What Is Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH)?

What the term means

Benign prostatic hyperplasia is an increase in prostate tissue that is not itself cancer. Because the prostate surrounds the urethra near the bladder outlet, enlargement can interfere with urine flow. BPH becomes more common with age, especially after 50, but enlarged prostates do not always cause troublesome symptoms.

Common symptoms and their limits

Typical complaints include weak stream, difficulty starting, urgency, frequency, nighttime urination and feeling incompletely emptied. These are lower urinary tract symptoms, not a diagnosis by themselves. Infections, bladder conditions and other causes may produce similar experiences.

How clinicians investigate

A clinician may review symptoms, medications, family history and other health issues, perform an examination, and consider a urine test or other evaluation. The objective is to determine both the cause of symptoms and whether any complications are present.

Treatment can be individualized

Options described by NIDDK include watchful waiting, changes to fluid habits and caffeine use, alpha blockers, 5-alpha reductase inhibitors and procedures for selected cases. The appropriate pathway depends on symptom burden, complications and personal priorities.

Avoid mistaking supplement claims for treatment

Although supplements may be marketed to men worried about BPH, herbal studies have mixed and often limited evidence. Saw palmetto, for example, has not consistently outperformed placebo. Discuss persistent symptoms instead of relying on an advertised cure.

Further reading on this topic

Sources and references

1. NIDDK: Enlarged Prostate (BPH)
2. NCCIH: Saw Palmetto
3. NCCIH: Complementary Approaches for BPH

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