Enlarged Prostate Causing Bladder Problems

Find Out More About Enlarged Prostate Symptoms And Treatments

Have you been experiencing urination problems and are wondering about the cause? Here you can read more about the symptoms of Benign Prostate Enlargement .

You get a brief overview of what it is, how an enlarged prostate can be treated, and most importantly why its critical to seek help at an early stage. Use the short links below.

What Is The Difference Between Prostate Cancer And Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia

Prostate cancer is a common type of cancer that develops in your prostate gland. Early-stage prostate cancer rarely causes symptoms. However, as it progresses, it shares many of the same symptoms as BPH. These symptoms include a weak urine flow, pain when ejaculating or peeing and frequent urges to pee. Prostate cancer may spread to your bones, lymph nodes or other parts of your body. Treatment options include radiation therapy and surgery.

BPH symptoms are similar to prostate cancer symptoms. However, BPH isnt cancer, and it doesnt increase your risk of developing cancer. It wont spread to other parts of your body. Treatment options include medicines, surgery and minimally invasive procedures.

What Are The Treatments For Bph

Not everyone needs treatment for BPH. Treatment options depend on how much your symptoms bother you, your health, age, and the size of your prostate:

• Lifestyle changes may improve mild symptoms. They include:

• Drinking less before bedtime or going out
• Avoiding or cutting back on beverages with caffeine and alcohol
• Bladder training and exercising the muscles that control urine flow
• Preventing or treating constipation

Sometimes combining 2 types of medicine helps more than taking just one type of medicine.

Most BPH surgery is done with tools inserted into the urethra.

Your provider can explain the possible benefits and side effects of your treatment options so you can decide what’s best for you.

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Enlarged Prostate Complications: Urinary Retention Hematuria Bladder Stones And Urinary Tract Infections

Benign prostatic hyperplasia is a non-cancerous enlargement of the prostate. There are two prostate growth periods: one during early puberty and another around the age of 25. As it grows, the gland can press and pinch the urethra, and the bladder walls thicken. Over time, the bladder can become weaker and lose its ability to empty fully. If the urethra continues to narrow and the bladder still cant empty, complications associated with benign prostatic hyperplasia can arise.

Benign prostatic hyperplasia does not increase a mans risk of developing prostate cancer. Prostate cancer begins in the outer peripheral zone and grows outward to invade surrounding tissue. In BPH, the growth moves inward towards the prostates core, causing the urethra to become tighter and making it difficult to urinate.

The growth dynamics of BPH determines the symptoms. BPH can have annoying symptoms, such as the inability to urinate or releasing a small amount only.

Hormonal changes that occur through aging contribute to the BPH onset. Genetics, too, can be a possible cause for BPH. The prostate continues to grow from the age of 25, but when the prostate grows too much, it can cause complications in older men.

What Is Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia

Benign prostatic hyperplasiaalso called BPHis a condition in men in which the prostate gland is enlarged and not cancerous. Benign prostatic hyperplasia is also called benign prostatic hypertrophy or benign prostatic obstruction.

The prostate goes through two main growth periods as a man ages. The first occurs early in puberty, when the prostate doubles in size. The second phase of growth begins around age 25 and continues during most of a mans life. Benign prostatic hyperplasia often occurs with the second growth phase.

As the prostate enlarges, the gland presses against and pinches the urethra. The bladder wall becomes thicker. Eventually, the bladder may weaken and lose the ability to empty completely, leaving some urine in the bladder. The narrowing of the urethra and urinary retentionthe inability to empty the bladder completelycause many of the problems associated with benign prostatic hyperplasia.

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How Do I Know If I Have A Prostate Problem

If you have one or more of the following symptoms, you may have a prostate problem:

• trouble starting the flow of urine
• slow urine stream once started
• needing to pass urine more often through the day or night
• leaking after passing urine or between visits to the toilet
• needing to pass urine again soon after going to the toilet
• feeling an urgent need to pass urine
• burning or pain when passing urine
• blood in urine
• feeling that the bladder is not fully empty after going to the toilet.

Some of these problems may not be due to the prostate. Some medicines may also cause the bladder to store up urine. Your doctor or continence nurse advisor can help you find the cause of your problem.

Surgical Treatment For Enlarged Prostate

• Transurethral resection of the prostate . In this surgery, the inner portion of the prostate is removed. Used 90% of the time, this is the most commonly used surgical procedure for BPH.

• Open prostatectomy .The surgeon makes an incision and removes the enlarged tissue from the prostate.

• Laser surgery –Laser surgery uses laser energy to destroy prostate tissue and shrink the prostate.

• Transurethral incision of the prostate .This surgery does not involve removing prostate tissue. A few small cuts are made in the prostate gland to reduce the prostate’s pressure on the urethra, making urination easier.

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How Is Painful Urination Diagnosed

Be sure to tell your doctor all of your symptoms. This will help them make the right decision about the course of treatment.

Your doctor will also want to know how long you have had your symptoms and whether they occurred suddenly or gradually. They will also want to know if you have any trouble urinating or a weak stream. They will also ask if you feel pain when you begin urinating or after.

Once they have taken your history and symptoms, your doctor will perform a physical exam. They will also take a urine sample to test for a UTI.

Your urine sample will be analyzed for both red and white blood cells and any foreign chemicals.

Your doctor will look for white blood cells in your urine to see if you have a bacterial infection. They can also take a culture of your urine to determine what bacteria is causing the infection. After they get these results, you may need further testing, or they will have a diagnosis and can prescribe medication.

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Can Constipation Harm Your Prostate

Constipation is one of the most common digestive problems. We all experience it at one point or another. The influence of constipation goes beyond feeling bloated, and it may extend to your prostate gland.

To describe how constipation harms the prostate, its important to mention your bowel is located right next to the prostate gland. Bowels carry waste and toxins, which start building up without regular bowel movements, i.e., in the presence of constipation.

Sometimes, excessive levels of these toxins can migrate to the nearby tissues, including the prostate tissue. When that happens, the prostate can become inflamed, and you experience pain and discomfort due to chronic bacterial prostatitis or acute bacterial prostatitis.

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What Are Some Common Prostate Problems

• BenignProstaticHyperplasia. This is when the prostate gets gradually larger. This often starts in middle age. About one in four men will need surgery for this problem. There are many successful treatments for prostate problems. BPH does not lead to cancer.
• ProstateCancer. Prostate Cancer is often found before you have any warning signs. Your doctor may find it with a blood test called a PSA. They may find changes in your prostate with a digital rectal examination. This is a common cancer. There are treatments available which you can discuss with your doctor.
• Prostatitis. Prostatitis is swelling and soreness of the prostate gland. This may be due to a bladder infection. It is more common in young men.

Talk to your doctor if you have any pain or discomfort when you empty your bladder.

Tips For Coping With An Enlarged Prostate

When a man reaches about age 25, his prostate begins to grow. This natural growth is called benign prostatic hyperplasia and it is the most common cause of prostate enlargement. BPH is a benign condition that does not lead to prostate cancer, though the two problems can coexist.

Although 50% to 60% of men with BPH may never develop any symptoms, others find that BPH can make life miserable. The symptoms of BPH include:

• a hesitant, interrupted, weak urine stream
• urgency, leaking, or dribbling
• a sense of incomplete emptying
• more frequent urination, especially at night.

As a result, many men seek treatment. The good news is that treatments are constantly being improved. Patients and their physicians now have more medications to choose from, so if one doesnt do the trick, another can be prescribed. And thanks to some refinements, surgical treatments are more effective and have fewer side effects than ever before.

But there are some things men dealing with BPH can do on their own. When symptoms are not particularly bothersome, watchful waiting may be the best way to proceed. This involves regular monitoring to make sure complications arent developing, but no treatment. For more troubling symptoms, most doctors begin by recommending a combination of lifestyle changes and medication. Often this will be enough to relieve the worst symptoms and prevent the need for surgery

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How Can Poor Bladder Control Be Treated

Your doctor or continence nurse advisor will look to find the cause of your poor bladder control. The treatment for your problem will depend on its cause.

The health professional will check for such things as prostate disease, infection and diabetes. They will also want to know what medicines you are taking. Some medicines can cause bladder problems.

There are a few different ways poor bladder control can be treated.

Make sure you know enough about:

• what the problem is
• what your treatments options are
• how well they work

What Are The Symptoms Of Benign Prostate Hypertrophy

The symptoms of BPH can include:

• inability to completely empty the bladder when peeing
• poor urine flow
• urgent need to pee, which can disturb sleep at night
• dribbling of urine at the end of peeing
• bladder infections

There are usually no symptoms at the start, even after the prostate has started to enlarge. The first sign of BPH is usually problems with urinating, because the enlarged prostate is squeezing and narrowing the urethra.

This is because the enlarged prostate is squeezing and narrowing the urethra.

Occasionally, BPH interferes with the ability to have sex, causing impotence or painful orgasms.

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Management Of Bowel Issues Caused By Bph

As seen throughout this post, bowel issues and BPH are more connected than people generally believe. Below are some tips to help men with BPH manage bowel problems.

• Eat a fiber-rich diet to ensure regular bowel movements. Foods to include in your diet include prune juice, green vegetables, dried fruits, whole grains and whole-grain rice, beets, flaxseed.

• Exercise regularly and step away from a sedentary lifestyle. Physical activity supports peristalsis, i.e., the waves of movement that push food through your digestive tract. Exercise can also help improve your sexual function and manage erectile dysfunction, a common problem in men with prostate conditions.

• Avoid or limit soft drinks and coffee

• Drink water and stay hydrated throughout the day

• Consume prebiotics and probiotics to improve gut microflora, necessary for healthy digestion

• Manage stress because it will help you eat more mindfully. When youre stressed, you dont chew your food thoroughly, which may contribute to constipation.

How Lung Cancer And Back Pain Are Linked

When we think about back pain, usually the last thing that comes to mind is cancer. Instead, we associate it with things like physical trauma or a degenerative disease .

While back pain caused by lung cancer shares commonalities with many of these disorders, it also has a distinct difference. Much of these relate to how and where the cancer causes pain, both directly and indirectly. Some of the possible ways in which lung cancer can produce back pain include:

• The direct pressure a tumor can place on the structure of the back, more often than not, is in the mid to upper back rather than lower back.
• A malignancy can irritate the nerves servicing the lining of the lungs and chest wall, triggering a sharp and sometimes chronic nerve pain.
• Metastasis of cancer to the adrenal glands , can cause localized pain due to its location right above the kidney.

At the current time, the majority of people who develop lung cancer are non-smokers , and lung cancer isincreasing in young women and men who have never smoked.

In fact, due to the location of the type of lung cancer most common in non-smokers, the typical symptoms most people associate with lung cancer are often absent. These tumors are also more likely than other kinds of lung cancer to spread to bones.

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How Is Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia Diagnosed

Your healthcare provider will review your medical history, ask you questions and perform a physical examination. Part of the physical exam involves a digital rectal exam.

During a digital rectal exam, your healthcare provider will carefully insert their gloved digit into your rectum. Theyll feel the edges and surface of your prostate, estimate the size of your prostate and detect any hard areas that could be cancer.

Your healthcare provider may also order:

• A survey to evaluate the severity of your symptoms.
• A urine flow test to measure the speed of your pee stream.
• A study to detect how much pee remains in your bladder after youve finished peeing.
• A cystoscopy to look into your bladder.

Diagnosis Of Enlarged Prostate Gland And Urinary Problems

If you are troubled by urination problems, see a doctor no matter what your age. If your doctor agrees that your symptoms need further evaluation and treatment, you may need to undergo a few tests.These may include:

• general examination medical history and review of any health conditions including obesity, diabetes, obstructive sleep apnoea, depression and erectile dysfunction. A rectal examination may be done to check the size and shape of your prostate gland
• a urine check to ensure the prostate is not infected
• a flow-rate check to estimate the speed with which you pass urine
• an ultrasound examination to assess if the bladder is emptying completely and to examine your kidneys
• urodynamics a series of tests on the bladder to see how your urinary system is functioning may be recommended in some circumstances.

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What Should I Watch Out For

Symptoms of BPH fall into 2 categories. Those caused by pressure on your urethra are called obstructive. The others start in your bladder.

Some of the obstructive symptoms include:

• Trouble starting to urinate
• You have to stop and restart several times
• Pee dribbles out at the end

If BPH causes changes in your bladder, it may include these signs:

• You suddenly feel a strong need to urinate. Doctors call this âurgency.â
• You have to pee more than 8 times a day. This is called âfrequency.â
• Even after you go, you feel as though your bladder is not empty.
• You wake up often in the night to relieve yourself. This is called ânocturia.â

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What Are Prostate Problems

For men under 50, the most common prostate problem is prostatitis.

For men over 50, the most common prostate problem is prostate enlargement. This condition is also called benign prostatic hyperplasia or BPH. Older men are at risk for prostate cancer as well, but this disease is much less common than BPH.

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Treating Benign Prostate Enlargement

Treatment for an enlarged prostate will depend on how severe your symptoms are.

If you have mild symptoms, you do not usually need immediate treatment. Your doctor will agree with you if and when you need more check-ups.

You’ll probably be advised to make lifestyle changes, such as:

• drinking less alcohol, caffeine and fizzy drinks
• limiting your intake of artificial sweeteners
• exercising regularly
• drinking less in the evening

Medicine to reduce the size of the prostate and relax your bladder may be recommended to treat moderate to severe symptoms of an enlarged prostate.

Surgery is usually only recommended for moderate to severe symptoms that have not responded to medicine.

Genitourinary Cancer Care In The Western Suburbs

When youre facing prostate, kidney or bladder cancer, you and your family can take comfort in knowing that a specialized care team is close to home. The genitourinary cancer team at Northwestern Medicine Cancer Center Warrenville and the Northwestern Medicine Cancer Center Delnor provides access to leading-edge cancer treatments coupled with compassionate care. Your cancer treatment team may include:

• Medical oncologist
• Geneticist
• Rehabilitation therapist

Your doctor and other care providers collaborate weekly in multidisciplinary cancer conferences that are specific to genitourinary cancer, bringing together expertise from a variety of disciplines to develop the best treatment plans for you.

We offer a comprehensive minimally invasive surgical program, including robotics-assisted surgery, available to qualified prostate cancer patients. Northwestern Medicine is the only health system in Illinois to offer the precision of proton therapy for prostate cancer at the Northwestern Medicine Proton Center* in Warrenville.

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