Why does the prostate gland start to enlarge in later life?
A man’s prostate gland goes through two main periods of growth during his life. Not surprisingly the first major growth spurt comes during puberty when sex hormones produced by the testicles cause the prostate to double in size. At around the age of 25 the prostate starts to grow again and continues to grow during most of the rest of a man’s life and it’s this growth that can eventually cause the problems associated with prostate enlargement. During this second period of growth it’s the cells in the central portion of the gland that reproduce more rapidly but the layer of tissue surrounding it stops it from expanding, causing the prostate to press against the urethra a bit like a clamp on a garden hose. The bladder wall becomes thicker and irritable. The bladder begins to contract even when it contains small amounts of urine, causing more frequent urination. Eventually, the bladder weakens and loses the ability to empty itself, so some urine remains in the bladder. This combination of
