What is Prostate Enlargement?
Prostate enlargement (benign prostatic hyperplasia - BPH):
- This is very common in older men. As many as half of men over 60 are affected to some extent, and as many 80% of those over 80. It is believed to be caused by the effect of male hormones and the ageing process, and may be an inherited condition.
- Difficulties with urinating are the main symptom, but it can be associated with urinary tract infections (UTIs), and kidney damage if left untreated.
- Accurate diagnosis can only be made by medical examination.
Treatment
Mild cases should be monitored for change but treatment may be unnecessary unless quality of life is worsening. Medical or surgical intervention may then be required. Some medications work by relaxing the prostate muscle cells to allow easier urination. A side effect of these for some men is retrograde ejaculation, which is described in the Ejaculation section of this web site. Other medications limit testosterone production to shrink the prostate. Side effects here can include a decrease in sex drive (libido), difficulties with ejaculation or with gaining erections (erectile dysfunction).
Where medical procedures do not help alleviate the problems being encountered then surgery to remove all or part of the prostate might be carried out (prostatectomy). Again, side effects can include erectile dysfunction, retrograde ejaculation in almost 90% of cases, and urinary incontinence. Other methods used can include TURP (transuretheral resection of the prostate) which is less traumatic, laser and high-intensity sound therapies.
