How are Doctors Diagnosing BPH?

Symptoms such as urgent or frequent urination; waking in the night to urinate; or struggling to start or stop urinary flow could indicate benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). But how are doctors diagnosing BPH? Here's what you need to know.

Causes of an Enlarged Prostate

What is BPH? This is a condition in which prostate cells experience accelerated growth, leading to gland enlargement. Affecting approximately 50% of men over the age of 50, prostate enlargement can create on the urethra, triggering BPH symptoms that mostly affect the lower urinary tract.

Diagnosing BPH

If you visit your doctor complaining of Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms (LUTS) such as the ones highlighted above, the healthcare provider should begin the process of diagnosing BPH or ruling out other conditions such as infections or prostate cancer.

The first step will likely be a digital rectal exam. Your doctor with insert a gloved finger into the rectum to feel for prostate enlargement or other abnormalities. Blood tests can check your prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels, with results indicating the presence or lack of prostate enlargement.  Additional diagnostics, including urine tests; ultrasounds; or a biopsy may be necessary to finalize a diagnosis, whether that means diagnosing BPH or determining a different cause of prostate enlargement.

Choosing Treatments for BPH

After diagnosing BPH, you can begin exploring treatment options. Some men may find symptom relief by improving their diets, managing their fluid intake, and removing triggers such as alcohol or caffeine. Medications may offer BPH relief, along with the added benefit of protection from Lewy body dementia , according to this study. However, for men who don't find sufficient symptom relief by choosing these treatment options, Prostatic Artery Embolization (PAE), may be a better way forward. This is a minimally-invasive interventional radiology procedure; it shrinks the prostate with fewer side effects than surgery. To learn more about PAE and see if you're a candidate for this procedure, simply request a consultation at the Georgia Prostate Institute.