Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia causes problems which, if not properly treated, have a strong impact on a patient’s quality of life.
Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia causes problems which, if not properly treated, have a strong impact on a patient’s quality of life.
What is Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia?
Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH), also known as prostatic adenoma is a prostate disease. It causes an increase in prostate volume due to the increase in the number of cells, mainly in the central part of the gland around the urethra. It is a benign type of growth that causes compression of the surrounding tissues.
Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia is linked to ageing and over the years it can cause compression and distortion of the urethra thus obstructing the flow of urine. It is a very common pathology. The prevalence rate in men over the age of 50, suffering from BPH associated with prostatic symptoms, is between 50-75%; this percentage rises to 80% in men over the age of 70.
* Egan The Epidemiology of Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia Associated with Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms Prevalence and Incident Rates, Urol Clin N Am 43 (2016),
Symptoms
There are two types of symptoms associated with BPH: obstructive and irritative. Obstructive symptoms include difficulty in starting to urinate, a weak urine flow, intermittent flow and incomplete bladder emptying. Irritative symptoms include increased urinations frequency, especially at night, and urgency and burning when urinating. If left untreated, Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia can cause urinary tract infections, kidney or bladder damage, and episodes of acute urinary retention (i.e. failure to urinate). This is due to complete urethral obstruction caused by an enlarged prostate which requires the insertion of a bladder catheter to allow the bladder to empty.