• Most men do not need treatment for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), an enlarged prostate gland. It is not cancer, and it occurs in almost all men as they age.
• BPH can cause mild to moderate problems urinating. These may not bother you, or you may be able to control them with home treatment.
• Your doctor may want to see you regularly to check on your symptoms and make sure other problems haven't come up.
• Medicine can reduce the symptoms of BPH, but it rarely gets rid of them. If you stop taking medicine, symptoms return. The side effects of medicine, including decreased sex drive, fatigue, dizziness, and headaches, may be worse than the symptoms of BPH.
• Sometimes the symptoms of BPH are more serious, or there may be other problems such as bladder infections or bladder stones. In these cases, BPH may be treated with surgery. Few men have problems severe enough to need surgery.

What is benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH)?

Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is an enlarged prostate gland. The prostate gland surrounds the urethra, the tube that carries urine from the bladder out of the body. As the prostate gets bigger, it may squeeze or partly block the urethra. This often causes problems urinating.

BPH occurs in almost all men as they age. BPH is not cancer. An enlarged prostate can be a nuisance, but it is usually not a serious problem. About half of all men older than 50 have some symptoms.¹

Benign prostatic hyperplasia is also known as benign prostatic hypertrophy.

What causes BPH?

Benign prostatic hyperplasia is probably a normal part of the aging process in men, caused by changes in hormone balance and in cell growth.

What are the symptoms?

BPH causes urinary problems such as:

• Trouble getting a urine stream started and completely stopped (dribbling).
• Often feeling like you need to urinate. This feeling may even wake you up at night.
• A weak urine stream.
• A sense that your bladder is not completely empty after you urinate.

In a small number of cases, BPH may cause the bladder to be blocked, making it impossible or extremely hard to urinate. This problem may cause backed-up urine (urinary retention), leading to bladder infections or stones or kidney damage.

BPH does not cause prostate cancer and does not affect a man's ability to father children. It does not cause erection problems.

How is BPH diagnosed?

Your doctor can diagnose BPH by asking questions about your symptoms and past health and by doing a physical exam. Tests may include a digital rectal exam, which lets your doctor feel the size of your prostate, and a urine test (urinalysis). In some cases, a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test is done to help rule out prostate cancer. (Prostate cancer and BPH are not related, but they can cause some of the same symptoms.)