Detecting Benign Prostatic Hypertrophy

As man ages, there is a possibility that the prostate may enlarge. This is commonly called Benign Prostatic Hypertrophy. Though it is normal for the prostate to grow in size twice, first, in early puberty stage and second during mid 20?s, more than half of the men population is at risk of BPH at the age of sixty and more than 90 percent at the age of 60?s and 70?s. The prostate gland is responsible producing the important hormone for male, testosterone and some portion of the female hormone, estrogen. Thus, it is said that aging makes the prostate produce less testosterone that makes estrogen more dominant. This makes the enlargement of the cells in the prostrate possible. However, the reason for the occurrence of BPH is still vague until now.

The symptoms of benign prostatic hypertrophy include uncontrollable bladder functions like urgency and frequently urinating especially at night. Difficulty to urinate may also be a count of symptoms and is called acute urinary retention. This is from medicines that contain decongestant drug. When these symptoms occur, whether you or your doctor noticed that there is indeed enlargement of the prostate, you must consult your urologist, one who is responsible for the urinary track and male productive system, to verify if surgery is needed.

There are several steps that need to be done to be diagnosed with Benign Prostatic Hypertrophy. First step is checking the size and form of the prostate gland by inserting a gloved-finger into the rectum. This is called Digital Rectum Examination. Second step is identifying if the enlargement is cancerous or not through a Prostate-Specific Antigen Blood Test. Third step is the Rectal Ultrasound and Prostate Biopsy wherein a suspected prostate cancer patient will undergo ultrasound to verify if there is a tumor present in the prostate. Fourth is a Urine Flow Study where a patient will be asked to urinate in a device that detects how fast the urine flow and if the result shows that it is slow, it may be said to be BPH already. Lastly is the Cystoscopy where a tube called the cystoscope will be inserted in the urethra of the penis to see how large the gland has enlarged.