The growth of the prostate is an inevitable part of getting older for men. Men over the age of 50 have over a 50% chance of living with benign prostatic hyperplasia. This rate increases to almost 90% in men in their 80’s. While this condition, being non-cancerous in nature, isn’t life-threatening, it can seriously impact your quality of life. One common symptom these men experience is the need to urinate frequently. We will talk about this symptom and how BPH contributes to it below.

Urinary Symptoms In Men With BPH

Urinary symptoms, such as frequent urination, are often caused by the swelling of the prostate gland. This can be the result of the gland becoming inflamed, as with prostatitis, or as part of a condition like benign prostatic hyperplasia. The symptoms result from the enlarged gland interfering with the functioning of the urethra. This is caused by the pressure being applied by the enlarged gland. The most frequently encountered symptom is struggling to completely empty the bladder. While not all urinary symptoms are related to the prostate, it is a common source of these concerns, especially in older men.

The following symptoms are those commonly experienced when the prostate is involved:

• Frequent need for nocturnal urination
• A general increase in the need to urinate
• Sudden urgent need to urinate, sometimes occurring without time to reach the bathroom
• Urinating more often during the day
• It may be slower to start a stream of urine
• Urine may dribble for a while after completion
• The bladder may feel as though it isn’t empty after urination
• The strength of the urine may be impeded, interfering with stream creation
• You may feel as though you need to go again quickly after finishing

The prostate gland tends to become larger in older men, with 50% of all men of age 60 having an enlarged gland. This gland serves an important purpose, being involved in providing the liquid for ejaculation. The gland begins about the size of a walnut, potentially growing to the size of a lemon in advanced cases.

This becomes a problem due to its location below the bladder. This is when the urethra connects to the bladder, allowing enlarged prostates to interfere with its function. The pressure from the prostate causes the bladder walls to thicken. Eventually, this can cause bladder weakness, making it difficult to empty fully. In spite of the high number of men who will develop an enlarged prostate, not all of them will have symptoms.

Seek Treatment For Frequent Urination and BPH

While BPH is a problem for many men, treatments are available to alleviate symptoms. For years these solutions most often involved a surgical approach. Modern methods can address the issue with a minimally invasive approach. If you want to know what can be done to address your frequent urination symptoms, reach out to a specialist. They’ll perform a full exam to correctly identify the source of your concern. They’ll then develop a treatment plan with you to address the issues as appropriate for your case.