π What is BPH?
Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is a non-cancerous enlargement of the prostate gland that compresses the urethra, causing lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS). It affects over 50% of men over 60 and 90% over 85, making it one of the most common conditions in ageing men.
π― Symptoms
- Nocturia β waking 2 or more times per night to urinate
- Weak or intermittent urine stream β reduced flow, straining
- Urgency β sudden, difficult-to-defer urge to urinate
- Frequency β urinating more than every 2 hours during the day
- Incomplete emptying β sensation of residual urine
- Post-void dribbling β leakage after urination
π§ Treatment options
π Medications (first line)
Alpha-blockers (tamsulosin, alfuzosin) relax the bladder neck. 5Ξ±-reductase inhibitors (finasteride, dutasteride) shrink the prostate. Effective for mild-moderate symptoms but require lifelong use.
π©Έ Prostate artery embolization (PAE)
Minimally invasive alternative to surgery. Local anaesthesia. Outpatient. Ejaculation preserved. 80β85% IPSS improvement. Covered by French health insurance.
π₯ TURP (surgical gold standard)
Transurethral resection of the prostate. Highly effective (90β95% IPSS improvement) but requires general anaesthesia, hospitalisation, and causes retrograde ejaculation in 60β90%.
π IPSS score
International Prostate Symptom Score β rates symptom severity on a scale of 0β35. Score β₯8 indicates treatment consideration. Calculate your IPSS β
π Related pages
π«π· French version: hyperplasie-benigne-prostate.html