Enlarged Prostate Symptoms: How to Tell When a Man Has BPH
Health articles > Enlarged Prostate Symptoms: How to Tell When a Man Has BPH
Enlarged Prostate Symptoms: How to Tell When a Man Has BPH
Enlarged prostate symptoms rarely manifest before the age of
40. For some men, symptoms might not even occur at all. However,
the condition called BPH or enlarged prostate affects almost 90
percent of men in their seventies and eighties, while more than
50 percent of men who reach their sixties experience symptoms.
Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH) or Benign Prostatic
Hypertrophy is a condition characterized by the enlargement of
the prostate gland; a common occurrence since it is quite normal
for men's prostates to enlarge as they age. The growth of the
prostate has two main phases; the first is during puberty, when
the size of the gland doubles; and the second is at around age
25, when the gland starts growing again. The second growth phase
often results in BPH years later. Some of the more common
enlarged prostate symptoms include weak stream of urine,
difficulty in starting urination, dribbling and leaking of
urine, a strong and sudden desire to urinate especially at
night, a feeling of not emptying the bladder, and in some cases,
blood in the urine.
As a man's prostate enlarges, the layer of tissue surrounding
it prevents the gland from expanding which causes the gland to
press against the urethra. The bladder wall becomes thicker and
irritable resulting in contraction which causes frequent
urination. .
Eventually, the bladder becomes weaker and might not be able to
empty itself which could result in urine being trapped in the
bladder. The narrowing of the urethra and the inability of the
bladder to fully empty itself cause many of the problems
associated with enlarged prostate
The cause of enlarged prostate has yet to be fully understood.
Since BPH occurs in older men and does not develop in those
whose testes were removed during puberty, researchers believe
that factors related to aging and the
testes contribute to the development of the condition. Some
studies have also theorized that BPH occurs because the amount
of
testosterone
(male hormone) in the
blood
decreases as a man ages, leaving a higher proportion of estrogen
(female hormone) which results in the increased activity of
substances associated with cell growth.
Majority of BPH symptoms stem from urethral obstruction and
gradual loss of bladder function.
The extent by which a man's prostate has grown does not always
determine how severe the condition is. Some men with greatly
enlarged prostate experience little problems and manifest few
symptoms, while others whose prostates are less enlarged may
have severe obstruction, more blockage and experience more
discomfort or pain.
Despite similarities between prostate cancer and enlarged
prostate symptoms, having the latter does not mean that chances
of getting the former are increased. Researchers have not found
any direct connection between BPH and prostate cancer, but it is
still highly imperative that men over the age of 40, whether
they have or do not have enlarged prostates, undergo a rectal
exam to screen for prostate cancer.
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