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Home / Conditions / Enlarged prostate (BPH)
Condition · Prostate

Enlarged prostate (BPH)

An enlarged prostate is very common. The good news is that symptoms are completely treatable through lifestyle changes, medications or surgery if required.

About an enlarged prostate

An enlarged prostate i is very common. The medical term for an enlarged prostate is benign prostatic enlargement (BPE) or benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). The prostate tends to enlarge with age and BPH can affect up to 90% of men with advancing age. Over 1/3 of men aged over 50 will have BPH-related symptoms.

If your sleep is being affected because you're getting up during the night to use the restroom, feeling like your bladder isn't empty, or having a tough time urinating, you may have symptoms of an enlarged prostate. These symptoms can be very frustrating to deal with.

The good news is that symptoms like these are completely treatable through lifestyle changes, medications or surgery if required.

An enlarged prostate can obstruct the flow of urine.
An enlarged prostate can obstruct the flow of urine.

Symptoms

Symptoms of BPH include:

Urinating frequently during the day
Nocturia (urinating frequently at night)
Waiting to begin urinating
Having a weak stream that starts and stops
Dribbling after finishing urinating
Poor emptying of the bladder
Urgency to get the to bathroom quickly
If you have got any of those symptoms, contact your doctor immediately for further tests. It's important to note, however, that multiple factors can cause these symptoms. If BPH is left untreated, it can lead to in kidney and/or bladder damage in some cases.

Diagnosis

Some diagnostic examinations and tests you may encounter include:

Digital rectal exam
The doctor will use a finger inserted into your rectum to look at your prostate size.
Urine testing
A urine sample are going to be tested to rule out any other causes.
Blood test
A blood test can be done to check your kidney and general health.
PSA test
A PSA test checks the possibility of the symptoms being from prostate cancer.

Treatment

Many treatment options exist for BPH. The best treatment option for you depends on your age, the size of the prostate, the severity of symptoms and your general health. Treatment options include:

Lifestyle changes. Lifestyle changes such as avoiding drinking before going to bed, reducing caffeine intake and exercising frequently.
Medical treatment. Medications can relax the muscles in your prostate or shrink the prostate over time
Surgery. Surgery is recommended if medications are not working, or you're getting side effects from medication
Urolift Procedure
Transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP)
Aquablation (not currently available in South Australia)
Rezum Water Vapor Therapy
Laser therapy with Greenlight Laser Photovaporization or Holmium Laser Enucleation
Robotic Surgery to remove the inner lining of the prostate, causing the blockage

Speak with our team

Have a referral or a question about your care? Our team is here to help.

Call (08) 8119 0961
REQUEST A CONSULTATION

Speak with A/Prof Akbar Ashrafi

Consultations are available across our Adelaide locations. Bring your referral and any recent scans or test results, and we will talk through your diagnosis, the options available to you, and what to expect.

Referrals accepted from GPs and specialists.