If you experience symptoms of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), or enlarged prostate, see your doctor. During an initial evaluation, the doctor will take a medical history. Expect questions about your urinary flow problems, how long the symptoms have been present, and any prior genitourinary surgery or procedures. Most likely, he or she will ask about your health habits and any medications that may have made the symptoms worse. Your doctor may also ask you to complete a questionnaire, such as the American Urological Association Urinary Symptom Score, to help evaluate the severity of your BPH.
An adequate physical exam and diagnostic workup includes a digital rectal examination (DRE) and, if you and your doctor concur, a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test. It also includes several other laboratory tests, such as a urinalysis. This allows your doctor to rule out bacterial infections and look for untreated diabetes, which can produce frequent urination, particularly at night.
In a sense, your lifestyle will determine how burdensome you find BPH. The symptoms that disrupt the day-to-day activities of one man may have less of an effect on another who perhaps spends much of his day at home. Work with your physician to determine what, if any, treatment is the best choice.
An adequate physical exam and diagnostic workup includes a digital rectal examination (DRE) and, if you and your doctor concur, a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test. It also includes several other laboratory tests, such as a urinalysis. This allows your doctor to rule out bacterial infections and look for untreated diabetes, which can produce frequent urination, particularly at night.
In a sense, your lifestyle will determine how burdensome you find BPH. The symptoms that disrupt the day-to-day activities of one man may have less of an effect on another who perhaps spends much of his day at home. Work with your physician to determine what, if any, treatment is the best choice.
