Prostate enlargement and its symptoms

Prostatic enlargement is a condition where the prostate gland becomes enlarged and puts pressure on the bladder and/or urethra.

The prostate gland is found in men and is located around the urethra.

The gland produces the fluid needed for sperm to move and stay alive.




Prostate enlargement usually occurs in older men and becomes more common with age. Causes include genetic predisposition, hormonal changes and lifestyle factors.

Enlargement of the prostate can cause a variety of symptoms, such as frequent urination, urge to urinate at night, difficulty passing urine, weak urine stream, urinary retention and urinary leakage. In more severe cases, enlargement of the prostate can even cause kidney failure.

Symptoms usually develop slowly and gradually and can vary in severity from person to person.

Frequent and/or urgent urge to urinate: affected men often experience an urgent urge to urinate, which means they have to pee very often, even at night. This symptom may be due to bladder irritation caused by an enlarged prostate.

Difficulty passing urine: people may have difficulty passing urine, for example, urine may only pass partially or with pressure. The stream of urine may be weaker or broken and interrupted, which may cause discomfort.

Nocturnal urge to urinate: affected men also often wake up at night because they have an urgent urge to urinate. This symptom develops because the enlarged prostate puts pressure on the bladder and limits the amount of urine that the bladder can store.

Urine leakage: affected men may experience urine leakage or leakage after they have finished passing urine, which can be unpleasant and cause discomfort.

Urinary retention: an enlarged prostate can sometimes block all or part of the flow of urine, causing painful urinary retention.

Bladder stones or urinary tract infections: an enlarged prostate can contribute to the development of bladder stones or urinary tract infections.

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