The Prostate Gland

It is generally accepted that the functioning prostate gland is only found in men. The gland lies at the base of the bladder, surrounding the urethra – the tube that carries urine from the bladder when you urinate.

A healthy prostate is about the size of a chestnut and consists of layers of muscle and small glands. The main function of the prostate is to produce a fluid (prostatic fluid) which is added to sperm when a man ejaculates.

There is a tendency for the prostate to enlarge as a man gets older. Although we know quite a bit about the biochemistry affecting prostate cells, we don’t really know why prostate enlargement occurs in some men and not in others.

This enlargement of the prostate gland is known as benign prostatic hyperplasia (or hypertrophy), often abbreviated to BPH – or simply, an enlarged prostate.

Prostate Enlargement (BPH)

An enlarged prostate is a common problem encountered in the older man. Estimates of how many men are affected vary:

• Around 2 million men in the UK are said to have symptoms of an enlarged prostate
• 40% of men over the age of 50 show signs of prostate enlargement
• By the age of 70, about 80% of men have an enlarged prostate

Whatever the true figure is, it is clear that bph symptoms are commonly experienced by men over the age of 50.

As the prostate enlarges, a number of things happen:

• It narrows (or pinches) the urethra - the tube which urine passes through when you urinate.
• It presses on the bottom of the bladder, interfering with the way the bladder works to expel urine.

The result of all this is a variety of problems with urination, leading to symptoms we recognise as resulting from an enlarged prostate, or BPH.

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