BPH Specialist

What is BPH?

Around the age of 25, the prostate begins to grow, slowly increasing in size throughout adulthood and causing BPH, also known as an enlarged prostate. This growth occurs as age-related hormonal changes promote cellular growth. BPH is benign (noncancerous), and it doesn’t increase your risk for prostate cancer, but it can lead to problems with your urinary tract.

What symptoms develop due to BPH?

The primary symptoms of BPH are related to urination problems. Your prostate surrounds the urethra, which is the tube that carries urine out of your body. As the prostate enlarges, it puts pressure on the urethra that can partially or completely block urine flow.

The symptoms you’ll experience include:

• Urinary frequency
• Urinary urgency
• Urinating during the night
• Weak urine stream
• Incomplete bladder emptying
• Need to strain to start urinating
• Dribbling small amounts of urine

In severe cases, you may need to urinate every hour or two throughout the night. If you can’t urinate at all, seek immediate medical care from the team at Urological Associates.

How is BPH treated?

Your doctor at Urological Associates creates customized treatment based on the severity of your symptoms and the size of your prostate. Sometimes BPH stabilizes, while other times, the progressive urinary symptoms of a growing prostate put you at risk for complications, such as urinary retention, bladder stones, and kidney damage. All these variables must be continuously assessed.

Your treatment for BPH may include:

Watchful waiting

If your symptoms and the size of your prostate don’t require immediate treatment, it’s safe to schedule regular checkups to monitor for changes.

Medication

Prescription medications may improve your symptoms by reducing the size of your prostate or making it easier to urinate.

UroLift device

You may be a good candidate for treatment with an innovative device called the UroLift. The UroLift doesn’t destroy or remove tissue. It uses small, painless implants to slightly compress the prostate, holding prostatic tissue away from the urethra and eliminating urine blockage.

Surgery

The doctors at Urological Associates are experts in several types of surgery, including laser surgery, to remove or destroy small areas of overgrown tissue. During laser surgery, they insert a small scope into the urethra, pass a laser through the scope, then use the laser’s energy to remove prostate tissue that’s blocking the urethra and stopping urine flow.

If you have difficulty urinating or you’re up several times during the night, call Urological Associates or book an appointment online.