An Enlarged Prostate Is A Common Male Problem

Once a man reaches middle age then there is a better than even chance that he will develop an enlarged prostate by the time he retires. This particular problem will normally start to appear in men at about the age of 45 and by the age of 60 will affect 1 in every 2 men. As age continues to increase so too does the problem and by the age of 80 an enlarged prostate will be seen in 9 out of every 10 men.

The prostate gland, which forms a part of the male reproductive system, puts on a spurt of growth during puberty and reaches the size of a walnut by the time a man reaches maturity. It then continues its growth very slowly throughout the remainder of a man’s life.

In middle age however cell growth often accelerates in an area of the prostate known as the transition section or zone of the prostate. This cell growth, which is non-cancerous, is confined to the transition zone of the prostate, which partially surrounds the urethra – the tube which carries urine out of the body from the bladder.

At first the enlargement caused by cell growth in the transition section is slow and many men will not experience any symptoms from it at all, while others will find that the symptoms are so slight that they will dismiss them as nothing more than part of the normal ageing process.

As the prostate enlarges further however it will begin to pinch the urethra causing increasing problems with the flow of urine from the bladder. At this point symptoms will begin to become evident and, while neither painful nor discomforting, they will become increasingly annoying as men experience such things as difficulty in urinating, a week flow of urine, the need to get up during the night to urinate and what is often seen as an embarrassing tendency to dribble urine after they have been to the bathroom.

At this point your enlarged prostate is certainly beginning to impinge upon your lifestyle and you should consult your doctor.