What is BPH?

About Prostate Enlargement

Every other man over 50 is affected

The interior of the prostate begins to change when men reach their 40s. Nodes form, and this can cause the prostate to enlarge. Sometimes the changes can happen so slowly that the nodes never become more than microscopic in size. In these cases, changes within the prostate go unnoticed.

Every other man will, however, face problems as a result of prostate enlargement. This enlargement, which usually ceases after several years, is called Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH).

Why does the prostate gland enlarge?

This is not known for certain, but it may be related to the effects of male hormones. It is not unusual for the prostate to more than double in size. The prostate gland surrounds the urethra directly under the neck of the bladder. As the prostate enlarges, it pinches the urethra, causing a frequent urge to urinate while also making it harder to do so. When the prostate is enlarged, it not only squeezes the urethra, but also restricts the urinary flow so that emptying the bladder becomes more difficult. This can develop into an unbearable problem for many men. Around 20-25 percent of all men receive some kind of treatment for their condition.

Prostate Enlargement - Effective Treatment is Available 

The three most common alternatives in the treatment of prostate enlargement - Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH) - are medication, surgery or microwave thermotherapy.

Microwave thermotherapy, which was introduced 10 years ago, has been further developed in recent years. The microwave thermotherapy offered today is both effective and individually adapted to the patient. This advanced type of microwave thermotherapy is called CoreTherm®. It can take as little as 10-30 minutes, does not require any hospitalstay, and is carried out with concurrent monitoring of the prostate's temperature. CoreTherm® has proven to be as effective as an operation (TURP), while it involves fewer treatment-related risks.

If you have prostate trouble, with urination problems such as frequent urges to urinate, dripping and starting difficulties, contact your doctor for a prostate examination and discussion on possible treatment. You can read more about prostate enlargement, treatment and symptoms on this website.