Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH)

If you have a hard time urinating or need to make frequent trips to the bathroom during the night, there’s a good chance you have benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), better known as an enlarged prostate. Cynthia Moorman, MD, and the skilled team at Urology Consultants of Maryland in Frederick, Maryland, offer a wide range of BPH treatments based on the severity of your symptoms. Don’t wait to seek help because your symptoms will only get worse over time. Call the office or connect online to request an appointment and learn if your symptoms are caused by BPH.

What is benign prostatic hyperplasia?

Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) affects most men as they get older because the prostate naturally keeps enlarging throughout their adult years. BPH doesn’t cause or increase your risk of developing serious conditions like prostate cancer. However, the prostate can get large enough to cause mild to severe symptoms.

How will I know I have benign prostatic hyperplasia?

The tube that carries urine out of your body (the urethra) goes through the center of the prostate gland. As the prostate enlarges, it compresses the urethra, causing symptoms such as: 

• Difficulty urinating
• Slow or weak urine stream
• Urine stream that stops and starts
• Frequent or urgent need to urinate
• Urinary incontinence
• Dribbling after urination
• Waking during the night to urinate
• Inability to empty the bladder

In rare cases, BPH may block the urethra, making it hard or impossible to urinate.

How is BPH diagnosed?

Your Urology Consultants of Maryland provider diagnoses BPH by reviewing your medical history, analyzing your current symptoms, and performing a digital rectal exam (DRE) to determine the size of your prostate. They also run diagnostic tests like urinalysis and blood tests.

What treatments might I need for benign prostatic hyperplasia?

Your provider works with you to develop an individualized treatment plan that matches your lifestyle and medical needs. A mild case of BPH may not need any treatment, but your provider may recommend lifestyle changes that support prostate health.

BPH treatment options include:

Active surveillance

Active surveillance means that your provider schedules regular visits to monitor prostate growth and evaluate new symptoms. For most men, that means a yearly exam.

Medications

Your symptoms may improve with prescription medications. Some medications make it easier to urinate by relaxing muscles, while others shrink the prostate gland.

Minimally invasive office procedures

The skilled Urology Consultants of Maryland team perform several minimally invasive procedures that relieve pressure on the urethra. For example, they often recommend the advanced UroLift® System.

During a UroLift procedure, your provider guides a specialized device through the urethra until it reaches the prostate. Then they use the device to deploy small, painless implants that hold the prostate away from the urethra.

Surgery

In severe cases, you may need outpatient surgery to remove some of the prostatic tissues surrounding the urethra.

Call Urology Consultants of Maryland or use online booking today to get help for difficulty urinating.