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The following information is general. It does not take the place of individual advice and management from your own doctor. Talk to your doctor if you have any questions or concerns after reading this information.
• What Does Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH) Mean?
• What BPH Means To You
• What Are The Usual Symptoms Of BPH?
• What Do I Do If I Have Any Of These Symptoms?
• Diagram Of BPH
• BPH Differs From Prostate Cancer
BPH is the name given to the non-cancerous enlargement of the prostate.
Benign - Not cancerous (malignant). Generally speaking, benign tissue does not spread to other organs.
Prostatic - To do with the prostate gland. The prostate is located deep in your pelvis, below your bladder. It is present in men, not in women.
Hyperplasia - Enlargement, increase in size.
For many men the common symptoms of BPH are annoying and bothersome, for example, having to pass water very frequently, both during the day and also at night.
This can be disruptive to your social life. You may find yourself planning your life around locating toilets. Having to get up to go to the toilet during the night can also be annoying for you and your partner. It causes disrupted sleep and can be tiring.
Note: It is a fact that cancer can occur in the prostate gland. Prostate cancer does not usually have
the same symptoms as BPH, but it may do. If you are at all concerned that you might have prostate cancer, you must talk with your doctor at the earliest opportunity. It is essential that you seek
individual medical advice.
In BPH the prostate gland grows bigger. This begins from around the age of 40. Eventually, as they
get older, most men will have an enlarged prostate. However, not all men will have symptoms.
The common symptoms of BPH include:
- straining / difficulty to start urination
- slow urine flow, poor urine stream
- stopping and starting while urinating
- frequent urination
- waking frequently at night to urinate (nocturia)
- difficulty postponing urination (urgency)
- residual dribbling after the bladder has been emptied
Consult your doctor. List your symptoms for your doctor. Write them down, for example, count the number of times you need to urinate at night, if that is one of your symptoms.
A - prostate gland; B - urinary bladder; C - urethra, the tube from the bladder; urine is passed through the urethra.
As part of normal aging the prostate [A] begins to enlarge. This is thought to be due to hormonal changes. Approximately 25% of men over 40 have some degree of BPH. This percentage increases with age. By the age of 80, about 80% of men will have BPH. BPH is a benign condition and does not develop into cancer. As the prostate [A] enlarges it makes the urethra [C] narrower than before. Therefore, when a man with BPH is passing water, his urinary bladder [B] has to work really hard to squeeze urine through the urethra [C].
BPH is NOT prostate cancer. BPH occurs more commonly than prostate cancer. BPH does not
become prostate cancer. However, it is possible for a man to have both BPH and prostate cancer
in different parts of the prostate gland.
It is important to have your prostate checked regularly from around the age of 50, (earlier if you have
a family history of prostate problems) whether you have any of the listed symptoms or not.
In its early stages prostate cancer may not cause any symptoms. A regular prostate check is likely
to help detect prostate cancer in its early (and usually more successfully treatable) stages. It also
helps detect other prostate problems, such as BPH.
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