If you’ve been diagnosed with an enlarged prostate, you’re not alone. By 55, about one-quarter of men have benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), the official name for an enlarged prostate. And the numbers keep rising: By age 60, 50% of men have BPH, and by age 85, at least 90% of men have an enlarged prostate.
Many men with an enlarged prostate worry about how the condition will impact their life and whether it poses a danger to their health. At Urological Associates in Charlottesville, Virginia, our team of board-certified providers has the answers to your questions.
Keep reading to learn what you need to know about BPH and the treatments available to help.
The prostate gland, which is about the size of a walnut, produces seminal fluids. It surrounds the top of your urethra and begins growing in size starting in your 20s. The gland keeps growing for the rest of your life, though scientists aren’t sure why.
When the gland grows too large, you’re diagnosed with benign prostatic hyperplasia. While the exact reasons most men develop BPH aren’t understood, researchers have linked the condition to aging.
As such, the older you get, the higher your chances of developing an enlarged prostate. Other risk factors that increase your chances of getting BPH include a family history of the condition, obesity, heart disease, and diabetes. Scientists have also found that an enlarged prostate is associated with rising testosterone levels and cellular changes in the testicles.
While BPH isn’t the same as prostate cancer, and it doesn’t make it more likely you’ll get prostate cancer, the problematic symptoms it causes can negatively impact your quality of life. These symptoms include:
The good news is that there are treatments that can help alleviate your discomfort. At Urological Associates, our providers are committed to providing the safest and most effective BPH treatments to men in and around Charlottesville, Virginia.
Without treatment, the symptoms of your enlarged prostate gland become more severe over time. Eventually, you can develop serious conditions for which you must seek medical intervention, including:
These conditions can trigger lower back or abdominal pain, not being able to urinate, pain, fever, or chills while emptying your bladder, and blood in your urine. If you have any of these symptoms, call your Urological Associates provider immediately.
The treatment plan for your enlarged prostate depends on your unique situation. At Urological Associates, your provider takes into account your age, medical history, overall health, the size of your prostate gland, and how bad your symptoms are and how they impact your life.
Your customized treatment plan may include options such as medication to help you urinate, medications to reduce the size of the prostate, or minimally invasive laser surgery to remove part of the prostate and reduce its size.
We’re also proud to offer a revolutionary and innovative treatment for BPH: the UroLift® System. This one-time treatment lifts your prostate off the urethra and holds it away. This enables urine to flow more easily and gives you immediate relief from other symptoms.
For help dealing with an enlarged prostate gland, contact the team at Urological Associates in Charlottesville, Virginia. Schedule an appointment by calling 434-295-0184 or book a consultation online now.
