Authored by Dr Harsh Sharma, Edited and Peer Reviewed by Dr. Pooja Sharma

Published January 16, 2015, Last updated August 1, 2018

Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia or BPH is frequently seen in males above the age of 60. It is a non cancerous condition in which Prostate gland becomes enlarged and causes disturbance in the flow of urine.

Enlargement of the prostate gland or Benign Prostatic Hypertrophy (BPH) is frequently seen in old and even middle aged males. It is the most common health issue in men above the age of 60. This condition is known as Benign Prostate Hyperplasia or BPH. This name is given to the condition in which the prostate gland is enlarged but is non cancerous. It should not be in any way confused with cancer of the prostate.

Prostate gland enlargement begins around the age of 40. This does not mean that it starts giving any problem at this age. It is a slow process and takes many years to be of significant proportions. Statistics show that about half of men have enlargement of prostate by the age of 50. By the age of 80, almost 90% of the men have prostate enlargement. One may not have much problem even when the prostate is enlarged. Only when it has become large enough to press on the urethra that it starts giving trouble. The pressure on the urethra causes it to narrow down the lumen or the passage. This results in difficulty in passing urine. With age, the urinary bladder also weakens and loses the ability to contract and empty its contents fully.

What is prostate gland

One will be better off trying to understand the problem if one knew what the prostate gland is. It is a small gland, walnut like in shape, which is a part of the male reproductive system. It is situated just below the urinary bladder and in front of the rectum. It is very close to the neck of the bladder where the urethra joins the urinary bladder. The urethra which carries the urine from the urinary bladder to be evacuated through the penis, runs through the centre of the prostate. The urethra also carries the semen. The prostate gland produces the fluid that protects and nourishes the sperms. During an ejaculation, the prostate gland squeezes and pushes this fluid into the urethra. Therefore it is very important part of the reproductive system of the male.

Causes of prostate gland enlargement

When it comes to the prostate gland enlargement causes, the precise cause is not known. It has been postulated that it occurs due to the hormonal changes that occur in a male with increasing age. There is a certain level of male hormone testosterone and a much lower level of the female hormone estrogen in a male human. The levels of the male hormone testosterone start falling with age. At the same time, the estrogen levels remain the same. Therefore there is a higher proportion of estrogen to testosterone in old age as compared to young age. This higher proportion of estrogen to testosterone is probably the cause of the enlargement of the prostate gland. Another theory is that the production of another hormone dihydrotestosterone or DHT remains the same even in old age while the testosterone levels fall. This causes the DHT to accumulate. DHT is a hormone that is responsible for development and growth of the prostate gland. Therefore the excess levels of DHT cause the enlargement of the prostate.

It has also been found that there is a higher possibility of enlargement of prostate in case your family members too have it. Also, those who are diabetic are more likely to develop BPH. Those having circulatory problems and heart problems too are more likely to get this problem. Another contributory factor that has been observed is the presence of obesity or being overweight.

Symptoms of prostate gland enlargement

Most men with prostate gland enlargement have no symptoms. Often, its presence is discovered on an ultrasound examination for some other problem. The prostate gland enlargement symptoms appear only when the enlarged prostate starts pushing the urethra causing the passage of urethra to narrow down. Also, the severity of the symptoms may not be directly proportional to the degree of enlargement. In some males with severe prostate enlargement, the symptoms may be minimal. In other cases, the enlargement may be minimal but the symptoms may be severe. Also, it has been seen that some males straightaway report with complete inability to urinate. This is known as acute urinary retention. The symptoms are caused by either the urethra blockage or problem with emptying the bladder or storage capacity of the bladder. In initial stages of the problem, the muscle of the bladder tries to push the urine out with greater force to overcome the resistance in the urethra. This causes the bladder muscle to grow thick and increase in size. The growth of the muscle of the bladder causes the inner space to decrease thus decreasing the volume of urine that it can hold. The most common symptoms that are seen in patients having prostate gland enlargement are as follows-

1. Frequency of urination- one feels the urge to urinate far more freqently than in other persons.
2. Increased frequency at night-one is often woken from sleep due to the urge to urinate
3. Urgency of urination- there is an urgency to urinate. This means that the patient feels unable to hold the urine for some time.
4. Inability to start urination- at times, one has to strain to start the stream of urine
5. Weak stream of urination- the stream of urine is often weak as the expulsive power of the bladder seems to have given way
6. Dribbling of urine- the urine may dribble in drops even when one seems to have completely evacuated the bladder
7. Feeling of incomplete evacuation-often one feels that the bladder has not been completely evacuated
8. Retention of urine-in some cases there may be complete inability to pass urine

Homeopathic treatment of prostate gland enlargement

Homeopathic treatment for prostate gland enlargement is often underrated. For those who may not know, Homeopathy is able to cure all the symptoms of enlarged prostate gland. There is no need to get a surgery done for Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia as I have often seen patients getting a recurrence of the problem even after getting a surgery done. Opposed to this, the Homeopathic medicines for prostate gland enlargement give much better results and a long lasting solution. I have had the personal experience of curing hundreds of such cases. In fact, Homeopathy can save the patient from an unnecessary surgery. I have seen that Homeopathic remedies like Conium, Staphysagria, Baryta Carb, Nux Vomica and Sabal Serrulata are very effective in treating prostate gland enlargement.