Benign prostatic hyperplasia: overview

Introduction
As men age, the tissue of the prostate grows and changes, resulting in enlargement (BPH). Men over the age of 40 may begin to experience symptoms of having an enlarged prostate, and not recognize why these changes are happening, or that they can be treated. The cause of BPH (Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia) is not known, although there are possible links to high fat diets, family history and hormones. BPH is not cancer!

Symptoms
Not all men with BPH experience symptoms, but if the prostate enlargement presses on the urethra (the tube that carries urine from the bladder out of the body), symptoms will result.Commonly experienced symptoms:

• more frequent urination (day & night)
• not emptying the bladder completely
• weak stream
• inability to delay urination
• difficulty stopping and starting
• incontinence (no control)
• painful or bloody urination

Diagnosis
A recent international conference supported by the World Health Organization has recommended the following tests during an initial evaluation of men with symptoms of benign prostatic hyperplasia.

History
An adequate history consists of 2 parts:

A history focusing on the nature and duration of symptoms, previous surgical procedures, general health issues, medications, and the patient’s overall health.

A quantification of symptoms. A structured symptom scoring system including symptoms and quality of life (bother) is the preferred method to assess the severity of symptoms and the rate of change of these symptoms. Most people believe that the degree that symptoms bother each patient is different and the need for treatment depends on the amount each person is bothered by their symptoms.

Expand All | Collapse All