Frequently Asked Questions About Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia

Questions and Answers
Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH)

1. What is benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH)?
2. What are the symptoms of BPH?
3. How is BPH diagnosed?
4. Does BPH lead to cancer?
5. Will BPH interfere with sexual functioning?
6. How does BPH affect urination?
7. When should BPH be treated?
8. How is BPH treated?

1. What is benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH)?
BPH is the enlargement of the prostate, frequently occurring in men over the age of 50. The enlargement can result in a gradual squeezing of the urethra, sometimes causing difficulty in urinating.

2. What are the symptoms of BPH?
Many men may not have any symptoms of BPH. If you do have symptoms, they may include:

A weak urinary stream
Difficulty starting urination
Frequent urination
Frequently awakening at night to urinate

Blockage of the urethra from BPH may lead to repeated urinary tract infections, a sudden inability to urinate, or gradual bladder and/or kidney damage.

3. How is BPH diagnosed?
Since the prostate lies in front of the rectum, your doctor will most likely perform a digital rectal examination (DRE) by inserting a gloved, lubricated finger into the rectum. By doing this, he or she will be able to feel the prostate and determine if it is enlarged or if it has lumps or oth abnormalities.

Many doctors perform a prostate exam for men over the age of 50, or over the age of 45 for those with risk factors for prostate cancer, such as family history or African-American ethnicity.

4. Does BPH lead to cancer?
No, BPH is not cancer and has not been shown to increase the risk of prostate cancer. However, both conditions can exist together. Check with your doctor about your concerns.

5. Will BPH interfere with sexual functioning?
BPH generally does not interfere with sexual functioning.

6. How does BPH affect urination?
The urethra, the tube that carries urine from the bladder out through the tip of the penis, also runs through the prostate. The enlargement of the prostate can result in squeezing of the urethra, sometimes causing difficulty in urinating.

Effects of BPH on urination include:

A weak urinary stream
Difficulty starting urination
Frequent urination
Frequently awakening at night to urinate

It can also cause other urinary problems, such as urinary tract infections.

7. When should BPH be treated?
An enlarged prostate is not reason enough to consider treatment. You and your doctor may decide on "watchful waiting," in which you are examined periodically to check the status of your prostate. Sometimes symptoms may lessen without active treatment. However, if symptoms from BPH are bothering you or are severely affecting the urinary tract, treatment may be required.

8. How is BPH treated?
BPH can be treated with medications, nonsurgical procedures that use heat to destroy excess tissue, or surgery. With surgery for BPH, the enlarged tissue that is pressing against the urethra is removed. The rest of the prostate tissue and the outside capsule are left intact. .

For a man whose symptoms are not severe enough to be bothersome, he and his physician may choose watchful waiting. This involves an exam by the physician to carefully monitor the progression of symptoms and possible complications. The problem with watchful waiting is that prostate cancer patients often times do not experience symptoms and "waiting" can allow the cancer to progress.

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