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BPH can cause problems such as having to urinate often during the day and at night or having a weak stream of urine. No one can tell you for sure whether your symptoms will worsen over time. And no one but you can judge how much these symptoms affect your life.

Benign prostatic hyperplasia is usually harmless. Benign means the growth of your prostate isn't due to cancer. And this condition is also fairly slow to progress. So you don't have to rush into having treatment before you are ready. Also, having BPH doesn't increase your risk of getting prostate cancer.

Lots of men find that their BPH symptoms gradually get worse as they get older.¹ But this isn't always the case. Some men find that their symptoms change slowly, and others find that they don't change at all.² Some men even find that their symptoms get better on their own.

It's unlikely that you'll become seriously ill as a result of your enlarged prostate. Only about 1 in 10 men get serious symptoms.³ Doctors call these symptoms complications. And it's extremely unlikely that you will die as a result of BPH.

But it makes sense to see a doctor quite quickly. Ignoring your BPH symptoms can lead to problems. Also, getting treatment early could keep your enlarged prostate from damaging your bladder.⁴

How your condition develops often depends on how severe your symptoms are to start with. In one study of men who didn't have any treatment, men with mild symptoms usually didn't get severe symptoms or need surgery during the next four years. Out of those with moderate symptoms, after four years:⁵

• Half still had moderate symptoms
• 1 in 4 had surgery
• 1 in 8 progressed to severe symptoms
• 1 in 8 improved to mild symptoms.

Surgery used to be the only treatment for BPH. Nowadays, there are several drugs, herbal treatments and smaller operations that can help your symptoms. Doctors often advise men to wait and see what happens before they start treatment. To read more, see What treatments work for an enlarged prostate?

This information is for educational use only, and is not a substitute for prompt professional medical advice. Readers should always consult a physician or other professional for advice and treatment. ©BMJ Publishing Group Limited 2008. All rights reserved.