How to Manage Painful Erections
Painful erections are usually more than a mild inconvenience. Learn what to do once it happens, including how the right treatment can help.
One out of two men in their 50s have an enlarged prostate. For men over 80 years of age, this issue affects nearly 90% of the United States population.
While an enlarged prostate gland typically doesn’t present any serious medical concerns, the side effects of this common problem can lead to multiple quality-of-life issues. Since the gland surrounds your urethra, an enlarged prostate places pressure on it and causes many unpleasant symptoms.
Dr. Mike Hsieh and our team have created this quick symptom checklist for the signs of enlarged prostate, also known as benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). If your symptoms match, contact our La Jolla, California urology and men’s health practice for a consultation.
One of the most recognizable symptoms of an enlarged prostate is constant trips to the bathroom. The pressure on the urethra means you don’t empty your bladder fully, resulting in you having to go again and again.
Pressure on your urethra can also cause embarrassing “dribbling,” which can be mild or moderate urinary leakage.
If you find yourself getting up repeatedly at night because the need to urinate awakens you, you have nocturia. Two or more visits to the bathroom in the night, even if you restricted fluid intake before bed, is a sign of nocturia and an enlarged prostate.
An annoying side effect of BPH is urinating in fits and starts, or having trouble initiating your stream of urine. This is also caused by pressure on the urethra.
Pressure on your urethra gets worse over time as your prostate continues to enlarge. You may begin straining in order to urinate, or even feel pain when you go to the bathroom.
If you find yourself with any of these symptoms of an enlarged prostate, we perform a thorough evaluation to determine whether BPH has developed and how advanced it is.
Based upon this information, we recommend a treatment plan that could include medical therapyor surgical intervention. In many cases, surgery can be completed using robotics for a minimally invasive approach.
If you’re struggling with any of the prostate symptoms we describe above, we urge you to contact our office as soon as possible. You can call or book an appointment online. Through early intervention, we can give you back your quality of life by restoring normal urinary function.
