What is benign prostate hyperplasia or BPH?
Benign prostatic hyperplasia is a noncancerous enlarged prostate gland. It is also called benign prostatic hypertrophy, or BPH. It occurs to some degree in almost all men as they age. Why is BPH a Problem? An enlarged prostate can press on and sometimes block urine flow through the urethra. The urethra is the tube that carries urine out of the body. So, BPH can cause problems with urination. In BPH, the urine stream is delayed or stops too early before the bladder completely empties. Dribbling may occur after urination. There may be a frequent need to urinate, especially at night. BPH is benign, or noncancerous. There is no evidence that BPH leads to cancer. Prostate cancer often begins in the outer area of the prostate, closer to the rectum. BPH usually starts near the center of the prostate, around the urethra. Both prostate cancer and BPH have similar symptoms, though. So it is important that any symptoms be checked out thoroughly. Diagnosing BPH The symptoms of BPH vary a great dea
