What is BPH?
Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia, or BPH, is a non-cancerous enlargement of the prostate gland that commonly affects men as they get older. The prostate is a small gland located below the bladder that helps produce semen. As it enlarges, it can press against the urethra (the tube that carries urine out of the body), which can affect urination.
What Causes BPH?
BPH is mainly linked to ageing and hormonal changes. As men age, testosterone levels gradually decrease, and a hormone called dihydrotestosterone (DHT) can build up in the prostate, leading it to grow.
It is not caused by cancer, and having BPH does not increase your risk of prostate cancer.
Common Symptoms
Symptoms of BPH can vary but often include:
- A frequent need to urinate, especially at night
- Difficulty starting urination
- Weak or interrupted urine flow
- Dribbling at the end of urination
- A feeling that the bladder hasn’t fully emptied
- Urgency – a sudden, strong need to urinate
These symptoms can range from mild to more bothersome and can affect your quality of life.
How is BPH Treated?
Treatment depends on how severe the symptoms are. Options include:
- Lifestyle changes
- Reducing caffeine and alcohol
- Avoiding fluids before bedtime
- Double voiding (urinating twice in a short time)
- Medications
- Alpha-blockers to relax the prostate and bladder muscles
- 5-alpha-reductase inhibitors to shrink the prostate over time
- Minimally invasive procedures
- Techniques to relieve pressure on the urethra or shrink prostate tissue
- Often done as day-case procedures
- Surgical treatments
- TURP (Transurethral Resection of the Prostate)
- HoLEP (Holmium Laser Enucleation of the Prostate) — a laser-based technique that removes excess prostate tissue while minimising bleeding and recovery time