Word parts
What it means
A common condition in older men in which the prostate, a gland that wraps around the urethrayoo-REE-thruhThe tube that carries urine from the bladder out of the body.Full entry just below the bladder, slowly gets bigger. As it squeezes the urethra, urine has trouble getting out: the stream is weak, the man has to wait to start, he needs to go often and at night, and the bladder may not empty all the way. It can lead to urinary retentionYUR-ih-nair-ee rih-TEN-shunBeing unable to empty the bladder completely, or at all.Full entry and urinary tract infectionYUR-ih-nair-ee TRAKT in-FEK-shunAn infection anywhere in the urinary tract: the kidneys, ureters, bladder or urethra.Full entry . Treatment includes drugs that relax or shrink the prostate, and surgery such as TURP (transurethral resection of the prostate).
For the nurse
Ask about the urine stream, getting up at night and the feeling of not emptying, and check for bladder fullness. Teach the client that over-the-counter cold and allergy medicines (decongestants and antihistamines) can make it harder to pass urine.
In a chart
"72-year-old with BPH reports weak stream and nocturia x4; bladder scan 450 mL after voiding."
At a glance
| Abbreviations | BPH |
|---|---|
| Everyday words | enlarged prostate |
| Spanish | hiperplasia prostática benigna |
| Also written | BPH, benign prostatic hypertrophy, benign-prostatic-hyperplasia |
Related terms
urinary tract infection
An infection anywhere in the urinary tract: the kidneys, ureters, bladder or urethra.
urinary retention
Being unable to empty the bladder completely, or at all.
bladder
The hollow, stretchy organ in the lower belly that stores urine until it leaves the body.
urethra
The tube that carries urine from the bladder out of the body.
hyper-
A word beginning that means above, over or more than normal.