Struggling to urinate, getting up multiple times at night, or noticing that your urine stream has weakened — these are not signs of ageing to accept. They are symptoms of prostate enlargement, and they are treatable. At Mascot Healthcare, Akoka, a prostate scan and consultation gives you answers and a management plan the same day.
Lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) from prostate enlargement are assessed using the International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS). Here are the key questions:
Do you feel your bladder doesn't empty completely after urination? Residual urine in the bladder increases infection risk and worsens obstruction over time.
Post-void residual scanDo you urinate more than every 2 hours during the day? Frequency caused by BPH reflects an overactive, partially obstructed bladder.
Prostate scan + bladder assessmentDoes your urine stream stop and start? Intermittent flow is caused by the enlarged prostate pressing on and partially blocking the urethra.
Prostate scanDo you find it difficult to postpone urination? Sudden, compelling urges to urinate — sometimes leading to leakage — are caused by bladder overactivity secondary to obstruction.
Prostate + bladder scanIs your urine stream noticeably weaker than it was 5 years ago? A weak stream is the most reliable indicator of bladder outflow obstruction.
Prostate scan + flow rateDo you wake more than once a night to urinate? Waking 2+ times per night disrupts sleep, impairs daytime function, and is highly prevalent in Nigerian men over 50.
Prostate scan + fluid adviceBenign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and prostate cancer are two distinct conditions that both cause prostate enlargement — but they behave very differently. The distinction matters enormously for management.
BPH is a non-cancerous enlargement of the prostate that occurs in virtually all men as they age — present in 50% of men by age 60 and 90% by age 85. It is caused by hormonal changes (declining testosterone, relatively increasing dihydrotestosterone) causing proliferation of the central zone of the prostate around the urethra. It causes symptoms but does not spread, does not cause cancer, and does not threaten life. It is managed with alpha-blockers (tamsulosin — relaxes prostatic smooth muscle), 5-alpha reductase inhibitors (finasteride — shrinks the prostate), or surgery (TURP) for severe cases.
Prostate cancer is the second most common cancer in Nigerian men and is rising — partly due to dietary changes, partly due to improved detection. Many prostate cancers are slow-growing and may never cause symptoms in a man's lifetime (watchful waiting is appropriate). Others are aggressive and require active treatment. Early detection — via PSA blood test and prostate scan — significantly improves outcomes. BPH symptoms are not caused by prostate cancer, but both can coexist and should be screened for simultaneously.
Prostate scan + PSA + consultation at Mascot Healthcare, Akoka. Walk-in available.