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As men age, the amount of active testosterone in their blood decreases, which leaves a higher proportion of estrogen. Throughout their lives, men produce testosterone, a male hormone, and small amounts of estrogen, a female hormone.

For this reason, some researchers believe factors related to aging and the testicles may cause benign prostatic hyperplasia. Benign prostatic hyperplasia does not develop in men whose testicles were removed before puberty. The cause of benign prostatic hyperplasia is not well understood however, it occurs mainly in older men. What causes benign prostatic hyperplasia? The prostate is a walnut-shaped gland that is part of the male reproductive system. In men, the urethra also carries semen out through the penis. The urethra is the tube that carries urine from the bladder to the outside of the body. The prostate has two or more lobes, or sections, enclosed by an outer layer of tissue, and it is in front of the rectum, just below the bladder. The bladder and urethra are parts of the lower urinary tract. The bladder neck is the area where the urethra joins the bladder. The gland surrounds the urethra at the neck of the bladder. Prostate fluid is essential for a man’s fertility. The main function of the prostate is to make a fluid that goes into semen. The narrowing of the urethra and urinary retention-the inability to empty the bladder completely-cause many of the problems associated with benign prostatic hyperplasia.

Eventually, the bladder may weaken and lose the ability to empty completely, leaving some urine in the bladder. Benign prostatic hyperplasia often occurs with the second growth phase.Īs the prostate enlarges, the gland presses against and pinches the urethra. The second phase of growth begins around age 25 and continues during most of a man’s life. The first occurs early in puberty, when the prostate doubles in size. The prostate goes through two main growth periods as a man ages. Benign prostatic hyperplasia is also called benign prostatic hypertrophy or benign prostatic obstruction.