Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH) is a condition which can affect men through an enlarged prostate, due to the growth of non-cancerous tumours in the prostate. A small amount of prostate enlargement is present in many men over the age of 40 and particularly affects men over the age of 50. Nearly half (43%) of men over the age of 65 have either some urinary symptoms or a reduced urinary flow due to BPH. As many as 9 out of 10 men in their seventies and eighties have some symptoms of BPH.
BPH is characterised by the non-cancerous (benign) growth of prostate cells, with the effect that the middle portion of the prostate progressively enlarges. The result is that the part of the urethra that is surrounded by the prostate becomes constricted, so the urinary flow is reduced and the man finds that his urine stream becomes weaker and it is more difficult to empty his bladder.
In addition to the discomfort of restricted urinary function, BPH can also lead to the thickening of the bladder walls resulting from the additional pressure caused by the obstruction to the urine flow. This often leads to the formation of pouches (known as diverticula) on the bladder and sometimes bladder stones.
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