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BPH Symptoms 

Most Western men will eventually suffer from BPH symptoms, the medical condition known as 'benign prostatic hypertrophy' or 'benign prostatic hyperplasia.' 

BPH is a non-cancerous growth of the prostate gland. The enlarged and swollen prostate squeezes the urethra pee tube that it surrounds, causing a whole range of symptoms from very mild to extreme. 

Mild symptoms have only a minimal impact on your life. Extreme ones can dominate your day and night with major discomfort and prostate pain. 

As the prostate grows larger, it presses against the urethra like a clamp on a garden hose.

This causes the bladder wall to become thicker and irritated. The bladder starts to contract more often even when it contains small amounts of urine. This means you pee more frequently, but less comes out. Try to get a good night's sleep when that happens! 

Eventually, the bladder weakens and loses the ability to empty itself. That's when a whole range of uncomfortable to painful symptoms begins. 

The extreme version is called acute urinary retention — when you are unable to pee at all! It is the most painful of all the symptoms! 

However, you can relieve acute urinary retention by inserting a catheter. If unaddressed, death can result in about two days. 

It is possible to have prostate enlargement and prostate cancer at the same time, although it's very rare. Having BPH symptoms does not increase your chances of developing prostate cancer. 

Mild BPH Symptoms

These mild urinary symptoms of an enlarged prostate can include any or all of the following:

• waking up 2-3 times at night to go pee
• occasional hesitancy when you have to go
  
• some dribbling happens from time to time
  
• more frequent peeing in cold environments
  
• more frequent urinations and urgency to go in general
  

Other than urinary symptoms, there are also sexual symptoms that can be expected:

• ejaculate isn't its normal creamy white color — it's a bit clearer
  
• less ejaculate is produced
  
• fewer hard erections and some difficulty maintaining them 
  

As these mild symptoms slowly worsen, some more pronounced or extreme BPH symptoms will result from time to time.

Extreme BPH Symptoms

• peeing so frequently because your bladder doesn't empty properly – it constantly feels full 
• waking up at night more and more often to pee 
• having to pee so bad, but it is hard to start the flow 
• finally starting to pee, then it stops and dribbles until it starts again 
• obsessing about where to find the next bathroom once you leave home 
• experiencing a burning hot sensation while you go because you have to go so badly, but only a little comes out — it hurts so much you could scream! 
• feeling such a sudden and powerful urge to pee that it's almost impossible to hold back for very long — run for the can! 
• uncontrollably dribbling into your underwear 
• suddenly needing to go urgently, desperately, but nothing comes out! Yikes this is the worst! 
• when you have sex, it hurts to ejaculate and/or only a tiny amount comes out 
• ejaculate isn't its normal — it's not its creamy white color, it is clear, there isn’t much or none at all! 
• drops of blood appear in your semen or when you pee 
• no more sex, erections or ejaculation

Sadly, these symptoms result in erectile difficulties in some men and reduced sex drive, limiting your ability to have and sustain an erection and ejaculate. 

Bye-bye manliness! 

No man wants the feeling of: 

• having to wear adult diapers; 
• having to go every 5 minutes for hours on end; 
• complete blockage and inability to pee at all; 
• needing to use or wear a catheter; 
• urgency—the need to go right NOW!

Some men will be surprised when their doctor discovers that they have a swollen prostate because they are unaware of these symptoms. 

Other men will not experience any enlarged prostate symptoms at all ... until they suddenly find it hard or impossible to go pee! 

This condition, called acute urinary retention, can be triggered by several things:

• taking over-the-counter medicines for colds and allergies, 
• excessive drinking, 
• cold temperatures, or 
• prolonged periods of sitting.

Knowing the BPH symptoms can help you prevent them from happening or cure them if you find yourself suffering from some of them. 

Each man has his own unique combination of symptoms. It is important to recognize symptoms early and to make changes to prevent the symptoms from worsening, to heal your body, and to reverse the damage. Ignore all the fear mongering around the prostate. 

The message is clear — your health is your wealth! 

Prostate health is the key to your functioning as a vital man with a full life and a great sex life into old age. 

There is a lot to learn, particularly about diets. Most so-called "healthy" diets may still lead to diseased prostate conditions. In fact, that is exactly what happened to me! 

Every person is different, and you need to learn how to tell what foods are right for you. You can get started by reading more here.

It is crucial for men to become informed about symptoms of an enlarged prostate so that they can take preventative actions earlier on. It is also important to have regular prostate checkups with your doctor, including a digital rectal exam and urinary flow tests.

You'll find massive amounts of research, information and links about how to make changes to your diet and lifestyle in my book Healthy Prostate: The Extensive Guide to Prevent and Heal Prostate Problems.

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