Prostate enlargement affects the majority of men over the age of 50. The majority have BPH, or benign prostatic hyperplasia, but the cause of their discomfort and urinary issues is an undiagnosed infection. BPH (benign prostatic hyperplasia) and prostatitis both result in symptoms caused by an inflamed or swollen prostate gland. In males, the prostate gland surrounds the bladder neck. The prostate gland secretes the fluid that nourishes sperm. Normal prostate glands are about the size of ping-pong balls and can swell to the size of tennis balls. The urethra (tube) narrows as it expands. Urine flow is slowed or stopped when the narrowing is moderate or severe. The prostate swells in both infectious and inflammatory prostatitis and in BPH.