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Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia

What is Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH)?

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Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia is an enlargement of the prostate gland. Prostate gland exists in all male and it starts to enlarge as early as 35 years. It is not until later in life that the urinary symptoms occur. Generally, benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH) or benign prostatic enlargement (BPE) happens to compress on the urethra and resulting in the obstructing symptoms. As the benign part starts to grow and expand, it will compress the surrounding peripheral parts and cause the formation of a false capsule around it.

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Signs and Symptoms

Most men between the age of 35 to 45 will not have symptoms due to prostatic enlargement. But if you have the following signs and symptoms, you may want to seek for further investigation:

  • urinary tract infection

  • overactive bladder (abnormal urge to urinate) frequency

  • nocturia (frequent urination at night with 2 times or more)

  • complications such as present of blood in the urine, renal failure, stone formation in the bladder

  • pain in passing urine

  • urethra stone

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Treatment of Clinical Benign Prostate Hyperplasia (BPH)

The treatment can be divided mainly into 3 major methods:

  • observation [mild group, urine retention is low, and patient does not have discomfort]

  • medication [moderate group]       

  • surgery, i.e. transurethral resection of prostate (TURP) [severe group]

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The common medications used by urologists in Singapore are of 2 major types:

  • the alpha blockers (relax and reduce the smooth muscle tone surrounding the prostate capsule)

  • 5-alpha reductase (shrink the prostate gland by acting on the male sex hormones)

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Surgery

Transurethral Resection of the Prostate (TURP) is an endoscopic surgical procedure that involves putting the scope through the urethra passage to resect the obstructing prostatic gland. It is done under regional anesthesia and the resected prostatic chips are usually removed through the same scope.​

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Disclaimer: This is not a guide to self-diagnose. We encourage to seek urologist advice further.

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