Prostate Enlargement
Dr Md Anawar Hossain
What is Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH)?
Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is defined as the prostate enlargement. The prostate grows and gets larger as a man ages. Prostate enlargement causes problems when it is large enough. Generally, the size of prostate is equal to that of a walnut or golf ball in adult men, but it can grow to be as large as an orange.
Enlargement of prostate gland causes following problems:
- It can squeeze the urethra,
- Bladder wall becomes thicker,
- Bladder may weaken over time and can’t empty urine fully,
- Urine then remains in the bladder,
- Result in lower urinary tract symptoms,
- Immediately consult your doctor if you can’t pass urine at all or if you have renal failure.
Common signs and symptoms
- The severity of symptoms varies from men to men depending on the severity of their individual prostate gland enlargement. Therefore, please consult your doctor if you feel you have the following symptoms, because the symptoms tend to gradually worsen over time.
- The prostate enlargement can bother or block the bladder,
- Frequent urination is a common symptom,
- Urination might occur every 1 to 2 hours, mainly at night,
- Men can’t empty the urine and feels that the bladder is still full and needs urination,
- Feeling the urgent need to urinate,
- Need to stop and start several times when passing urine,
- Frequency of urination at night, more than two times,
- Difficulty in passing urine at the beginning,
Severe cases:
- Inability to urinate when benign prostatic hyperplasia becomes severe,
- Infection in urinary tract and leading to bladder damage,
- Blood in the urine,
- Causing kidney damage.
Is it cancer: Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH)?
- No, it is not cancer,
- It is benign,
- But BPH and cancer can happen at the same time,
- Treatment can help to relieve symptoms,
- BPH is common and found in about half of all men between ages 51 and 60,
- Up to 90% of men over age 80 have it.
Causes of Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH)
Benign prostatic hyperplasia mainly occurs in older men. Although the causes are not clear, hormone changes are thought to play a role in benign prostatic hyperplasia. Hormones from the testis may be the main factor to trigger prostate cell growth.
Risk factors for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH)
There are many risk factors for benign prostatic hyperplasia. Men who are at a higher risk include:
- Age: men over the age of 50 are at a risk of BPH as it rises with age,
- Family history,
- Overweight or obesity increases the risk of BPH,
- Too much body fat may increase hormone levels and other factors in the blood, and stimulate the growth of prostate cells,
- Exercise can lower your risk of BPH,
- Men who don’t do exercise and stay active,
- Men at high risk who have metabolic syndrome, diabetes, high blood pressure and eat diet low in fruit, vegetables and legumes,
- Some men with erectile dysfunction (ED).
Prevention of BPH
There is no sure way to prevent BPH. But following lifestyle can help to prevent benign prostatic hyperplasia.
- Losing weight,
- Eating a well-balanced diet, rich in fruits and vegetables,
- Staying active also helps control weight and hormone levels.
Diagnosis
Consult your doctor if you have possible symptoms of benign prostatic hyperplasia. But immediately consult your doctor if you see that you have following symptoms:
- Blood in your urine,
- Pain or burning while passing urine,
- Inability to urinate.
Treatment
There are many options for treating BPH. You and your doctor will decide together which treatment is right for you. Mild cases may need no treatment at all. In some cases, minimally invasive procedures (surgery without anesthesia) are good choices. And sometimes a combination of treatments works best.
The main types of treatments for BPH are:
Active Surveillance
Prescription Drugs
Less Invasive Surgery
More Invasive Surgery
What is Urology?
Urology is a sub-specialty of medicine that deals with the diseases of kidneys, bladder and prostate, including incontinence, impotence, infertility, cancer and reconstruction of the genito-urinary tract. Urology is called as a surgical specialty. It provides treatment for both male and female of all ages (UCF, 2022). It also takes care of the male organs that are able to make babies (penis, testes, scrotum, prostate, etc. (UCF, 2022). Therefore, given the health issues in these body parts of both male and female, urologic health is important for everyone.
What is Urologist?
A urologist is a medical doctor who has knowledge not only in surgery but also in internal medicine, pediatrics, gynecology and other parts of health care, because a urologists see and deal with a wide range of clinical problems (UCF, 2022).
Urologic Diseases
- Urinary tract infections,
- Kidney stones,
- Bladder control problems,
- Prostate problems.
- Some urologic conditions last only a short time, while others are long-lasting,
- Human body removes urine through the urinary tract that is called body’s drainage system,
- The urinary tract consists of the kidneys, ureters, and bladder.
- The urinary tract should function properly to urinate normally.
Subspecialty
According to the American Urological Association, urology has seven subspecialty:
- Pediatric Urology (children’s urology),
- Urologic Oncology (urologic cancers),
- Renal (kidney) Transplant,
- Male Infertility,
- Calculi (urinary tract stones),
- Female Urology,
- Neurourology (nervous system control of genitourinary organs).
Progress in Urology
- Urology is one of the most innovative surgical specialties,
- Urologists still use traditional surgical methods,
- They have also pioneered modern, high-tech, fibreoptic and endoscopic techniques,
- Use minimally-invasive surgery,
- Used “keyhole” surgery routinely,
- Used robotic assistance for complex surgery.
Reference
Urology Care Foundation (UCF), 2022. What is Urology? Last accessed on 13/11/2022. https://www.urologyhealth.org/urology-a-z/what-is-urology.