Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is an enlarged prostate gland that is caused by the normal aging process and not by cancer. The prostate is a walnut-sized gland that is involved in the production of semen. It is located in front of the rectum and below the bladder. The bladder stores urine and the urethra is the tube that carries the urine out of the body. The prostate may get bigger as a man gets older.
An enlarged prostate can press on the urethra. This can make it harder to pass urine. The build-up of urine in the bladder can cause infection. Back pressure and infection may progress to bladder damage and kidney (renal) failure.