Enlarged Prostate (BPH)

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Basics

• Summary
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• Diagnosis and Tests
• Prevention and Risk Factors
• Treatments and Therapies

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Research

• Clinical Trials
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Summary

The prostate is a gland in men. It helps make semen, the fluid that contains sperm. The prostate surrounds the tube that carries urine out of the body. As men age, their prostate grows bigger. If it gets too large, it can cause problems. An enlarged prostate is also called benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). Most men will get BPH as they get older. Symptoms often start after age 50.

BPH is not cancer, and it does not seem to increase your chance of getting prostate cancer. But the early symptoms are the same. Check with your doctor if you have

• A frequent and urgent need to urinate, especially at night
• Trouble starting a urine stream or making more than a dribble
• A urine stream that is weak, slow, or stops and starts several times
• The feeling that you still have to go, even just after urinating
• Small amounts of blood in your urine

Severe BPH can cause serious problems over time, such as urinary tract infections, and bladder or kidney damage. If it is found early, you are less likely to develop these problems.

Tests for BPH include a digital rectal exam, blood and imaging tests, a urine flow study, and examination with a scope called a cystoscope. Treatments include watchful waiting, medicines, nonsurgical procedures, and surgery.

NIH: National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases

Start Here

• Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (American Academy of Family Physicians) Also in Spanish
• Benign Prostatic Hyperstatic Hyperplasia (BPH) (Beyond the Basics) (UpToDate)
• Prostate Enlargement: Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH) (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases)

Diagnosis and Tests

• Blood in Urine (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
• Medical Tests for Prostate Problems (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases)
• MRI of the Prostate (American College of Radiology, Radiological Society of North America) Also in Spanish
• Prostate Ultrasound (American College of Radiology, Radiological Society of North America) Also in Spanish
• Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) Test (National Cancer Institute) Also in Spanish
• Urinary Retention (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases)

Prevention and Risk Factors

• Digital Rectal Exam (DRE) (American Society of Clinical Oncology) Also in Spanish

Treatments and Therapies

• Saw Palmetto (National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health)

Videos and Tutorials

• Enlarged prostate gland (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish

Clinical Trials

• ClinicalTrials.gov: Prostatic Hyperplasia (National Institutes of Health)

Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)

• Article: Stream of Consciousness.
• Article: Change of the 5α/5β ratio of urinary steroid metabolites in...
• Article: Benign prostatic hyperplasia: laser prostatectomy (PVP).
• Enlarged Prostate (BPH) -- see more articles

Find an Expert

• Find a Urologist (Urology Care Foundation)
• National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases

Patient Handouts

• Digital rectal exam (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Enlarged prostate (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Enlarged prostate - after care (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Prostate removal (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Prostate resection - minimally invasive (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Urinary Retention (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases)