Symptoms
Many men with
have no symptoms.
When symptoms (known as lower urinary tract symptoms, or LUTS) occur, they may
range from mild and barely noticeable to serious and disruptive. The amount of
prostate enlargement is not always related to the severity of the symptoms.
Some men with only slight enlargement have serious symptoms, and some men with
a great deal of enlargement have few symptoms.
Your symptoms may
become worse during cold weather or as a result of physical or emotional
stress.
Some medicines can make your symptoms worse. These
include over-the-counter cold medicines such as diphenhydramine
(Benadryl, for example), pseudoephedrine (such as Sudafed),
oxymetazoline spray (such as Afrin), and prescription medicines such as
antidepressants, water pills (diuretics), testosterone (gels, implants, or
injections), and pain medicines (narcotics).
The symptoms of BPH
may involve problems emptying the
or problems with bladder storage.
Symptoms related to bladder emptying include:
- Difficulty starting a urine stream (hesitancy
and straining).
- Decreased strength of the urine stream (weak
flow).
- Dribbling after urination.
- Feeling that the
bladder is not completely empty.
- An urge to urinate again soon
after urinating.
- Pain during urination (dysuria).
Symptoms related to bladder storage include:
- Waking at night to urinate
(nocturia).
- Frequent urination.
- A sudden,
uncontrollable urge to urinate.
These symptoms are not always related to prostate
enlargement and can be caused by other conditions. BPH symptoms are often
balanced between the two types of symptoms. If symptoms come on rapidly, or if
you have more of one type of symptom than the other type, you may have another
condition. Other conditions that may cause similar symptoms include
,
,
,
,
, and neurologic diseases.
You can use the
Interactive Tool: How Bad Are Your Urinary Symptoms From BPH?
to evaluate how bad your symptoms are and, later, to judge how well
your treatment is working.