Benign Prostatic Hypertrophy or BPH: Signs and Symptoms

Benign prostatic hypertrophy, or BPH, is a condition that revolves around the increase in size of the prostate. It usually presents itself in middle aged and elderly men. Although the condition is not a malignant one, it still produces a lot of anxiety for the men that have the condition. When a person has BPH, the prostate enlarges and the nodules that are in the prostate press on the urethral canal and cause a partial or a total obstruction. This can make urination irritating, painful, and uncomfortable. Along with difficult or painful urination, other symptoms of benign prostatic hypertrophy also include urinary hesitancy, urinating frequently but only with small amounts at a time, urinary retention, and urinary tract infections. The obstructive, uncomfortable, and irritating symptoms can be treated with a doctors care, so medical advice should be sought as soon as possible. Many men suffer from nocturia, which is waking up several times during the night to urinate and also an increased urgency for the need to urinate. Although BPH is not in itself a malignant condition, it can get worse over time if it is left untreated for too long. Not completely voiding the bladder of urine can cause bacteria to build up in the bladder, which creates a build up of bacterial residue. This is the kind of bacteria that can lead to urinary tract infections, which can in turn make a person very ill if left untreated. Urinary bladder stones are also a common result of benign prostatic hypertrophy. The stones can be very painful, and can exacerbate the symptoms that are already uncomfortable. In addition, BPH left untreated can also lead to renal failure from chronic urinary retention. The resulting renal failure is then diagnosed as obstructive uropathy. To diagnose the condition of BPH, blood tests done and rectal exams are two of the most common procedures that are performed. Other conditions that are classified with similar conditions must be ruled out in order for BPH to be confirmed. The severity of the symptoms are signs of the progression of BPH, which will also point to which treatments should be used. Anyone who suspects that they may be suffering from benign prostatic hypertrophy should contact their doctor for BPH diagnosis and treatment before the symptoms lead to other problems and can be treated successfully.