BPH symptoms: how to spot an enlarged prostate and what to do

Ever get up several times a night to pee, or feel like your bladder never empties? Those are the everyday signs many men notice when the prostate grows larger. By age 60 about half of men have some prostate enlargement, and symptoms can range from mild annoyance to sudden emergency.

Common BPH symptoms

Here are the symptoms people most often report. If you have one or more of these, pay attention and track how often they happen:

• Weak or slow urine stream — the flow starts thin or takes longer than before.
• Difficulty starting (hesitancy) — you strain or wait for the stream to begin.
• Feeling of incomplete emptying — you still feel like you need to go after finishing.
• Frequent urination — going more often than usual, including small amounts.
• Nocturia — waking one or more times at night to pee.
• Urgency — a sudden, strong need to urinate that’s hard to ignore.
• Dribbling or leakage after peeing.
• Urinary tract infections or blood in urine — less common but possible.

These symptoms come because an enlarged prostate presses on the urethra or affects how the bladder works. Symptoms don’t always match the size of the prostate — a mildly enlarged gland can cause big problems for some men, while others have large prostates and few symptoms.

When to see a doctor and quick things you can try

See a doctor if symptoms bother you, affect sleep, or limit daily life. Go right away for severe pain, fever, sudden inability to urinate, or visible blood in the urine — those can be emergencies. Your doctor may do a urine test, a digital rectal exam, and discuss a PSA blood test to help rule out other issues.

Simple steps at home can reduce symptoms: cut back on caffeine and alcohol (they irritate the bladder), limit fluids a couple hours before bedtime, try double-voiding (urinate, wait a few minutes, try again), and avoid over-the-counter decongestants that tighten urine flow. Pelvic floor exercises (yes, men can do Kegels) often help urgency and leakage.

If lifestyle changes aren’t enough, treatments include medications like alpha-blockers (they relax the prostate/neck) and 5-alpha-reductase inhibitors (they can shrink the gland over months). For more severe cases there are minimally invasive procedures or surgery — doctors tailor choices to symptoms and risks.

Track your symptoms for a few weeks — note how often you go, urgency level, and nights up. That info makes doctor visits more useful. If your bathroom trips are ruining sleep or your day, don’t wait. A quick check can prevent a small problem from becoming a big one.