That blocks urine flow, and in turn, causes the bladder to become irritated and contract. BPH has a variety of urinary symptoms, Huffman explains. Perhaps a man finds he urinates slower than he used to. He may have to get up at night to use the bathroom, or have trouble emptying his bladder. Or he may find he really has to go, and often.
Some men accept it as a part of growing older.
But Huffman points out it is a good idea to get checked by a doctor for such symptoms, because they may be a sign of another illness. That checkup should include a routine blood test and a physical exam to rule out prostate cancer. Sometimes doctors may do urine flow tests to check on obstruction or perform other tests to rule out infections. Once doctors determine a man has BPH, they may recommend some medicine that will help. Many of these medications are known as alpha blockers, and they may include the common drugs terazosin, doxazosin and tamsulosin.