Prostate Disease

About Prostate Disease

The prostate is a small gland in men that helps make semen. Located just below the bladder in front of the rectum, it wraps around the tube that carries urine and semen out of the body. It tends to grow larger as you get older.

Symptoms of Prostate Problems

• Frequent urge to urinate,
• Need to get up many times during the night to urinate,
• Blood in urine or semen,
• Pain or burning urination,
• Painful ejaculation,
• Frequent pain or stiffness in lower back, hips, pelvic or rectal area, or upper thighs,
• Dribbling of urine.

Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH)

Benign prostatic hyperplasia, or BPH, is very common in older men. Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) increases in prevalence as men age. It means your prostate is enlarged but not cancerous.

Urinary symptoms include increased frequency of urination, nocturia, hesitancy, urgency, and weak urinary stream. Treatment includes medical and surgical options.

Treatments for BPH include:

• Watchful waiting. If your symptoms are not too bad, your doctor may tell you to wait to see if they get worse before starting treatment.
• Medications can help shrink the prostate or relax muscles near your prostate to ease symptoms.
• Surgery. If nothing else has worked, your doctor may suggest surgery to help urine flow.