What is benign prostatic hyperplasia, or BPH? It is a non cancerous medical condition that affects the prostate gland in males; the gland swells abnormally, affecting the urinary system. The prostate gland is a small gland the shape of a walnut, located between the urinary bladder and the urethra. The prime function of this gland is to produce semen, which carries the sperm. In the case of Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia, the prostrate enlarges thus squeezing the urinary duct that runs through the prostate gland. Since the urinary duct connects the urinary bladder and the urethra, which discharges the urine; in case of BPH, the urine is not able to flow properly due to the pressure exerted on the urinary passage by the enlarged prostate. This causes urinary problems.
However, this medical condition is only seen to affect men above the age of 60 years. BPH condition is rarely found below this age. But 90 percent of men above the age of 80 suffer from prostate problems, including BPH.
Most symptoms of BPH start gradually. Since the enlargement squeezes the urinary duct, the most common problem related with this condition are usually urinary problems. It may include irregular and forceful discharge of urine, or perhaps the need to urinate frequently, or passing only a small amount of urine every time you urinate. In some conditions there are also symptoms of pain relating to forceful discharge of urine. All of these symptoms should not be ignored. You should immediately consult your doctor in such cases and get yourself diagnosed.
The root cause of Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia is still not determined after years of study. This condition is mainly seen to develop in aged men, and hence the researchers have led to the conclusion that perhaps this condition results due to deficiency of certain hormone productions in the body due to aging.
One such research states that the production of testosterone in the body decreases with age in men. Testosterone is the hormone that determines the male characteristics in men. But apart from testosterone, a small amount of estrogen hormone is also produced in the body regularly. This is actually a female hormone, whose effects are cancelled by the effects of testosterone, at a lower age. But with aging as the production of testosterone decreases and finally stops, the amount of estrogen increases in the body which triggers the cell growth in prostate gland in men. Another theory suggests the accumulation of the DHT hormone in the body with aging, which can be a likely cause for the growth of the prostate gland.
Once your doctor confirms that an enlarged prostate causes your symptoms, treatment can be recommended. However, your doctor may recommend that you wait to see if your symptoms get any better. Sometimes mild symptoms can improve on their own. If your symptoms worsen, your doctor may suggest other treatment options, such as surgery or non surgical procedures.
Author Resource:-
Pageviews works with Urologix, manufacturing minimally invasive urological treatment products. Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia is a condition that affects more than 23 million men. For more information about Urologix visit http://www.urologix.com/pages/patients or call 800.475.1403.
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