NEW ORLEANS — Dr. Rachel wants all men to pay attention. Asking if you have been getting up more frequently at night to urinate? When you urinate, do notice that your stream is not as strong, and is it taking you longer to empty your bladder?
These symptoms become a big issue for men, as they get older. As men age, most will develop BPH or benign prostatic hypertrophy.
BPH is not cancer.
In BPH, the prostate gland grows.
The prostate gland surrounds the urethra. This is the tube that carries urine out of the bladder. As the prostate gland gets bigger it squeezes the urethra causing problems with urination.
If the prostate gets too big, it can shut off the urine flow and that is a very serious problem.
An enlarged prostate leads to a weaker urine stream.
Trouble getting your urine stream started and being able to completely empty your bladder which makes you feel like you need to urinate more often.
If you are having these issues, it is important to see a urologist. These are doctors who specialize in the prostate. You need to make sure there is nothing more serious going on, such as a cancer.
There are treatments for BPH so it is very important that all you men get your prostate checked regularly.