is one example.
It may take one to eight weeks for your symptoms to improve after you begin taking medication.
Surgery
Several methods of surgery may be used to remove prostate tissue that is blocking your urethra. These are some examples:
Transurethral resection of the Prostate (TURP). Your urologist will place a special tool (resectoscope) into your urethra to view and remove prostate tissue.
Prostate transurethral incision (TUIP). To expand your urethra and enhance urine flow, your urologist makes two tiny incisions in your prostate and where your urethra and bladder unite (bladder neck).
Electrovaporization of the urethra. Your urologist will use an electrode to heat the tissue in your prostate. This converts the tissue cells in your prostate’s swollen parts into steam.
The GreenLightTM laser. Your urologist will use a specific laser to remove the swollen prostate tissue.
You should be able to resume regular activities within a few days or a week after a surgical treatment.
Treatments that are less invasive
Surgery is more intrusive and harmful to healthy tissue than new BPH therapies. In general, the majority of these therapies are outpatient operations, which means you may go home the same day. They are also less expensive, have less side effects, and allow for a quicker recovery. However, since these procedures are new, nothing is known regarding their long-term impacts or problems.
Prostatic urethral lift is an example of a minimally invasive therapy. This surgery divides your enlarged prostate lobes in order to widen your urethra, making it simpler to urinate. A unique device (UroLift®) is inserted into your urethra and up to your prostate by your urologist. The UroLift ejects tiny implants that pull your prostate lobes apart and open your urethra when it reaches the side wall of your prostate. Depending on the size of your prostate, your urologist may implant two to six implants.
Vapor therapy using water: An tool is inserted into your urethra and moved to your prostate by your urologist. The needle is subsequently inserted into your prostate by your urologist. The needle produces steam vapour, which condenses into water. The warm energy of the water kills your prostate cells. The dead cells are reabsorbed by your body, and your prostate shrinks. The RezmTM System is another name for this treatment.
The most typical negative effects of these therapies include increased peeing and pain or irritation while your prostate recovers.
You should be able to resume your usual activities in a few days after a minimally invasive surgery. Within three to six weeks, you should notice an improvement in your symptoms.
What’s the best way to treat benign prostatic hyperplasia?
The most effective therapy for most patients of BPH is TURP.
Medication and less invasive therapies, on the other hand, are recommended in persons 65 and older. Older individuals may have greater difficulties and need a longer recovery period after surgery.
What should I eat and drink if I have benign prostatic hyperplasia?
Fruits, veggies, and healthy fats may help your prostate. Consider adopting the Mediterranean diet or include more of the following foods in your diet:
- Berries.
- Broccoli.
- Citrus.
- Nuts.
- Tomatoes.
- Turmeric.
A bad diet may aggravate your BPH. If you have BPH, you should avoid processed foods, sweets, and high carbohydrate intake, as well as:
- Alcohol.
- Caffeine.
- Dairy.
- Meat that is red.
- Sodium (salt) (salt).
Can an enlarged prostate be repaired?
Some persons with mild BPH found that their symptoms went gone on their own. If your symptoms do not improve after a period of attentive waiting, you and your doctor should begin exploring therapy alternatives.
PREVENTION
What can I do to lower my chances of acquiring benign prostatic hyperplasia?
Making lifestyle changes that enhance your prostate and heart health, as well as taking supplements, are the most effective approaches to lower your chance of having BPH.
Exercising for at least 30 minutes every day may help prevent BPH or reduce the development of the prostate. It is also critical to maintain appropriate cholesterol, blood pressure, and blood sugar levels.
Before beginning any new supplements, consult with your healthcare physician. They may interact negatively with any vitamins or drugs you are already taking.
PROGNOSIS/OUTLOOK
What should I do if I have benign prostatic hyperplasia?
People suffering with BPH have a pretty favourable prognosis. Although there is no cure for BPH, therapies may help ease your symptoms. Mild symptoms may not require medical attention. More severe instances may be treated with medications, surgery, and minimally invasive therapies.
When should I make an appointment with my doctor?
If you have any of the following symptoms, contact your doctor straight away:
- While peeing, you may have pain in your lower abdomen or genitals.
- Peeing difficulty or inability to urinate at all.
- While peeing, you may get a fever or chills.
- You have blood in your urine.
Commonly asked questions
What distinguishes prostate cancer from benign prostatic hyperplasia?
Prostate cancer is a form of cancer that occurs in the prostate gland. Symptoms of early-stage prostate cancer are uncommon. As it advances, however, it exhibits many of the same symptoms as BPH. A poor urine flow, discomfort during ejaculating or urinating, and frequent desires to urinate are among the symptoms. Prostate cancer may spread to your bones, lymph nodes, and other organs. Radiation therapy and surgery are two treatment possibilities.
The symptoms of BPH are similar to those of prostate cancer. BPH, on the other hand, is not cancer and does not raise your chance of getting cancer. It will not spread to the rest of your body. Medication, surgery, and minimally invasive techniques are all options for treatment.
What distinguishes benign prostatic hyperplasia from benign prostatic enlargement?
BPH is the term given to a condition that causes your prostate to enlarge.
Benign prostatic enlargement (BPE) is a word used by doctors to describe the increased size of your prostate gland caused by BPH.
sum it up Benign prostatic hyperplasia is a highly prevalent illness that affects men and persons who are born male. BPH often appears at the age of 55. If you have moderate BPH, you and your doctor may decide to schedule frequent checkups to monitor your symptoms. If BPH is interfering with your quality of life, therapies may help you reduce your prostate.
If you experience BPH symptoms, consult with your doctor. You can decide on the best course of action together.
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