What does this tool do?
Click
here if you want to
find out
how bad your urinary symptoms are
.
This tool asks about your urinary symptoms from benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and gives you a score based on how severe your symptoms are. BPH is an enlarged prostate gland. As the prostate gets bigger, it may cause problems urinating. Your score on this tool may help you think about if and how you want to treat the problem.
If you are already being treated for BPH, the tool can also help you and your doctor tell how well treatment is working.
The tool is based on the American Urological Association (AUA) Symptom Index.1, 2 The index is also called the International Prostate Symptom Score.
Health Tools
Health tools help you make wise health decisions or take action to improve your health.
 | Decision Points focus on key medical care decisions that are important to many health problems. |
| Should I have surgery or take medication to treat benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH)? | |
| Should I use medication or watchful waiting to treat benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH)? | |
| Interactive tools are designed to help people determine health risks, ideal weight, target heart rate, and more. |
| How bad are your urinary symptoms from benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH)? | |
What does your score mean?
Your score gives you an idea of how bad your symptoms are. It will fall into one of these ranges:
- Mild (0 to 7)
- Moderate (8 to 19)
- Severe (20 to 35)
By itself, your score does not mean that you do or do not need treatment. But it is a useful way for you and your doctor to look at and talk about your symptoms and watch them over time.
Men differ in how bothered they are by urination problems. One man may not be troubled by his symptoms at all, and another man—with the same score—may feel that his symptoms are having a big impact on his life.
What's next?
BPH can be a bother, but it is usually not a serious health problem. If you are concerned about your symptoms, talk to your doctor about your options. They may include:
- Small changes to your lifestyle and urination habits, plus regular check-ups to make sure that the problem is not changing or getting worse.
- Medicines to help reduce your symptoms.
- Surgery to help correct the problem and reduce your symptoms.
The main factor in deciding if and how to treat your symptoms is how much the symptoms bother you, not what your score is. To learn more, see these topics:
- Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH)
- Should I use medicine or watchful waiting to treat
BPH?
- Should I have surgery or use medicine to treat
BPH?
References
Citations
Barry MJ, et al. (1992). American Urological Association symptom index for benign prostatic hyperplasia. Journal of Urology, 148(5): 1549–1557.
AUA Practice Guidelines Committee (2003). AUA guideline on management of benign prostatic hyperplasia (2003). Chapter 1: Diagnosis and treatment recommendations. Journal of Urology, 170(2, Part 1): 530–547.
Credits
| Author | Katy E. Magee, MA |
| Editor | Katy E. Magee, MA |
| Associate Editor | Pat Truman, MATC |
| Primary Medical Reviewer | Martin Gabica, MD - Family Medicine |
| Specialist Medical Reviewer | Avery L. Seifert, MD - Urology |
| Last Updated | February 23, 2007 |
| Author: | Katy E. Magee, MA | Last Updated: February 23, 2007 |
| Medical Review: | Martin Gabica, MD - Family Medicine Avery L. Seifert, MD - Urology | |
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