Enlarged Prostate (BPH)
The prostate is a gland below the bladder that wraps around the urethra, the tube urine passes through. In most men it grows slowly from middle age onwards, and in some it squeezes the urethra enough to cause trouble passing urine. This is benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), often just called 'prostate' in Nigeria. It is not cancer and does not turn into cancer, but the symptoms overlap, so the two need to be told apart by a urologist.
Find a Urology SpecialistMedically reviewed by Dr Debo Odulana, Founder and Chief Executive, Mezo. Last reviewed . This page is general information, not a diagnosis. Care is decided with you after an examination.
Symptoms
- Weak or slow urine stream
- Straining or waiting before urine starts
- Waking more than once at night to pass urine
- Needing to go often, or urgently
- Dribbling after you finish
- Feeling the bladder has not emptied
- Being unable to pass urine at all (retention)
When to See a Doctor
See a urologist if your urine stream has changed, you wake at night to pass urine, or you feel you never quite empty. Have it checked rather than assumed: the same symptoms can come from prostate cancer, a urethral stricture or diabetes. Go to an emergency department straight away if you cannot pass urine at all, and see a doctor promptly for blood in the urine or fever with pain on passing urine.
Treatment options
- Watchful waiting with lifestyle changes for mild symptoms (less fluid in the evening, less caffeine and alcohol)
- Alpha blockers such as tamsulosin to relax the prostate
- 5-alpha reductase inhibitors such as finasteride to shrink the gland over months
- TURP (transurethral resection of the prostate) when medication is not enough
- Open or laser prostatectomy for very large glands
- A catheter to relieve urinary retention
What it costs on Mezo
Published cash prices for the operations used to treat this condition. Your own quote follows an examination.
Common Questions
Is an enlarged prostate the same as prostate cancer?
No. BPH is a non-cancerous enlargement and does not raise your risk of cancer. But both are common in older men and can exist together, so a urologist will usually examine the prostate and may check your PSA before treating symptoms as BPH.
Can an enlarged prostate be treated without surgery?
Most men are treated with medication, and many never need an operation. Surgery is advised when medication does not control the symptoms, or when there are complications such as retention, repeated infection, bladder stones or kidney damage.
Do herbal remedies work for prostate enlargement?
Saw palmetto and similar products sold for prostate health have not worked better than a placebo in good trials. The bigger risk is delay: a man treating himself for months may be missing a cancer or a bladder that is not emptying.
Will prostate surgery affect my sex life?
After TURP most men have 'dry' orgasms, where semen goes back into the bladder instead of out. Erections are usually unaffected. Your urologist should discuss this with you before you agree to the operation.
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