Enlarged Prostate
If you’re getting older, you might face benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), more commonly called an enlarged prostate. If the symptoms are getting severe, consult Binod Sinha, MD, FACS, a board-certified urologist practicing in Edison, New Jersey, for the best treatment options. Dr. Sinha has years of experience and advanced training to provide you with the best treatment and personal care. Call or schedule an appointment online today for expert diagnosis and treatment for BPH at Urology Care of Central New Jersey.
Enlarged Prostate Q & A
What is benign prostatic hyperplasia?
Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) — also known as benign prostatic hypertrophy — is the non-cancerous enlargement of the prostate gland. The prostate gland covers your urethra, which carries urine from the bladder out of the body.
When your prostate gland gets bigger, it squeezes or partially blocks the urethra. BPH blocks the flow of urine and causes urinary tract, bladder, and kidney problems. Common BPH symptoms include:
- Difficulty in starting the urine stream
- Weak urine flow
- Painful urination
- Dribbling after urination
- Urge to urinate again soon after urination
- Frequent urination
- Increased nighttime urination (nocturia)
Many men don’t experience any symptoms of BPH. However, when symptoms affect your lower urinary tract, they can range from mild to severe and disrupt your life. Common triggers for BPH symptoms include cold weather, physical or emotional stress, and certain medications.
Your symptoms may also be related to prostate cancer and other health disorders such as diabetes, urinary tract infections, heart failure, and neurological disorders.
What causes BPH?
The exact causes of BPH aren’t clear. However, medical researchers and urologists understand that hormonal imbalance, cell growth, and genetic factors contribute to the condition. For example, many men experience continuous prostate growth throughout their lives, which eventually enlarges the gland so much that it blocks the flow of urine through the urethra.
How is BPH treated?
Dr. Sinha provides a variety of customizable treatments for BPH, depending on the severity of your condition and your symptoms. Dr. Sinha offers a comprehensive consultation and exam. He has several treatment options.
- Medication: Medications might include alpha blockers, 5-alpha reductase inhibitors, phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitors, or a combination of medicines.
- Surgical therapies: Surgical therapies such as prostate lifts, embolization, and prostatectomy are recommended if your symptoms worsen and medication doesn’t provide relief.
- Laser therapy: Laser therapy uses high-energy lasers to destroy or remove enlarged prostate tissue.
- TURP: Bipolar transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) removes excess prostate tissue with low-temperature plasma energy delivered via a transurethral device.
If conventional treatments aren’t successful, Dr. Sinha also offers Urolift® procedures and Rezum®. UroLift is an implanted device that lifts the enlarged prostate tissue to open your urethra. Dr. Sinha inserts the UroLift device in an outpatient procedure that doesn’t require cutting, heating or removal of prostate tissue.
Rezum is an FDA-approved transurethral device that uses radiofrequency energy to deliver thermal therapy in the form of water vapor to shrink your enlarged prostate tissue. Rezum is an outpatient procedure that requires little downtime for recovery and doesn’t involve any cutting or removal of your prostate tissue.
If you’re experiencing BPH symptoms, call Urology Care of Central New Jersey or schedule an appointment online today for expert diagnosis and treatment.