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Waking Up To Pee: Could It Be BPH?

Benign prostatic hyperplasia, or BPH, simply means an enlarged prostate gland. If you are a male and over the age of 45, you most likely know about this condition, as it affects men as they age and causes a number of symptoms. If you are waking up at night to pee, you may be wondering if it could be due to BPH. 

Waking Up to Pee

If you find yourself waking up to pee once a night, it could be because you had that last drink or cup of coffee too close to bedtime. However, if it is happening four or five times per night, this annoying occurrence is most likely BPH.

man in pajamas peeing at night.

A normal prostate gland is about the size of a walnut, but it begins to enlarge as a man gets older. This increase in size affects your bladder and urethra and blocks the flow of urine through the urethra. Don’t be concerned about cancer, as the word benign means non-cancerous.

Other Symptoms of BPH

An enlarged prostate leads to multiple symptoms besides waking up to pee several times each night.

They include the following:

  • Having a frequent or urgent need to urinate
  • Difficulty beginning to pee
  • A weak stream, or one that stops and starts
  • Dribbling after peeing
  • Incontinence
  • A feeling you haven’t completely emptied your bladder
  • Pain after urination or ejaculation
  • Urine that has an unusual color or smell

If you have any of these symptoms, consult with Dr. Steven Gange as it could be due to BPH or another urological condition.

Is Treatment for BPH Necessary?

An enlarged prostate can be left untreated if the symptoms are very mild and the patient is not bothered by them.

That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t see Dr. Steven Gange for an evaluation if you have symptoms. Sometimes BPH can lead to frequent urinary tract infections, bladder stones, and kidney damage when urine back flows from the bladder into the kidneys.

For mild to moderate symptoms, Dr. Steven Gange may recommend lifestyle and diet changes like avoiding drinking coffee, tea, or alcohol, especially before bedtime. Stopping or reducing smoking can help too.

In addition, there are medications to reduce symptoms of BPH, as well as minimally invasive treatments and procedures.

Contact Dr. Steven Gange at (801) 993-1800, or request an appointment online, to schedule an evaluation in Salt Lake City if you are experiencing any of the symptoms of BPH.

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I have seen Dr. Gange for a number of years and developed the typical symptoms associated with an enlarged prostate. During my annual urologist visit, Dr. Gange laid out my options. After doing some personal research, I elected to have the Urolift procedure performed by Dr. Gange on an outpatient basis.

The procedure was uncomfortable but not particularly painful compared to other surgeries I have had. Recovery was relatively quick and I was back at work after two days of rest.

I did experience some significant discomfort associated with urination but was counseled that I was not drinking enough water. Once I increased my consumption of water, most of the discomfort went away and I was back to normal after about two weeks.

In the wake of the surgery, the urgency to urinate has gone away. The interval between trips to the bathroom has lengthened significantly such that I usually get up to urinate only once each night and sometimes not at all.

Having talked with others who have had more drastic prostate surgery, I feel that the Urolift procedure was much less stressful and the results were as hoped for.