Patient's question:
My father has been getting up to urinate several times recently at night. Is this a symptom of benign prostatic hyperplasia?Doctor's answer:
Increased frequency of nocturnal urination is the earliest symptom of benign prostatic hyperplasia, and the number of nocturnal urinations is often proportional to the degree of prostate enlargement. Patients who previously had no nocturnal urination, experiencing 1-2 episodes, often indicate the early onset of prostate hyperplasia. The progression from 2-3 nightly urinations to 5-6 episodes suggests a gradually worsening obstruction at the neck of the bladder, which is caused by congestion and stimulation of the prostate during the night.