Common myths
BPH symptoms mean that I am more likely to have prostate cancer
There is no greater risk of prostate cancer in men with lower urinary tract symptoms than in men without symptoms.
BPH is my fault
There is not a lot you can do to prevent getting BPH. The main risk factor is age. But eating a healthy diet without too much saturated fat and taking regular exercise will help you stay healthy.
Only old men get BPH
BPH can even affect men in their 40s. 50% of 50 year old men have BPH and one third of them will have symptoms as a result of it.
I have lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) due to BPH so I should drink less fluid
Men with LUTS should in fact drink more as this will prevent infection caused by urine not being moved through the bladder. However, many men will find that restricting their fluid intake at specific times of the day can help – such as not drinking too much just before bed.
I should just put up with the symptoms of BPH
BPH can really affect your enjoyment of life, making you tired and constantly interrupting activities. It’s not a life–threatening problem, but that doesn’t mean you have to live with it and there are a number of treatment options available to you.
The bigger the prostate, the worse the symptoms
Actually, the size of your prostate is not necessarily linked to the severity of your symptoms. Some men have a very enlarged prostate and just get a bit of dribbling from time to time, others unfortunately have a whole range of problems with only slight prostate enlargement.
BPH affects your sex drive
BPH does not directly affect your sex drive. But you may be having other problems with sex, such as difficulty keeping an erection or pain when you ejaculate, which put you off doing it. It’s worth talking these issues through with your partner if you’re worried about your relationship suffering too.
BPH will make me incontinent
BPH does not necessarily lead to incontinence (when you leak urine involuntarily). But sometimes this can happen if your bladder becomes so full that it overflows and leaks, or if you can’t get to a loo in time.43
The prostate gland is involved in reproduction, so a problem can cause infertility
This is not the case – BPH does not cause infertility.
The prostate gland is involved in urine production and therefore, a bigger prostate causes me to pee more often
The prostate gland has no part to play in the production of urine. This is the role of the kidneys.
I’ll need to have a catheter because I’ve got BPH
Catheters are not routinely used to treat BPH. The only reason you’d need one is if you undergo any prostate operation or suddenly can’t pee at all and your bladder becomes painfully full and needs to be emptied. This is called acute urinary retention.44