What Causes an Enlarged Prostate? 8 Common Questions Answered

An enlarged prostate is common as men get older. But what causes an enlarged prostate, and when should you be concerned?

Here are answers to eight common questions about enlarged prostate causes, symptoms, and risk factors.

1. What Is an Enlarged Prostate?

An enlarged prostate is often due to benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). This means the prostate has grown larger, but the growth isn’t cancer.

The prostate is a small gland that surrounds part of the urethra, the tube that carries urine out of your body. As the prostate grows, it can squeeze this tube and make it harder to urinate.

2. What Causes the Prostate to Get Bigger?

Doctors don’t know exactly what causes an enlarged prostate. But aging and changes in hormone activity may contribute to its growth.

The prostate can continue to grow as men get older, although it doesn’t grow at the same rate in everyone.

3. Does Testosterone Cause an Enlarged Prostate?

Testosterone plays a role in prostate growth, but having high testosterone levels doesn’t necessarily cause an enlarged prostate.

Inside the prostate, some testosterone changes into a hormone called dihydrotestosterone (DHT). This hormone helps prostate tissue grow.

Certain BPH medications, such as finasteride and dutasteride, lower DHT levels. This can help shrink the prostate and improve urinary symptoms.

4. Who Is More Likely to Develop BPH?

Age is one of the biggest risk factors for an enlarged prostate. BPH rarely causes symptoms before age 40, but it becomes more common as men get older.

Your family history also matters. If your father or brother has BPH, you may be more likely to develop it.

Other factors linked to a higher risk include:

Being overweight
Having type 2 diabetes
Having heart or blood vessel disease
Not getting much physical activity

Having these risk factors doesn’t mean you’ll develop an enlarged prostate.

5. Does an Enlarged Prostate Mean Prostate Cancer?

No. BPH isn’t prostate cancer, and having an enlarged prostate doesn’t mean you’re more likely to develop prostate cancer.

However, you can have both conditions at the same time. They may also cause similar urinary symptoms.

That’s why it’s important to have new or changing urinary problems checked by a doctor.

As the prostate grows, it can press against the urethra and make it harder for urine to pass.

Common symptoms include:

Trouble starting to urinate
A weak or stop-and-start urine stream
Straining to urinate
Dribbling after urination
Feeling like your bladder isn’t empty
Needing to urinate more often
A sudden urge to urinate
Waking up at night to urinate

Over time, BPH can make it harder to empty your bladder completely.

If you can’t urinate at all, seek medical care right away.

7. Does a Larger Prostate Always Cause Worse Symptoms?

Not always. Some men have a large prostate but very few urinary problems. Others have a slightly enlarged prostate that causes more noticeable symptoms.

The location of the growth can affect how much pressure the prostate puts on the urethra.

Your doctor will consider your symptoms, not just the size of your prostate, when recommending treatment.

8. When Should You See a Urologist for an Enlarged Prostate?

It’s a good idea to see a urologist if urinary symptoms:

Keep happening or get worse
Wake you up often at night
Make it hard to empty your bladder
Interfere with your daily activities

A urologist can check whether BPH is causing your symptoms or if something else is going on.

Not everyone with an enlarged prostate needs treatment. Depending on your symptoms, your doctor may recommend lifestyle changes, medication, or a procedure to help you urinate more easily.

Get Help for an Enlarged Prostate in Northern Illinois

You don’t have to put up with frequent bathroom trips, a weak urine stream, or trouble emptying your bladder.

At Comprehensive Urologic Care, we help men find out what’s causing their urinary symptoms and explore treatment options that fit their needs.