Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH)
What is BPH?
Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia, or BPH, is a condition in which the prostate enlarges as men get older. BPH is a very common condition that affects over 40 million Americans and over 500 million aging men worldwide. Over 40% of men in their 50s and over 70% of men in their 60s have BPH.1 While BPH is a benign condition and unrelated to prostate cancer, it can greatly affect a man’s quality of life. As the prostate enlarges, it presses on and blocks the urethra, causing bothersome urinary symptoms such as:
- Frequent need to urinate both day and night
- Weak or slow urinary stream
- A sense that you cannot completely empty your bladder
- Difficulty or delay in starting urination
- Urgent feeling of needing to urinate
- A urinary stream that stops and starts
If you suffer from the above symptoms, you are not alone. BPH is the leading reason men visit a urologist.2 You can measure the severity of your BPH symptoms by taking the International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS) questionnaire.
Talking to Your Doctor about BPH
BPH is a very common condition and is one of the leading reasons men visit a urologist. Whether you have just started experiencing symptoms or if you've tried various medications or even surgery, there are a range of treatment options available.
Before you visit the doctor's office, you can take this BPH Symptom Quiz, designed by the American Urological Association, to determine the severity of your symptoms. We will discuss your symptoms together to decide which treatment option is best for you.
Schedule an appointment today to discuss your BPH symptoms with us.
1. Berry, et al., Journal of Urology 1984
2. IMS Health NDTI Urology Specialty Profile Report 2013