Over time, it can lead tourinary tract infections,bladder stones, andchronic kidney diseasein some people.
What Is a Prostate?
The gland produces and stores a fluid calledprostatic fluidthat forms part ofsemen.
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Semen, in turn, is the fluid containing sperm that is ejected from thepenisduringejaculation.
Passing through the prostate gland is a tube called theurethra, through which semen and urine exit the body.
The vast majority of growth occurs in the transitional zone.
The other zones are less commonly affected.
When these changes affect the size of the prostate gland, it is referred to as BPH.
The condition may be symptomatic (with symptoms) orasymptomatic(without symptoms).
This, in turn, can help direct the diagnosis and treatment of BPH.
For some people, the growth of the prostate gland can be slow and never cause significant problems.
But a prostate gland doesn’t need to grow to this proportion for complications to occur.
Persistent bladder outlet obstruction (BOO) can also affect organs upstream, including thekidneysandureters.
On the other hand, annual PSA screening is generallynotadvised.
This is because it has not been shown to increase detection in asymptomatic people.
Even with treatment, there’s as much as a 17% risk of mortality (death).
What Causes BPH?
The actual cause of BPHwhy some people get it and others don’tis largely unknown.
Given that BPH mainly affects older people, many scientists believe that changes in hormones play a central role.
Testosterone(an androgen sex hormone) is thought to contribute.
After the age of 30, testosterone levels gradually decline in males.
Others believe that an androgen calleddihydrotestosterone(DHT)may be responsible.
Like estrogen, DHT is a hormone that supports prostate growth during adolescence and early adulthood.
Unlike testosterone, DHT levels can sometimes rise in older males.
Other risk factors strongly associated with the development of BPH are:
Can BPH Be Cured?
BPH cannot be cured, but it can be managed.
Surgeries liketransurethral resection of the prostate (TURP)may be used to remove large portions of prostate tissue.
In severe cases, anopen prostatectomymay be needed to remove part or all of the prostate gland.
In some cases, lifestyle changes may be all that is needed.
Examples include:
Does Having BPH Increase the Risk of Prostate Cancer?
But this shouldn’t suggest that BPH is necessarily “protective” against prostate cancer.
It may simply be that the mechanisms for the diseases are vastly different.
BPH is not associated with an increased risk of prostate cancer.
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Prostate enlargement (benign prostatic hyperplasia).
National Cancer Institute.Understanding prostate changes: a health guide for men.
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U.S. Preventive Services Task Force.Prostate cancer: screening.
