Overview
What is BPH?
Half of men over the age of 60 will develop benign prostatic hyperplasia, or BPH. Though BPH is common, it isn’t something you have to live with.
A man’s prostate gland produces a special fluid to protect sperm. Over time — and because of chemical changes in the body — the prostate gland can become enlarged. An enlarged prostate is called benign prostatic hyperplasia, or BPH.
BPH can cause urinary problems in men. That’s because the prostate gland wraps around the urethra — the tube that carries urine out of the bladder.
Symptoms and diagnosis
Symptoms of BPH
BPH symptoms can be embarrassing, but they should not be ignored. Without proper treatment, BPH can lead to bladder dysfunction or kidney failure.
BPH symptoms include:
Dribbling after urinating
Inability to urinate
Frequent urination
Incomplete emptying of your bladder
Incontinence
Pain with urination or bloody urine
Slowed or delayed start of your urinary stream
Straining to urinate
Strong and sudden urge to urinate
Waking up frequently at night to urinate
Weak urine stream
Diagnosing BPH
To diagnose BPH, your doctor will conduct a physical examination and blood or urine tests. You may also need a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test. This is a blood test to check for increased PSA levels. High PSA levels are linked to Prostate Cancer.
Treatments and research
Treating BPH
For many men, BPH symptoms can be managed with medication. If medication doesn’t work for you, your doctor may recommend surgery. Surgery is performed to remove prostate tissue that is blocking the urinary tract.
Prevention
Preventing BPH
Meet our team
Expert care
Location
A leader in urology care
The urology team at UW Health offers advanced BPH treatment at University Hospital in Madison.
Patient and support services