Men's Health
Treatment for an enlarged prostate
What are your options when medication does not work?
Most men stop getting taller around age 18, but after 40, they often begin growing elsewhere — particularly in their prostate gland. Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), also known as an enlarged prostate, affects about 50 percent of men ages 51 to 60 and up to 90 percent of men older than 80.
As the prostate grows, it presses on the urethra, the tube that carries urine out of the body (see image). For about half of men with BPH, this causes urination problems. Common issues include a hesitant, interrupted, or weak urine stream; dribbling after urinating; a feeling the bladder does not completely empty; and more frequent urination. Some men also experience urinary tract infections or urinary incontinence, the involuntary discharge of urine.
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About the Author
Matthew Solan, Executive Editor, Harvard Men's Health Watch
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