Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH): What to Know Now
About half of men in their 50s and more as they age get an enlarged prostate. That’s benign prostatic hyperplasia — not cancer, but it can wreck sleep and make peeing painful or urgent. The good news: medicine and simple changes help most men. This page gives clear, practical facts so you know what to watch for and what to ask your doctor.
Symptoms & when to see a doctor
BPH usually shows up as urinary problems. Watch for: weak stream, dribbling after you finish, needing to push, getting up at night more than once, sudden strong urges, or feeling like your bladder never fully empties. Blood in the urine, fever, or not being able to pee at all are red flags — get medical help right away.
Basic tests your doctor may use include a digital rectal exam (DRE), urine test to rule out infection, a PSA blood test to check prostate markers, and sometimes a bladder scan or urinary flow test. These help separate BPH from other issues like infections or prostate cancer.
Simple steps and medical options
First try small lifestyle fixes that often ease symptoms: limit fluids before bedtime, cut caffeine and alcohol (they irritate the bladder), double-void (try again a minute after you finish), and empty your bladder fully when you can. Kegel exercises can improve bladder control for some men — do them like you would to stop a stream, holding for a few seconds and repeating several times a day.
Medications are the next step for many. Alpha blockers (tamsulosin, alfuzosin) relax the muscles at the prostate neck and work fast to improve flow. 5-alpha-reductase inhibitors (finasteride, dutasteride) shrink the prostate over months and help long-term; they’re often used together if symptoms are worse. Side effects include dizziness, low blood pressure with alpha blockers, or sexual side effects with 5-alpha-reductase drugs — discuss trade-offs with your doctor.
Minimally invasive procedures are options if meds don’t help or side effects are a problem. UroLift lifts the prostate tissue, Rezum uses steam to shrink it, and other office-based methods give symptom relief with shorter recovery than surgery. For severe cases, transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) or simple prostatectomy are well-established surgeries that unblock the outflow and give lasting relief.
Deciding the right path depends on how much symptoms bother you, prostate size, other health issues, and personal priorities (like sexual function or avoiding surgery). Talk with your doctor about the likely benefits, risks, and recovery time for each option.
BPH is common and treatable. If symptoms are affecting your life, don’t wait — a short visit can point you to simple changes, a pill that helps, or a procedure that gets you back to normal nights and fewer bathroom worries.
