as a man ages his prostate can grow larger. when a man reaches the age of 40 his prostate gland might have increased from the size of a walnut to that of an apricot. by the time he reaches the age of 60 it might be the size of a lemon. because it surrounds part of the urethra the enlarged prostate can squeeze the urethra. this causes problems in the passing of urine. typically these problems passing urine don't occur in men until they are age 50 or older. they can though occur earlier. an enlarged prostate is also called benign (noncancerous) prostatic hyperplasia. it is common and cannot be prevented. age and a family history of bph are risk factors. eight out of every 10 men eventually develop an enlarged prostate. about 90% of men over the age of 85 will have bph. about 30% of men will find their symptoms bothersome.
what is benign prostatic hyperplasia (bph) or an enlarged prostate?