Do you have benign prostatic hyperplasia ?

Many men with Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia  (BPH) have no symptoms. When symptoms occur, They may range from mild and barely noticeable to serious and disruptive.

The amount of prostate enlargement is not always related to the severity of the symptoms. Some men with only slight enlargement have serious symptoms. And some men with a great deal of enlargement have few symptoms.

Your Prostate symptoms may become worse during cold weather or as a result of physical or emotional stress.

Some medicines can make your symptoms worse. These include over-the-counter cold medicines such as (Benadryl, for example), Sudafed, Oxymetazoline spray such as Afrin, and prescription medicines such as antidepressants, water pills, testosterone (gels, implants, or injections), and pain medicines.

The Prostate symptoms of BPH may involve problems emptying the bladder or problems with bladder storage.

Prostate symptoms, related to bladder emptying include:

• Difficulty starting a urine stream (hesitancy and straining).
• Decreased strength of the urine stream (weak flow).
• Dribbling after urination.
• Feeling that the bladder is not completely empty.
• An urge to urinate again soon after urinating.
• Pain during urination.

Symptoms related to bladder storage include:

• Waking at night to urinate.
• Frequent urination.
• A sudden, uncontrollable urge to urinate.

Prostate symptoms are not always related to prostate enlargement and can be caused by other conditions.

BPH symptoms are often balanced between the two types of symptoms. If symptoms come on rapidly, or if you have more of one type of symptom than the other type, you may have another condition. Other conditions that may cause similar symptoms include urinary tract infections, prostatitis, prostate cancer, diabetes, heart failure, and neurologic diseases.

Many men never know they have BPH, and others are never bothered by its symptoms. But for those who do have troubling symptoms, there are many treatment options available. See your doctor as soon as you notice any problem.