Enlarged Prostate

An enlarged prostate does not necessarily indicate (or lead to) prostate cancer.

In this article:

What is enlarged prostate?

Symptoms

Causes

Diagnosis

Effect on your life

Treatment

Advice & Support

What is enlarged prostate?
The prostate gland (which only men have) lies just beneath the bladder. It is approximately the size of a chestnut and its primary function is to produce fluid which enriches and protects sperm, and also helps with the carriage of sperm out of the penis during ejaculation. The tube that runs from your bladder and then through your penis is called your urethra. Your prostate is ‘wrapped around’ this. When the prostate becomes enlarged, this can create a range of symptoms and problems.

Symptoms
Symptoms of enlarged prostate include:

Difficulty passing urine (and a noticeably weak stream when you do)

Frequently having to get up and go to the toilet to urinate during the night

A slight urine discharge after visiting the toilet (like urine incontinence)

A feeling of having to urinate more frequently during the day (often accompanied by an urgent need to do so when out and about)

Having to wait longer than would be normal before passing urine i.e. starting to actually urinate

A feeling the you have not emptied your bladder completely

Interrupted flow while urinating (like a kind of starting and stopping feeling)

Causes
In many men, the prostate enlarges as they get older. Although enlarged prostate could not be categorised in amongst serious health problems, it is nevertheless a difficult condition to cope with due to its symptoms and associated symptoms proving so inconvenient for many sufferers.

Diagnosis
You may find that you are able to self-manage your enlarged prostate symptoms. However, as the symptoms of enlarged prostate can be very similar to those related to a more serious condition (e.g., diabetes) it is worth arranging an appointment with your GP. After taking your medical history and asking you some questions about your symptoms, you GP will carry out tests in an effort to try to establish a confirmed diagnosis. The usual tests for enlarged prostate are a blood test and a digital rectal examination.

Effect on your life
Most sufferers of enlarged prostate agree that the main problem with developing the condition is the effect it can have on one’s quality of life. Problems with urinating at home (particularly during the night) can lead to disturbed sleep and can cause tension between couples.

Also, having to rush to find a toilet when out and about can be embarrassing. The fact that this is always a consideration every time you plan to go out for an evening (e.g., to the cinema, theatre or a concert) or even simply accepting a kind offer of dinner with friends at their home can be irritating. This behaviour can also mean that unwanted attention is drawn to you.

Treatment
Despite worldwide medical research, as yet there is no complete cure for enlarged prostate. The good news is that symptoms can be improved and controlled up to a point by using general self-help measures, such as reducing the amount of drink you have prior to anticipated visits to the toilet (i.e. after you have carefully monitored their frequency and level of urgency at different times of the day and night), and also by reducing alcohol and caffeine consumption overall. Also, nicotine can disturb your bladder, so if you are smoker, take steps to give up.

Where self-help measures prove unsuccessful, prescribed medicines can sometimes help to ease symptoms. These include:

Alpha-blocker medicines – these improve the flow of urine by relaxing the prostate and the neck of the bladder

5-Alpha reductase inhibitor medicines – these affect the behaviour of combining hormones which play a part in the prostate enlargement, causing it to gradually reduce in size

Surgery – where symptoms of enlarged prostate are particularly severe (and where self-help measures and prescribed medicines prove unsuccessful in improving symptoms), surgery to remove part or all of the prostate may be considered

Advice & Support
Prostate UK
Tel. 020 8788 7720
Website: www.prostateuk.org

The Prostate Cancer Charity
Tel: 0800 074 8383
Website: www.prostate-cancer.org.uk


This information and advice is not intended to replace the advice of your GP or chemist. Chemist Online is also not responsible or liable for any diagnosis made by a user based upon the content of the Chemist Online website. Chemist Online is also not liable for the contents of any external internet sites listed, nor does it endorse any commercial product or service mentioned or advised on any of the sites.


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