Most men experience prostate gland enlargement as they age. This is a condition called benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH).
The prostate gland is underneath the bladder. When it gets bigger, it can block the flow of urine through the urethra, which is the tube that carries urine from the bladder out through the penis. This can cause problems with urination. Mayo Clinic experts theorize that the prostate gland grows as men age as a result of changes in hormonal balance. If you don’t get treatment for it, BPH can cause bladder, urinary tract, or kidney problems.
The complications of BPH can be serious, but BPH isn’t prostate cancer. Having BPH doesn’t mean you have an increased risk of prostate cancer. The prostate tissue growth associated with BPH begins around the inner prostate, which is a ring of tissue around the urethra, and continues growing inward. Prostate cancer begins growing on the outer part of the prostate and grows outward.
Symptoms of Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH)
1- A frequent or urgent need to urinate
Many men with BPH will feel the need to urinate frequently, especially at night. This is a condition called nocturia. Frequent urination is defined by the National Institutes of Health as having to urinate eight or more times per day. Sometimes, this need to urinate may be urgent. An enlarged prostate gland puts increased pressure on the urethra and bladder, which results in an inability to hold in your urine.
2-Difficulty urinating
BPH can make the act of urinating difficult. Increased pressure on the urethra can block the flow of urine from the bladder out through the penis. This can make it hard to start a urine stream, and it can cause a weak or interrupted urine stream, especially at the end of urination.
3-Pain during urination or ejaculation
The pressure on your reproductive system and urinary tract from BPH can result in pain during urination or ejaculation. Some men feel the need to push urine out during urination, which can also cause pain. Pain during urination or ejaculation may also occur due to infection, which is a relatively common complication of BPH.
4-Urine with blood or an unusual color or smell
Urinary retention can cause urine to take on a darker color and unusual smell. Foul-smelling urine is typically a sign of a urinary tract infection (UTI). Blood in the urine, or hematuria, can occur as a result of the dilated veins on the surface of an enlarged prostate gland. Visible blood in the urine is called gross hematuria. If you see blood in your urine, see your doctor right away.