How BPH Can Affect Men’s Health (and what you can do about it)

By: William Merriam, MD

What’s the leading reason men visit a urologist? Blame it on the prostate and aging. A man’s prostate never stops growing. By age 60, half of all men experience the effects of an enlarged prostate, also known as benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). Symptoms include trouble starting to urinate, a weak pee stream, and frequent urination at night. The good news, the condition is non-cancerous.

Here’s Why Your Prostate May Interrupt Sleep

The prostate sits at the base of the bladder and behind the penis. The urethra runs through the prostate’s center. That’s the tube that carries urine out of the body. The prostate is normally the size of a walnut, but once men reach their 40s and 50s, the prostate begins to enlarge. For many men, the growth squeezes the urethra making urine more difficult to pass.

In addition to the annoying symptoms already mentioned, BPH can affect men’s health in these ways:

A weaker bladder. If the prostate is so large that it closes off the urethra, the bladder will have to contract harder to push out urine. Over time, this weakens the bladder.

Urinary tract infections (UTIs). When the bladder doesn’t fully empty, the residual urine may cause a UTI to develop. Frequent UTIs can lead to kidney infections and sepsis.

Stored urine causes stones. Bladder stones can develop when the bladder doesn’t completely empty. The minerals and salts may form stones. The result of bladder and kidney stones is often infection, acute pain, and blood in the urine.

Kidney damage. If urinary retention puts too much pressure on the bladder, it may eventually damage the kidneys. And if the bladder becomes infected, that infection could spread to the kidneys.

BPH Treatment May Be Easier Than You Think

If caught early, BPH can be treated non-invasively. Lifestyle modifications, such as changing diet and Kegel exercises (yes, they’re for men too!), are a likely start. Medications, including prostate relaxants, also can treat mild to moderate BPH.

For men who don’t want to be treated with medication, and for those who don’t respond to medication, several surgical options are available. These include small UroLift implants (an outpatient procedure), as well as several methods of prostate tissue removal. Treatment will help to ensure a good night’s sleep, improve overall health, and improve quality of life (no more dashes to the restroom when you’re out with family/friends).

To learn more about BPH, its symptoms, and treatments, visit our webpage dedicated to the condition.