Prostate enlargement may be the cause of frequent urination, urinary retention, cloudy urine, and microhematuria (microscopic blood in urine). Benign prostatic hyperplasia commonly referred to as BPH is the noncancerous growth of prostate cells that accumulate over time and make the prostate bigger. This excessive growth of the prostate generally starts when men reach forty years old. An enlarged prostate symptom may occur at any time or symptoms may never occur, even though the prostate is larger than it used to be.

Prostate enlargement symptoms when ignored may create damage to the urinary system. One common result of prostate enlargement is the thickening of the bladder wall. When we are young our bladder wall is paper thin and as we age it becomes thicker. When prostate enlargement occurs, the prostate may block the passageway (urethra) that allows our bladder to empty when we urinate. See the flash animation of how this blockage of urine from benign prostatic hyperplasia happens here.

Another enlarged prostate symptom that starts to occur is a weak stream of urine. The reason our bladder wall thickens is, just as a weight lifter gains muscle mass from contracting their muscles, our bladder is forced to contract and press harder and harder several times a day to squeeze the urine past the prostate that is strangling the urethra just outside of the bladder. As the years go by, our bladder gets thicker and thicker and the urologist can see the thick cords of muscle that now line the entire bladder. See a photo of the thick cords of muscle here. When the bladder becomes thick and full of muscle the doctor will tell you that your bladder has striations.

Prostate enlargement also can give you another enlarged prostate symptom called urinary retention. Urinary retention means that after you urinate urine is still in your bladder. Normally the bladder empties all of the urine, and then the bladder fills up with about two cups of urine, at which time you void again. What often occurs with prostate enlargement is although the bladder pushes harder just to get the urine past the small opening caused by the benign prostatic hyperplasia the flow of urine is weaker and your bladder does not empty fully. Initially you may leave only 25 or 50 ml in your bladder after you urinate and your body becomes used to having that small amount of urine always in your bladder. As time moves on and your prostate continues to grow your stream becomes weaker and you leave more in your bladder after you void.