Prostate enlargement is a normal occurrence among males over age 50.
The clinical name for enlarged prostate is benign prostate hyperplasia or BPH.  The prostate gland in this over 50 age cohort will increase in size.  Once the size increase reaches a critical point, based on internal factors of the patient, the patient’s urinary tract can become pinched.  The urethra is squeezed forcing the restriction of urine flow out of the penis.  Treatment is based on symptoms.  The prescribing doctor will recommend treatments that are either “symptomatic” or “surgical.”

BPH and Hormonal Activity in Men
Research studies of late present some evidence suggestive of a connection between the benign condition with activity of certain hormones.  A specific class clinically known as “androgenics” decreases overall in the male’s system.  The result skews the balance between androgenic levels with estrogenic levels.  There is a spike in dihydrotestosteronic hormone levels, the chief intracellular androgenic hormone in the prostate gland.  Disturbances within the male metabolism and nutritional balance are also suggested and probable causes, while hardening of the arteries, vascular inflammations and neoplasmic conditions.

Glandular Tissue Changes
Changes in periurethral glandular tissue will initiate changes in the overall mass of the prostate gland.  Once the size of the prostate begins to demonstrate significant shift into larger mass dimensions, the regions of the male urethra passing from bladder to the exterior regions of the penis, which is enveloped by the growing prostate becomes constricted, as if a fist were encircling a straw.  The growing prostate may also impinge upon the structural integrity of the bladder located directly above the gland.  The impinging gland can produce a pouch-like intrusion which will force urinary retention of fluid in the bladder.  The prolonged presence of retained urine can create cystic conditions within the bladder.

Glandular Size Encroachment
The prostate’s natural size approximates a walnut in total mass.  As men age, and produce more estrogen with less testosterone overall, the gland will begin to position itself in the growth process between the pubis and urethra.  This repositioning creates a blockage.  Consequently, the bladder muscles chronically over exert in executing the normal function of urine passage.  When bladder muscles become near hypersensitive, the male will experience urgency sensations to relieve bladder pressure. Experts claim the urgency syndrome contributes to further prostate growth, which detracts from bladder efficiency.  Decreased capacity of the bladder to empty itself can trigger significantly harmful problems for the bladder, renal system and the internal tract of the urinary system.

Unsettled Research
The research on why the prostate gland in men changes size after they pass the age of fifty is unsettled.  There is great interest in the theory of how reduced testosterol hormone levels in this age cohort can be attributed to size changes.  The higher level of estrogenic levels relative to testosteronic levels suggests a relationship to increased prostate size.  Higher doses of estrogenics into animal bloodstreams in research trials shows a high correlation between such levels and tissue cell growth.

Growth stimulation is the central focus of research on prostate enlargement complex.  DHT is a testosterone based growth stimulant that promotes cell growth in males when present.  Synthetically produced DHT injected into male bloodstreams induces cell growth in the prostate. As the supply in the stream declines and is absorbed in metabolism, cell growth halts.  Also, there are theories suggesting that cell instructions that atrophy and then reawaken later in life can trigger random growth patterns in cells.  All of this research is still unsettled science.