Common symptoms of a prostate problem

The most common sign of a prostate problem is difficulty in passing urine. Changes in the prostate narrow the urethra, the tube which carries urine from the bladder.

You might experience:

• a weak flow 
• intermittency - a flow which stops and starts 
• hesitancy - having to wait before you start to go 
• frequency - having to urinate more often than previously 
• urgency - finding it difficult to postpone urination 
• nocturia - having to get up at night to urinate

These symptoms can indicate either benign prostate enlargement (BPH) or prostate cancer. In the early stages, both diseases share the same symptoms.

In its later stages, prostate cancer can also produce these symptoms:

• pain in the pelvis or loins 
• general bone pain 
• weight loss

Prostatitis has some similar and some different symptoms:

• Pain and difficulty when urinating 
• Having to urinate more often or more urgently 
• Feeling unwell, possibly chills and fever 
• Aches and pains in the lower back, lower abdomen, thighs and/or genitals 
• Pain on ejaculation