How is Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia diagnosed?

Diagnosing BPH:

If men experience one or more of the symptoms mentioned or other urination problems, a doctor must be consulted so the proper tests and medication (if needed) are set.

Besides a questionnaire done by the doctor regarding the symptoms felt, some of the Tests performed to determine Prostate enlargement include:

Digital Rectal exam: This procedure consists of the insertion of the doctor´s finger into the rectum, so it can be determined if the prostate is enlarged and see if prostate cancer signs are presented.

Neurological Exam: In this exam the mental functioning and nervous system will be evaluated to see if the urination problem is caused by another reason different to prostate enlargement. The methods used are driven depending on the patient´s special condition.

Additional tests to assure prostate enlargement is presented are:

Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood test: Testes the level of PSA, which helps liquefy semen. The levels are considerable increased when the prostate is enlarged, previous medical procedures, infections or prostate cancer occurs.

Urinary flow test: during this procedure the urine flow and strength is tested, by urinating in a recipient attached to a machine, it has to be done in a regular basis to check if it got worst or not.

Postvoid residual volume test: checks if the bladder was left empty after urinating, this is done using an ultrasound test or inserting a tube into the bladder.

Transrectal ultrasound: the insertion of an ultrasound probe is inserted into the rectum to get an image of the prostate´s anatomy, its size and shape.

Prostate biopsy: with a transrectal ultrasound guiding some needles, a sample of the prostate tissue will be taken, and examined in order to confirm or discharge if possibility of having prostate cancer.

Urodynamic studies and pressure flow studies: it measures the bladder pressure and how the state of its muscles, this is done with a catheter inserted into the urethra

Cystoscopy: Also known as urethrocystoscopy, allows the doctor to see inside the bladder and urethra. This is performed using local anesthesia and inserting a flexible telescope into the urethra.

Intravenous pyelogram or CT urogram: These tests can help detect urinary tractstones, tumors or blockages above the bladder, kidneys and urethers by using X-rays and or CT scans.

Most Common Symptoms

Symptoms:

Due to the enlargement of the prostate, and the tissue enclosing it and not letting it expand, the prostate will start pressing against the urethra and the bladder with become more thick and sensible? It begins to contract even with the smallest amount of urine, which causes the need of disposing it more frequent. Eventually, the bladder will get weaker and end up losing the capability to release the urine by itself. 

Like other conditions, BPH symptoms vary from person to person, they are mostly detected by men after the age of 55 and tend to aggravate as the time passes by, and these symptoms include:

• Frequent need to urinate
• Difficulty urinating
• Interrupted stream
• Dribbling when finishing urination

The severity of BPH does not depend on how big the prostate has expanded, in many cases those with minimum enlargement of the gland have more difficulty and the symptoms are more severe, than those with a noticeable enlarged gland who do not have urination problems, have few symptoms or none at all.

The Prostate and the Causes of BPH

What is the Prostate?

The prostate is a walnut-sized gland that it is part of the male reproductive system, which is composed of two lobes or regions covered by and outer layer of tissue. The prostate is situated exactly in front of the rectum and under the bladder where urine is stored; additionally it surrounds the urethra where the urine is released out of the body.

As of today it is unknown the entire functions of the prostate, but one the main is to secrete a fluid and squeeze it into the urethra as the sperm moves through during the sexual climax, and expelled as semen so the vaginal passage becomes less acidic.

What causes BPH?

There are no confirmed information or is not well understood what causes Prostate enlargement. However, it is a fact that this occurs to older men and it doesn´t to those whose testes where remove before puberty. So it is believed that testes and aging are related to BPH.

Men and women produce estrogen (Female Hormones) and testosterone (Male Hormones) in the blood, where men have more progesterone than estrogen and vice versa.  As a man gets older, the level of progesterone decreases, which will leave in the blood a higher level of estrogen. According to some studies done in animals, the estrogen contained in the glands increases the activity of substances in charge of cell growth.

Differently to the previous research, other studies focused on dihydrotestosterone (DHT) which is another substance in the prostate, that helps control its growth. Animals tend to lose the ability of producing DHT, contrary to men who continue to produce it even when testosterone levels decrease and accumulates it, encouraging cell growth. Those men who do not produce DHT do not develop BPH.

What is Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia?

Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH) also known as prostate gland enlargement it is a very common condition that affects men as they get older, causing urinary problems and if treatment is not approached it can develop other affections such as kidney, bladder and urinary tract problems.