Suspect you have enlarged prostate?
Take our test and let us explain what your symptoms could mean.
Check nowHere at A.Vogel Talks Enlarged Prostate, our enlarged prostate expert Dr. Jen Tan talks you through the ins and outs of the enlarged prostate. We aim to provide up to date information and research on the causes, symptoms and treatments of prostate enlargement, as well as recipes tailored towards a prostate-healthy diet and a Q&A service where you can ask all your prostate-related questions.
The prostate is a small gland found in men. It sits just under the bladder and with age, the prostate has a tendency to enlarge. This condition is commonly referred to simply as ‘an enlarged prostate’. The medical term for an enlarged prostate is benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). The use of the word benign is significant – it indicates that the condition is not life-threatening, in contrast to prostate cancer, the prostate problem we hear about more frequently. The enlarged prostate is an increasingly common problem as a man becomes older. It is estimated that:
Although an enlarged prostate is not in itself a life-threatening condition, it can give rise to a number of inconvenient symptoms which if severe enough, can affect your health and quality of life. As the prostate enlarges, it presses against the bladder and interferes with the way it works. This gives rise to a number of symptoms relating to bladder function and urination. The most common of these are:
More information on what you can expect if you suffer from prostate enlargement may be found on our page on enlarged prostate symptoms.
If you are experiencing some of the symptoms mentioned above, you may wish to look at our Enlarged Prostate Symptom Checker page. Based on the International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS), this is a test with 7 questions and will give you a broad indication of whether you are suffering from the problem and if so, how severe it is likely to be. If you already know you have an enlarged prostate, the Symptom Checker page can also be used to monitor the progress you make whilst on any treatment.
However, it is advisable to have your symptoms checked by a doctor, to rule out any underlying prostate conditions, including prostate cancer.
If you are experiencing the symptoms described on this page, have used our Symptom Checker page and think you have an enlarged prostate gland, the next thing you should do is to have the diagnosis confirmed by your doctor. This visit should be fairly straightforward as in most cases, a diagnosis can be made on the medical history and symptoms.
However, in order to exclude other causes of your symptoms, (including prostate cancer) the visit may involve an internal examination to assess the size of your prostate gland and blood tests.
Having formed a diagnosis, your doctor will be in a position to discuss treatment options with you. In general, the treatment of an enlarged prostate will depend on the severity of your symptoms.
For more information, follow the link to treatment of an enlarged prostate.
There are a number of things you can do to help yourself if you suffer from an enlarged prostate. The typical high-fat Western diet and a lack of vegetables and pulses appear to be factors contributing to prostate enlargement. Foods such as broccoli, brussel sprouts, cabbage and kale appear to be beneficial as are foods rich in zinc such as pumpkin seeds, pine nuts and shellfish.
Follow the link to our page on Eating for a healthy prostate for more information.
Take our test and let us explain what your symptoms could mean.
Check nowAs the A.Vogel Men’s Health advisor, I recommend Prostasan® Saw Palmetto capsules to help relieve symptoms arising from enlarged prostate.
Learn moreBPH is a very common problem that increases the older men get, and around half of all men have an enlarged prostate by the age of 50. At the age of 80, this has risen to 80%
What you need to know about BPHDiscover the story of Alfred VogelNature is just about the best thing we’ve got!