men s health issues
Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH)
Symptoms of BPH
Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) first causes symptoms when the enlarged prostate begins to block the flow of urine. Health care providers sometimes use the term lower urinary tract symptoms to describe the combination of symptoms that BPH can cause. At first, men may have difficulty starting urination. Urination may also feel incomplete. Because the bladder does not empty completely, men have to urinate more frequently, often at night (nocturia). Also, the need to urinate may become more urgent. The volume and force of the urinary flow may diminish noticeably, and urine may dribble at the end of urination. The lower urinary tract symptoms of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) can also be caused by other disorders, including infection, Prostate Cancer , and Other problems can develop from an enlarged prostate, but these problems affect only a small number of men with BPH. Urinary Tract Obstruction with retention of some urine in the bladder may increase the pressure in the bladder and limit the flow of urine from the kidneys, putting increased stress on the kidneys. This increased pressure may impede kidney function, although the effect is usually temporary if the obstruction is relieved early. If obstruction is prolonged, the bladder may overstretch, causing Urinary Incontinence in Adults . As the bladder stretches, small veins in the bladder and urethra also stretch. These veins sometimes burst when men strain to urinate, causing blood to enter the urine. Urine flow out of the bladder can be blocked ( Urinary Retention ) completely, making urination impossible and usually leading to a full feeling and severe pain in the lower abdomen. However, occasionally urinary retention can occur with few or even no symptoms until retention is very severe. Urinary retention can be triggered by the following conditions: Being immobile (for example, when put on bed rest) Being exposed to cold Delaying urination for a long time , opioids, or drugs with anticholinergic effects (see sidebar Anticholinergic: What Does It Mean? ) such as antihistamines and decongestants and some antidepressants In benign prostatic hyperplasia, the prostate gland enlarges. Normally the size of a walnut, the prostate gland may become as large as a tennis ball. The enlarging prostate gland squeezes the urethra, which carries urine out of the body. As a result, urine may flow through more slowly. 