The prostate is a small gland present in men just below the urinary bladder. Urethra make its way through it. The prostate does not grow until about 40 years when usually it starts enlarging. Prostate enlargement occurs in every male though the rate of increase in size may vary with race, familial factors, etc. Although an increase in the size of the prostate is associated with the chances of having urinary symptoms, it may not always be true. Enlarged prostate may cause none to little symptoms and minimal enlarged prostate may cause severe bothersome urinary symptoms. The enlarged prostate ( or BPH) may affect by irritative or obstructive voiding symptoms.
Irritative symptoms of enlarged prostate
- Frequency – passing urine too frequently
- Urgency – Inability to hold and postpone passing urine and need to rush for passing urine at first thought
- Nocturia – getting up at night for more than once for passing urine
- Dysuria – burning sensation while passing urine
Obstructing symptoms of enlarged prostate
- Poor flow – having weak urinary stream
- Intermittency – urine flow interrupts many times while voiding
- Incomplete evacuation – a feeling of residual urine in bladder and persistent urge to pass urine even after finished voiding
- Straining – passing urine with the push or need to strain for passing urine
- Hesitancy – taking a long time to initiate the urinary flow
- Post void dribbling – the continuous passage of urine in drops at end phase of passing urine
The presence of the these symptoms points towards something wrong in the urinary system and most commonly due to prostate once age crosses 50-60 years. The symptoms are then graded in each person to place each patient in certain risk groups by the physician and subsequent treatment of enlarged prostate are initiated for each risk group. Not all patients require surgery for enlarged prostate and medicine is appropriate for patients with minimal symptoms. Passing blood in urine is the ominous sign after 60 years and may point towards something more serious happening inside and need to be evaluated promptly.
(Click below to watch and know in detail about all diseases affecting prostate gland at https://www.facebook.com/MenKiBaatLive/videos/240317394710202/
Dr Varinder Attri - Urologist and Andrologist 