Some prostate changes are a normal part of aging, but that doesn’t mean you should ignore them. Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), or enlarged prostate, affects many men over 50 and can quietly worsen over time. What starts as a minor inconvenience can lead to serious long-term urinary issues if not addressed.
The good news is that early treatment can prevent complications and help you feel like yourself again. These are seven BPH symptoms you shouldn’t ignore.
7 BPH Symptoms You Shouldn’t Ignore
1. A weak or slow urine stream
A weak stream often signals early prostate obstruction.
If your urine doesn’t come out as forcefully as it used to, or if the flow starts and stops during urination, your prostate may be narrowing the urethra. This makes it harder for your bladder to push urine through. Over time, your bladder muscles can weaken from working too hard, making the problem worse.
2. Frequent urination, especially at night
Waking up once in the night to urinate might be normal. But if it happens often, it’s called nocturia. If you experience nocturia, or have to go every hour or two during the day, your prostate might be blocking your bladder from emptying completely.
Frequent urination can disturb your sleep. It might also mean that leftover urine is irritating your bladder, causing you to feel the urge to go often.
3. Urgency
Feeling like you have to race to the bathroom, even when your bladder isn’t full, is a more serious symptom. That sensation of not being able to wait means your bladder is becoming overactive.
This urgency can lead to urge incontinence and accidental leaks if left untreated.
4. Difficulty starting to urinate
Feeling ready to go but unable to start right away can be frustrating. This delay is caused when the muscles in your bladder and the obstruction from the prostate are out of sync. Straining to urinate puts additional pressure on your bladder and can worsen over time. This can lead to complications like bladder wall thickening.
5. Feeling like you didn’t empty your bladder
Do you finish urinating and still feel like there’s more left? That sensation of incomplete emptying often means your bladder is retaining urine. Urine retention raises the risk of bladder infections, stones, and, in rare cases, kidney damage from urine backing up into the kidneys.
6. Urinary dribbling or leaks
If you notice drops of urine after you’ve finished and walked away, you might be experiencing post-void dribbling. This happens when urine remains trapped behind the prostate. Dribbling isn’t just a nuisance. It could signal a significant outflow obstruction.
7. Inability to urinate
Urinary retention is the most serious symptom on the list. If you feel the urge to urinate but can’t pass any urine at all, especially if there’s pain, this is a medical emergency. Acute urinary retention can damage the bladder and kidneys and requires immediate attention.
Early Treatment Matters
You don’t have to wait until your symptoms become urgent to get BPH relief.
Treating BPH early can help you avoid more invasive procedures later. Modern treatment options range from medications and lifestyle changes to minimally invasive procedures.
Don’t continue to live with unwanted BPH symptoms – call (541) 334-3350 to schedule an appointment today!