Overview
What is Prostatomegaly?
Prostatomegaly also called BPH (Benign Enlargement of Prostate). The prostate is a gland that produces the fluid that carries sperm during ejaculation. The prostate gland surrounds the urethra, the tube through which urine passes out of the body
Causes
The actual cause of
prostate enlargement is unknown. Factors linked to aging and changes in
the cells of the testicles may have a role in the growth of the gland,
as well as testosterone levels. Men who have had their testicles removed
at a young age (for example, as a result of testicular cancer) do not
develop BPH.
Also, if the testicles are removed after a man develops BPH, the prostate begins to shrink in size.
- The likelihood of developing an enlarged prostate increases with age.
- BPH is so common that it has been said all men will have an enlarged prostate if they live long enough.
- A small amount of prostate enlargement is present in many men over age 40. More than 90% of men over age 80 have the condition.
- No risk factors have been identified, other than having normally-functioning testicles.
Symptoms
The severity of symptoms in people who have prostate gland enlargement varies, but symptoms tend to gradually worsen over time. Common signs and symptoms of BPH include:
- Frequent or urgent need to urinate
- Increased frequency of urination at night (nocturia)
- Difficulty starting urination
- Weak urine stream or a stream that stops and starts
- Dribbling at the end of urination
- Inability to completely empty the bladder
- Urinary tract infection
- Inability to urinate
- Blood in the urine
Other possible causes of urinary symptoms
Conditions that can lead to symptoms similar to those caused by enlarged prostate include:
- Urinary tract infection
- Inflammation of the prostate (prostatitis)
- Narrowing of the urethra (urethral stricture)
- Scarring in the bladder neck as a result of previous surgery
- Bladder or kidney stones
- Problems with nerves that control the bladder
- Cancer of the prostate or bladder