Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is a condition that affects millions of men across the world, and it can significantly influence one’s physical and psychological wellbeing.
When do men first notice that something feels off?
Ageing arrives in small, almost forgettable shifts. A little fatigue here. A slightly slower recovery after exercise. A mood that feels different from a decade ago. Many men accept these changes as part of life. Yet some changes arrive almost unnoticed – until they begin affecting you in undeniable ways.
Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is one of such changes that creep up on you, growing ever-larger until you find that it is taking over your daily life.
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Though seen as a medical issue, its impact can be deeply personal, negatively influencing routines, confidence, and even your ability to engage in your job. Although many assume that these urinary symptoms are just a part of ageing, the effects of this condition can become aggressive as it progresses.
When shrugging it off isn’t the answer, what do you do?
Understanding Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia
BPH refers to the gradual, non-cancerous enlargement of the prostate gland, which is a small organ located between the penis and the bladder. It is this enlargement that puts pressure on your urinary system.
“When you are young, the prostate is actually a walnut size,” elaborated Dr Thiruchelvam Jegathesan, a Consultant Urologist at Tan Tock Seng Hospital.
“As you age and it enlarges, your bladder actually drains through the tube called a urethra. And as you age, the enlargement of the prostate actually compresses the tube, which drains the bladder, and you start having symptoms of obstruction.”
Other than the frequent and urgent need to urinate, other common symptoms of BPH include:
- Peeing very often during the night.
- Difficulty starting a stream and maintaining it.
- Leaking or dribbling at the end of urination.
- Feeling as though the bladder is still not empty.
- Incontinence, or losing control of your bladder.
- Pain while urinating.
Although BPH feels very unusual, when the growth of the prostate is not attributed to any abnormalities, it’s actually a rather natural part of ageing.
“It’s a condition that is very common after you turn 50,” said Dr Jega. “At the age of 50, about 30 to 40 percent of men have it, and by the age of 90, almost everybody will have it to a certain extent.”
Yet, for an issue so common, BPH often goes unspoken or is misunderstood, leaving many men unsure of how to seek help, or even how to recognise the signs – and this can come with adverse consequences.
Not sure how serious your symptoms are? Visit My Prostate Health to take the International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS) Quiz. It can help you kick-start the conversation about BPH symptoms with your doctor or urologist.
What Happens When Men Ignore The Symptoms?
Ignoring the issue feels easier, but it’s not going to make it go away. In many cases, leaving it untreated can result in further blockage in your urethra, leading to complications that are far more disruptive than the symptoms listed.
This includes the development of a urinary tract infection (UTI), bladder stones, and even haematuria, or the presence of blood in your urine.
In more extreme cases, it could cause ejaculation problems, and chronic kidney disease as pressure from the retained urine can affect organ function.
And the problems don’t end there.
How BPH Hurts Your Quality of Life
BPH affects far more than the urinary tract.
For instance, the sleep disruption caused by nighttime peeing can disrupt your sleep cycle, and lead to fatigue, irritability, and difficulties staying focused.
Furthermore, there also exists the emotional impact of BPH, where its urgency and the fear of not making it to the toilet can lead to stress, depression and more.
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BPH can have a particularly profound impact on a man’s professional life. Frequent or urgent bathroom breaks can interrupt workflow and concentration, making tasks that require sustained focus that much more challenging to manage.
In fact, jobs that require long meetings or extended periods away from a restroom may become quiet sources of anxiety, leading some to adjust their routines, or even avoid certain responsibilities altogether. This can ultimately lead to an erosion of self-image and job satisfaction.
When your entire life starts to revolve around your need to pee, how do you resolve it?
How Do Doctors Diagnose and Treat BPH?
If you’ve been experiencing the symptoms of BPH, it’s crucial that you consult a healthcare professional immediately. While BPH cannot be fully cured, there are a variety of treatment options for managing it, depending on the severity of your symptoms.
This includes the use of medicine to relax the prostate so that there is less pressure on the bladder, or to even slow the enlargement of the organ. Minimally invasive procedures may also be prescribed, such as water vapour therapy to shrink the prostate. Surgery may also be proposed for more severe cases, and while it may seem intimidating, you should be able to resume regular activities within a week of the procedure.
And if the development of BPH has been particularly mild for you, a watchful waiting approach may be taken, where your condition is monitored. During this period, it’s even possible that the symptoms can go away without treatment.
What matters most is that you take the necessary step of seeking help. Don’t delay a visit to the doctor’s simply out of embarrassment. An early diagnosis can prevent complications and, more importantly, offer significant improvements to daily comfort and quality of life.
Read More
- How Dangerous Is Having an Enlarged Prostate (BPH)?
- BPH, Bikes and Brotherhood: A New Kind of Men’s Gathering
- A Royal Case of BPH: What You Should Know About King Charles’s Symptoms & Treatment Options
External References
- Cleveland Clinic. (2024, January 18). Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia. Retrieved from: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/9100-benign-prostatic-hyperplasia
- Coward, M. (2024, January 31). What Do You Want to Know About Enlarged Prostate? Healthline. Retrieved from: https://www.healthline.com/health/enlarged-prostate
- Mayo Clinic Staff. (2024, September 24). Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). Mayo Clinic. Retrieved from: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/benign-prostatic-hyperplasia/symptoms-causes/syc-20370087
- Myhre, J., & Sifris, D. (2023, June 27). What Are the Symptoms of BPH, an Enlarged Prostate? Verywell Health. Retrieved from: https://www.verywellhealth.com/bph-symptoms-7549544
- Park, S., Lee, K. S., Choi, M., & Lee, M. (2022). Factors associated with quality of life in patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia, 2009-2016. Medicine, 101(36), e30091. Retrieved from: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9512327/
- Schmitz, M. (2024, July 12). What Is an Enlarged Prostate? Verywell Health. Retrieved from: https://www.verywellhealth.com/enlarged-prostate-2781989
- SingHealth. (n.d.). Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH). Retrieved from: https://www.singhealth.com.sg/symptoms-treatments/benign-prostatic-hyperplasia-bph
- Ye, Z., Wang, J., Xiao, Y., Luo, J., Xu, L., & Chen, Z. (2024). Global burden of benign prostatic hyperplasia in males aged 60-90 years from 1990 to 2019: results from the global burden of disease study 2019. BMC Urology, 24(1), 193. Retrieved from: https://bmcurol.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12894-024-01582-w
