The most common prostate disease is the enlargement of the prostate (also known as Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia or BPH). This is becoming more prevalent as an increasing portion of the male population ages. The incidience of Prostate Cancer is also increasing, possibly due to better methods of detection.

Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH)
Symptoms for BPH include the inability to start urinating or slow to start, a weak stream, dribbling after urinating, and night-time urination (nocturia). These symptoms are caused by the enlarged prostate obstructing the bladder outlet and urine tube (urethra). If you are older than 45 years of age, your family physician should do a yearly digital rectal examination (DRE) of the prostate to determine its size. Also, a prostate-specific antigen test (PSA - a blood test) can be done to determine your risk of prostate cancer. With this information, your family physician can assess prostatic enlargement and the risk of your having prostate cancer. A referral to a urologist may be needed for further assessment such as a cystoscopy (a scope is inserted into the urethra so the urologist can look into the bladder) or a prostate biopsy. If your voiding symptoms are due to benign enlargement, you have a number of options.

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