What You Need To Know About BPH

What Is BPH?

Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), also known as an enlarged prostate, is a common health condition that affects as many as 14 million American men.

The prostate is a walnut-shaped gland located below the bladder with the primary function of producing fluid that nourishes and helps transport semen. The prostate goes through two growth phases - the first phase is during puberty, when the prostate doubles in size. The second phase starts at 25 and continues throughout a man’s life.

As the prostate grows, it can compress the urethra and cause the bladder walls to become thicker, which results in issues emptying the bladder that lead to other urinary complications.

What are some common BPH Symptoms?

The most common symptom of BPH is a noticeable change in a patient’s urination habits. These changes can include:

• Frequent urination or urgent urination
• Nocturia (waking up in the middle of the night to urinate)
• Weakened stream when urinating
• Difficulty or pain during urination
• Abnormal smell or color present in urine

Urinary incontinence - the loss of bladder control that results in patients leaking urine sporadically - is also a commonly reported symptom of BPH. Additionally, some patients report experiencing urinary retention, which makes it difficult for patients to empty their bladder and can be very painful if left untreated.

If you or a loved one are experiencing any of the above symptoms, consult a physician as soon as possible.

How do you diagnose and treat BPH?

Physicians have several methods of diagnosis at their disposal. Urinalysis and ultrasound are common methods of diagnosis, as well as cystoscopy, which involves placing a thin camera called a cystoscope through the urethra to allow doctors to look inside the patient’s bladder. Doctors will most likely perform a prostate check or a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test in order to rule out any other potential conditions, such as prostate cancer. Prostate-specific antigen is a protein produced by both cancerous and non-cancerous tissue in a patient’s prostate. PSA testing involves taking a blood sample from the patient and analyzing the levels of PSA in the sample. PSA levels above 4.0 ng/mL are higher than average, and thus serve as strong evidence of prostate cancer in a patient.

Once the patient is diagnosed, the physician will then work on a treatment plan that is personalized for the patient’s particular symptoms and medical history. Behavior-related treatment methods such as changes to the patient’s diet and exercise regimen, pelvic floor exercises, and bladder training are often utilized as a first line of treatment. Physicians may also prescribe medication to help shrink the prostate gland or stop the growth of the prostate entirely.

The physicians at UAM will often recommend patients affected by BPH to consider a treatment option known as UroLift. The UroLift system is a small implant that holds open the urethra and helps remove prostate obstruction in order for the patient to experience proper urinary flow. The UroLift implant is placed in the urethra through a minimally invasive outpatient procedure that does not involve any cutting, heating, or removal of a patient’s prostate tissue. For patients over 45 who qualify for UroLift, it is a great treatment option that does not require any additional forms of medication. Talk to your physician about UroLift to see if the treatment is right for you.

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