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What happens if I can’t urinate?
The bladder muscles may strain to push urine through the narrowing passage. Having too much to drink can suddenly over stretch the bladder and stop the muscles from working. This is very uncomfortable and you will need to contact your GP immediately to have the urine drained away.

Your GP will do this by inserting a catheter (which is a thin flexible tube) gently up through the penis into the bladder. Following this, you will almost certainly need an operation.

What test will I have?
Your doctor will ask you about your symptoms and examine your abdomen and penis. He or she will also examine your prostate gland by putting his or her finger into your rectum (a digital rectal examination).

Your urine will be tested to make sure there is no infection or blood in it. Your doctor will also take a blood test to see how your kidneys are working and whether you might have prostate cancer.

You may be referred to a clinic which will give you a diary in which you write down how often you urinate and the number and type of drinks you have each day. You may be asked to urinate into a flow meter which measures the flow and volume. After this, your bladder may be examined with an ultrasound machine which tells your doctor whether or not you have completely emptied your bladder.

Can BPH be treated?
BPH can be treated by drugs or, if necessary, surgery. The treatment you have depends on how severe your symptoms are, how much your urine flow is reduced and whether or not there is a large volume of urine remaining in your bladder after you go to the toilet. You and your doctor may decide that a "watch and wait" approach is appropriate. Check out the points below to see how you can help yourself.