There are thousands and quite possibly millions of men who are suffering with an enlarged prostate at this very moment. Also known as benign prostatic hyperplasia, or BPH, this condition affects most males over the age of 40, and more commonly over the age of 60. While being diagnosed with this might scare men, it is not a sign of future prostate cancer.

It is known that men produce a male hormone called testosterone, which is also the most important chemical in their body. Men also produce a very small amount of the female hormone estrogen. As a man ages, his amounts of active testosterone will decrease. The ending result is a higher level of estrogen. Some research studies have shown that when there is a higher amount of estrogen, it might promote more growth of cells in the prostate, which later results in BPH. There is another theory that suggests that when dihydrotestosterone accumulates within the prostate, cell growth is also promoted.

It has been studied and revealed that a man's age plays an important role in determining if he will have an enlarged prostate. This is one of the most common risk factors associated with BPH. There have also been studies that have proven that if other men in your family have had an enlarged prostate, then you are at a higher risk as well.

Even after you have your enlarged prostate treated, there will be a certain amount of risk factors that follow you through the rest of your life. Many men have complained of having a larger amount of urinary tract infections after being diagnosed with an enlarged prostate, frequent urination problems, and other bladder related issues.

In order to prevent certain risk factors from coming true, it is important for each man to have annual check-ups of the prostate as well as tests. The proper precautions are much smarter than waiting until a complication occurs to have your prostate checked. There are many health insurance companies that require their patients to have annual prostate check-ups if they are over a certain age or else they could have a higher premium. It is best to go ahead and have the evaluation conducted instead of taking the risk.

The good news is that if you have all of the risk factors and you are diagnosed with an enlarged prostate, there are two types of medication to help reduce the size of the prostate and alleviate the pains of an enlarged prostate. Finasteride helps reduce the size of the prostate while Alpha-blockers help relax the muscles at the neck of the bladder to make urination a simpler task.

When the medication does not work, there are two types of surgical procedures that can be conducted. One procedure involves scraping away at the prostate to reduce the size. Since this can be painful after the anesthetics wear off, many men are opting for another procedure. This involves making a few small cuts around the prostate to help alleviate the pressure on the bladder. There are many factors that are involved with an enlarged prostate. Make sure that you are taking the necessary precautions to prevent yourself from going through this painful situation.