If you’re like most men, you don’t spend too much time thinking about your prostate—until it gives you trouble. This walnut-shaped gland produces seminal fluid when you ejaculate, but issues with it can affect more than your sex life.
One of the most common issues affecting this gland is benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), or an enlarged prostate. By around age 60, researchers estimate that at least 50% of all men have BPH.
The dedicated board-certified providers at Urological Associates in Charlottesville, Virginia, specialize in treating men struggling with the frustrating symptoms of BPH. Our team also knows that many men don’t know which signs and symptoms to look for when it comes to enlarged prostate.
We asked our experts to weigh in with some of the most common signs of BPH and when it’s time to seek medical help. Keep reading to learn what you need to know.
The most common (and earliest) sign of BPH in most men is a frequent, urgent need to urinate. This is because your prostate gland is located under your bladder and around your urethra, the small tube that takes urine from your bladder out of your body.
As the prostate gland grows, it begins to put pressure on your bladder. This creates a feeling of urgently needing to pee—even when your bladder isn’t full.
You might also find you’re getting up several times at night to run to the bathroom. This symptom, called nocturia, is also a common early sign of BPH.
Your prostate gland surrounds the top part of your urethra. When it grows larger than its normal size, it constricts your urethra.
This constriction can lead to trouble starting or stopping your urine. For example, you might rush to the bathroom with an urgent need to pee, only to find once you’re there that you can’t urinate right away.
The constriction of your urethra and the added pressure an enlarged prostate places on your bladder can cause embarrassing symptoms, like post-urination dribbling, officially called post-micturition dribble (PMD).
While it’s normal to have a little excess urine in your penis that you shake off while still at the toilet or urinal, PMD is different. With PMD, the dribbling comes from urine left in the urethra’s curve.
This kind of dribbling typically occurs after you’ve already left the restroom and can be very frustrating since it leaves noticeable wet areas on the front of your pants.
As your prostate gland keeps growing, it can lead to pain while urinating or when you ejaculate. You may notice this pain when you first feel an urge to urinate or when you first start to pee. And it generally follows immediately after ejaculation.
Research tells us that men who get help for BPH sooner rather than later can better manage their symptoms in the long run. That’s why you should talk to a provider who can give you medical advice if you have any of these signs of BPH or if you’re worried about the health of your prostate.
The best management or treatment plan for BPH depends on your symptoms, age, and overall health. At Urological Associates, your provider takes these factors and your personal preferences into consideration when creating your personalized BPH treatment plan.
If you have mild-to-moderate BPH, for example, your provider may recommend starting with medication. For men with severe BPH or whose symptoms are problematic, your provider may recommend a minimally invasive procedure to remove part of your prostate.
At Urological Associates, we also offer innovative BPH treatment using a one-time therapy called the UroLift® System. This FDA-approved treatment addresses your BPH by lifting the enlarged tissue away from your urethra—no cutting or tissue removal required.
The UroLift implant is placed during an outpatient procedure that requires only local anesthesia. It generally takes less than an hour to complete, and after your treatment, you experience immediate improvement in BPH symptoms—with fewer side effects and a faster recovery than other surgical alternatives.
Struggling with the signs of BPH? Get relief by scheduling an appointment at Urological Associates in Charlottesville, Virginia.
