What are the obstructive symptoms associated with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH)?

Difficulty starting a stream of urine is one of the hallmark obstructive symptoms associated with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). BPH is characterized by an enlargement of the prostate gland, which can compress the urethra and lead to urinary obstruction. This obstruction typically manifests as difficulties in initiating urination, which is often described as a "hesitancy" where the patient struggles to start urinating, accompanied by a weak urinary stream.

Other symptoms of BPH can include urinary frequency, urgency, post void dribbling, and nocturia, but these are sometimes categorized under irritative symptoms or related to the bladder's response to obstruction, rather than being purely obstructive in nature. Understanding these symptoms helps in the recognition and management of the condition effectively, emphasizing the specific obstructive nature of the difficulty starting a stream as a primary indicator of BPH.