Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH) is a condition in which the prostate is enlarged, but not cancerous. The enlargement of the prostate can restrict the flow of urine from the bladder, causing uncomfortable and inconvenient urinary symptoms.
The prostate enlarges first at the onset of puberty, and again beginning around age 25. This process often results later in benign prostatic hyperplasia.
As the prostate grows later in life, it can “squeeze” the urethra and partly block the flow of urine, like a clamp on a garden hose. The wall of the bladder becomes irritable and begins to contract or shrink, even when it contains only a small amount of urine.
This can cause the feeling that you have to urinate, even though your bladder isn’t full.
Urinary symptoms due to an enlarged prostate often develop so slowly that you may not notice them until they start to affect your daily life:
- Needing to urinate more often, especially at night
- Sudden need to urinate
- Needing to strain to start urinating
- A weak, variable, or dribbling urine stream
- Pain or burning during urination
- Feeling that the bladder isn’t completely empty after urinating