Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia

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Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH), also referred to as Benign Prostatic Hypertrophy is the enlargement of the prostate gland. The term hyperplasia is more suitable as the main prostatic changes are caused by the hyperplasia, and not hypertrophy. BPH is a chronic condition commonly affecting men over fifty years of age and its prevalence and severity increases with age. In United States, the incidence of BPH in men 60 years of age and older is 60%, and those of 70 years or older is 90%.
Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia - Pathophysiology The growth and development of prostate is controlled by the male hormone, testosterone and its active metabolite, dihydrotestosterone (DHT). Testosterone is converted to DHT by an enzyme called 5 alpha reductase. …show more content…

In addition, Sympathetic nervous system stimulation caused by norepinephrine increases the prostatic smooth muscle tone, which further worsens LUTS (Buttaro et al., 2013). The symptoms can be either obstructive or irritative in nature. Obstructive symptoms include slow urine flow, urinary hesitancy, need to strain to initiate urine flow, feeling of incomplete emptying, and terminal dribbling. Irritative symptoms include urinary urgency, frequency, and nocturia (DuBeau, Yalla, & Resnick, 2011). Irritative symptoms are due to reduced functional bladder capacity, instability or infection. Occasionally there will be hematuria. All these symptoms may be present over years with the intensity gradually increasing. Mr. Martinez Jose has a combination of obstructive and irritative symptoms, such as decreased urine flow, increased nocturia and slight terminal dysuria, for two years with worsening of symptoms during last two weeks (South University Online (SUO), 2015). Digital rectal examination shows enlargement, which can be soft or firm, with smooth mucosal surface and no distinction between lobes (McCance, & Huether, …show more content…

According to several population based studies, the mean decrease in peak urine flow rate is about 0.2ml/second/year and the average increase in prostate volume is 1-2cubic centimeter/year (Kirby, Roger, & Gilling, 2011). In men, prostate enlargement is normal part of aging. According to Martin, Lange, & Haren (2014), BPH progression rates rise sharply with age. As BPH progresses, hyperplastic tissue impinges on the prostatic urethra, resulting in progressive obstruction of urine flow and secondary changes in the function of bladder. Progressive impairment of bladder emptying may culminate in acute urinary retention (AUR), a condition that demands immediate hospitalization and catheterization. In severe cases, the extent of bladder distention may impede full recuperation of bladder function. The incidence of LUTS varies with age, ranging from 14% for men in their forties and 40% for men in their sixties. The risk of BPH progression events is based on various factors such as age and prostate volume (Emberton et al, 2011). Mostly, men seek medical help due to reduced urine flow, increased symptoms, and increased bother. Mr. Jose came to see the physician after two years of having symptoms, only when the symptoms worsened and started interfering his activities of daily living (SUO, 2015). It is crucial for health care providers to identify patients, who are at increased risk for disease progression, in order to improve therapy

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