The prostate is a gland found in every man and functions by producing secretions that aid reproduction. Prostate enlargement is a health problem seen in approximately 50% of men after the age of 50. The incidence of prostate enlargement reaches 80% over the age of 85. It has been shown that many factors such as genetic factors, hormonal mechanisms, environmental factors and diet can cause prostate enlargement.
It usually causes complaints in half of those with prostate enlargement. These complaints are usually about urination. Complaints such as difficulty in urination, intermittent urination, straining when starting urination, feeling of staying inside after urination, double urination, going to the toilet frequently, getting up more than once at night, urinary incontinence, urgent need to urinate.
Apart from these complaints, bladder stones, bleeding in the urine, kidney failure secondary to inability to empty the urine, recurrent urinary tract infections, recurrent catheterization after being unable to urinate may also be present in those with long-term disease.
Internationally accepted guidelines have roughly combined these complaints under the name of urinary system symptoms. The reason for this is that these complaints can be seen not only with prostate enlargement, but also with other diseases. For example, frequent urination can be a sign of the onset of diabetes. Complaints such as difficulty urinating in urethral strictures due to previous urinary tract traumas or operations, urination dripping, or even not being able to urinate at all can also be confused with complaints of prostate enlargement. Past traumas, spinal injuries, and disruption of the nervous system of the urinary bladder caused by certain neurological (nervous) diseases may also cause these complaints due to the inability of the urinary bladder to contract properly. Therefore, first of all, a detailed history of the patients with these complaints should be taken and differential diagnosis should be made. Some questionnaires that measure the severity of these complaints can also be used.