Benign Prostate Enlargement Symptoms & Treatment

Medically reviewed by:

Dr Dan Bunstone - Medical Officer

Updated: Aug 18, 2021

Next review: Aug 18, 2022

Benign Prostate Enlargement (BPE) is a common condition in men over 50.

While it can be uncomfortable and cause problems going to the toilet, benign prostate enlargement is not linked to prostate cancer and our doctors are able to treat it.

They can prescribe the medication you need and recommend lifestyle changes that will reduce the chance of BPE coming back.

Benign prostate enlargement (BPE) is a common condition in men aged over 50. It’s sometimes known as benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH).

It isn’t linked to prostate cancer and doesn’t pose any serious risk to your health. However, benign prostate enlargement can cause some uncomfortable symptoms, such as difficulty urinating. This is because when the prostate is enlarged, it can press down on the urethra and block the flow of urine.

Our doctors can discuss your symptoms and recommend the most effective treatment, from lifestyle changes to prescription medication that in most cases will be available for same-day collection from a local pharmacy.

The main symptom of benign prostate enlargement is difficulty urinating. This can present itself in a variety of ways, such as:

Difficulty urinating, even when you feel you need to
Having to strain to empty your bladder
Frequently experiencing a sudden urge to urinate
Frequently getting up to urinate during the night
A weak stream of urine
Urge incontinence - not getting to the toilet in time
Stress incontinence - urinating during a sneeze or cough

All of these symptoms can occur due to the prostate gland pressing on the urethra (the tube that passes urine out of your body from your bladder), interrupting the usual flow of urine.

The two most common treatment options for benign prostate enlargement are changes to your lifestyle and prescription medication.

Depending on your symptoms, our doctors can recommend that you try a few small changes to your lifestyle and see if they have an effect, such as drinking less alcohol, exercising more and cutting out caffeine.

Identifying what triggers your prostate enlargement will help you manage the problem in future.

If this doesn’t work, or if your symptoms are more severe, our doctors can prescribe medication to relieve your symptoms.

The most common medicines for benign prostate enlargement are known as alpha blockers. They’ll relax your prostate and allow urine to pass through from the bladder more easily.

It’s not always obvious why benign prostate enlargement occurs.

There has been some research into the topic, most of which has linked the issue to the natural hormonal changes that all men experience as they get older. It’s thought that these changes may stimulate the prostate and cause benign growth.

Aside from the fact it mostly affects men over 50, certain groups are considered more at risk of BPE, such men with diabetes or high blood pressure.

BENIGN PROSTATE ENLARGEMENT

Dr Dan Bunstone - Medical Officer

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