What is an enlarged prostate?
It is simply that the prostate has increased in size. It does not mean that you have prostate cancer if you have an enlarged prostate.
An enlarged prostate is sometimes also called:
- benign prostatic enlargement (BPE)
- benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH)
What causes an enlarged prostate?
Whilst the medical profession still doesn’t know all the reasons for the prostate to grow, it does know that the main factors are:
- age – the prostate grows as you get older
- hormones – hormone levels change in men as they get older and this can cause the prostate to grow
- diabetes – tests have shown that men with diabetes are more likely to experience and enlarged prostate
- obesity – obese men can be more likely to develop an enlarged prostate
- hereditary – some studies have shown that you may be more likely to develop the condition if your father or brother has it (further studies are needed here)
What are the symptoms of an enlarged prostate?
As discussed in our first in this mini-series about your prostate, Prostate Cancer UK suggests that the main symptoms indicating that you may have an issue with your prostate relate to passing water. The charity suggests that some of these symptoms may be present if you have an enlarged prostate:
- needing to wee more often than usual, especially at night
- difficulty starting to pass water
- a weak flow when you wee
- a feeling that you’re not emptying your bladder fully
- needing to rush to wee – sometimes leaking before you get there
- dribbling urine after you finish
Some men get all of these symptoms and some get none. It’s important to note that they could also be caused by other issues such as other health problems, medicines, changes in lifestyle or even the weather! You should visit your doctor if you experience any of these symptoms.
It’s estimated that around 40% of men over the age of 50 have urinary symptoms that are caused by an enlarged prostate.
What are the effects of an enlarged prostate?
Some men don’t experience any effects of an enlarged prostate and some get over it without any treatment, but some men say that issues with urinating make life in general more difficult as they have to make sure they are always close to a toilet.
Sleep can be affected by an enlarged prostate, especially if you have to get up to go to the toilet a lot during the night.
Some men suffer from urinary retention (not being able to empty their bladder properly), which can cause infection, bloating or leakage. This can be treated with surgery.
How is an enlarged prostate diagnosed?
Your GP may be able to diagnose an enlarged prostate by carrying out a number of tests which might include:
- checking your symptoms
- urine test
- asking you to keep a bladder diary
- blood tests
- a physical examination that may include a digital rectal examination
You may also be referred to hospital for further tests, including:
- urine flow test
- ultrasound
- bladder pressure test
- flexible cystoscopy
- pad test
You can find out more about these test by downloading Prostate Cancer UK’s leaflet “Enlarged prostate – a guide to diagnosis and treatment”
Does an enlarged prostate mean that you will get prostate cancer?
No, your risk of getting prostate cancer is not increased, but you can have prostate cancer and an enlarged prostate at the same time.
For more information about prostate issues, follow our mini-series over the next few weeks.
