Complications of an enlarged prostate are well-documented by practitioners, researchers and patients alike.

There is still much to be learned about symptoms, causes, remedies and surgical techniques.  However, in this article the reader will learn what is known so far about the complications of an enlarged prostate.  Hopefully, if you are reading this article for yourself because you are looking for information about symptoms and what you can expect from benign prostatic hyperplasia, of BPH, you are deciding to seek medical care.  Information seeking is a responsible first step.  You need to do something with the information and the next step is to go to the doctor and listen.  Have your questions written down for your doctor and be thorough in making sure what your responsibilities are in the coming weeks.  Then, follow through in earnest.  The best “cure” for BPH Is to make the lifestyle changes suggested by your doctor and other health resources; but, following through on each and every medical requirement prescribed by your doctor is essential to containing BPH and making sure conditions do not worsen and set the stage for the onset of prostate cancer.

Enlarged Prostate and Aging Males

After age 30, male Americans nine in 100 experience prostate enlargement.  By the age of 60, American males will experience prostate cancer at a frequency rate of 50 in 100.  The older we get the more likely it will be that our prostates will enlarge to the point of us having a medical condition that is treatable and something we can live with comfortably.  There is research to suggest that the alleged hormonal changes in males over age 50 are culpable in triggering size differentials in the prostate gland that can be treated in order to minimize complications.

Urinary Complications

The male prostate gland is positioned in the body between the bladder and the rectum.  It fits snugly around the urethral passage which leads immediately out of the bladder onto its final destination tract which travels through the penis.  The gland fits at such close tolerances around the urethra, or urinary passage, that any change in size will affect the perfect shape and flow capacity of the urethra.  The gland can also increase in size in an upwards direction that can impact the shape of the bladder.

If the urethra is squeezed by an increase in prostate size, the flow capacity of this urine duct is constricted.   Two things occur: 1) it is harder to urinate completely because the flow is backed up into the bladder, and pressure in the constricted urethra keeps a backflow constantly leaving urine incompletely purged from the bladder; and, 2) the stream of urine leaving the penile section of the urethra is weak due to a law of physics which holds that any flow of fluid through a restriction causes a drop in pressure on the other side of that restriction.

The inconsistent flow of urine out of the bladder that leaves urine in the bladder can offset the signals the bladder sends to the brain which says “I’m full.”  The healthy bladder has a time code based on its normal empty to full progression.  However, that is thrown off when there is urine leftover and the bladder begins to refill.  A shorter time is needed to refill.  Therefore, urination is more frequent.  And it can come on as a surprise depending on how much urine is left behind before the refilling begins. This is a disruptive complication because it is accompanied by more urgency to discharge.

Should the prostate gland become so enlarged as to compress the urethra it may make it altogether impossible to urinate.  This painful condition is psychologically debilitating in that there feels like there is an absolute loss of control over a basic function one has had mastery of since early childhood.  It is physically painful due to pressure in the bladder, a gradual weaking of muscles in the bladder, and a painful bacterial condition where urine flow can back up all the way to the kidneys- which can prove fatal over time.

Balance and Relief

There are natural remedies available over the counter which can relieve symptoms from acute cases of BPH.  If symptoms are mild these remedies are still useful.  To bring back balance to the urinary tract and its relationship to the prostate immediate consultation with a doctor is in order. Be sure to go immediately to rule out prostate cancer- the longer that goes untreated the more likely it will be to spread and that can be fatal.  Get a recommendation from your doctor as soon as possible to keep symptoms from becoming more progressively complicated and symptoms more severe.  The choice is yours.  Help is available.