Enlarged Prostate – What Causes It and What are the Symptoms?

By: Bertil B Hjert

Most people tend to mistake enlarged prostate as prostate cancer. However, it is not so.

Enlarged prostate is an uncomfortable condition. You would have to face a lot of stress due to this problem. Enlarged prostate gland is also known as Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia. It is a condition that usually develops in man once he completes the age of forty. This may be a common problem after the age of sixty.

The main cause of enlarged prostate is still a mystery. However, medical science has come to a conclusion that explains and provides something reasonable.

A normal and healthy enlarged prostate is of the size of walnuts when it grows, it tends to squeeze the urethra and then turns narrow. The bladder thereafter feels compelled to push urine via the narrowed urethra forcefully. Thereafter, it results in facing the individual to make more trips to the bathroom.

When the problem gets serious, the bladder tends to get irritated and is usually unable to empty itself completely. As soon as the problem grows, patients find it quite difficult to control and get trapped with acute urinary retention problem.

This is a stage of absolute shut down of urination. The condition is very serious and should be followed by a visit to the nearest health care centre.

1) Here are some of the symptoms of enlarged prostate:

a) Leaking of urine

b) The inability to empty the bladder completely.

c) Frequent trips to the bathroom

d) More than usual trips to the bathroom at bedtime

e) Difficulty in starting urination

You must keep your eyes on all the symptoms of enlarged prostate mentioned above in order to go for frequent trips to your doctor for regular checkups. Remember that early diagnose is necessary for effective treatment for enlarged prostate.

2) Here are some of the main causes for enlarged prostate:

a) Hormonal changes

Male hormones, also known as androgens play an important role in the growth of prostate. Testosterone is the most important androgen. This is produced throughout a man’s life. The prostate works towards converting this testosterone into powerful androgen known as Dihydrotestosterone or DHT.

DHT tends to stimulate cell growth inside the tissue that provides lining to the prostate gland. This results in enlargement of prostate. If enlarged prostate is detected in late adulthood, it is mainly due to DHT.

b) Defective cell death

This is a theory where cells self destruct via a natural process and results in proliferation of cell.

c) Late activation of cell growth

In a certain portion of the gland, cells become active and this make sit sensitive to hormones that stimulates growth.

d) Blood vessel injury

Blood vessels tend to deteriorate with age in men. This results in abnormal flow of blood and loss of oxygen. This also results in enlarged prostate.

All the conditions mentioned above are main causes for enlarged prostate. Hence, you must look out for symptoms and then visit a health care practitioner immediately for early diagnosis.

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