What Causes Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia?

Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is the medical condition and term for an enlarged prostate. As a man ages, the prostate goes through two primary growth periods: first in puberty when it doubles in size then again beginning around twenty-five when the prostate continues to slowly grow for the rest of a man's life. Benign prostatic hyperplasia typically occurs during the later growth stage. An enlarging prostate squeezes the urethra while the bladder wall thickens, which can eventually cause the bladder to weaken and make it hard to empty fully. As the urethra narrows and the bladder becomes unable to empty completely, causing symptoms to develop such as incontinence, weak urinary stream, excessive nighttime urination, frequent urination, and a strong and frequent urge to urinate.