How dangerous is an enlarged prostate?

By Cristiano Antonino Last updated Jan 5, 2023

Approximately half of all men over the age of 50 have an enlarged prostate, a condition known as benign prostatic hypertrophy, which occurs when the prostate gland, a seminal fluid-producing gland located around the urethra, becomes larger than normal (usually, its size is similar to that of a walnut)

Because prostate enlargement occurs gradually, many men are convinced that the symptoms are part of the normal ageing process, and delay checking.

But, if left untreated, benign prostatic hypertrophy can lead to even serious consequences, such as a sudden inability to urinate, urinary tract infections and bladder or kidney damage.

What are the symptoms of an enlarged prostate?

When the volume of the prostate becomes enlarged, it can cause the urethral canal to become occluded, preventing the bladder from emptying completely, resulting in stagnation of urine in the kidney.

Therefore, the symptoms of benign prostatic hypertrophy are irritative and obstructive, and include:

Difficulty urinating
Slow urine flow or dribbling
Frequent need to urinate (even during the night)
Inability to empty the bladder
Pain during urination or after ejaculation

What are the dangers of an enlarged prostate?

If left untreated, an enlarged prostate gland can lead to increasingly serious consequences for which medical intervention is required:

Complete obstruction of the urethra
Damage to the bladder muscles or kidneys, up to and including kidney failure
Urinary tract infections
Bladder stones

These conditions can cause pain in the back or lower abdomen, inability to urinate, pain, fever, chills during urination, and blood in the urine.

How is the diagnosis made?

To get a more complete picture, the urologist may require tests to exclude the presence of an infection (urine test and urine culture), check the urine flow and make sure that the bladder is not emptying (uroflowmetry with post-minutional residue check), determine the precise prostate volume in case a prostate removal operation is necessary (transrectal prostate ultrasound), identify the PSA (prostate specific antigen) values by means of a laboratory test on a blood sample.