Johns Hopkins Health Alerts | Prostate Disorders | What's Your Prostate Symptom Score
Here’s an easy way to calculate whether you need treatment for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH).
The International Prostate Symptom Score questionnaire (see below) was developed by the American Urological Association to help men evaluate the severity of their symptoms from benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). This self-administered test can help determine which type of prostate treatment is needed, if any.
Instructions: Use this key to answer each question, then tabulate your score to assess your BPH severity.
Not at all = 0
Less than 1 time in 5 = 1
Less than half the time = 2
About half the time = 3
More than half the time = 4
Almost always = 5
- Over the past month, how often have you had the sensation of not emptying your bladder completely after you finished urinating?
Over the past month, how often have you had to urinate again less than two hours after you finished urinating? Over the past month, how often have you found you stopped and started again several times when you urinated? Over the past month, how often have you found it difficult to postpone urination? Over the past month, how often have you had a weak urinary stream? Over the past month, how often have you had to push or strain to begin urination? Over the past month, how many times did you most typically get up to urinate from the time you went to bed at night until the time you got up in the morning? Use your total score to assess BPH severity: mild BPH (1 to 7), moderate BPH (8 to 19), or severe BPH (20 to 35). Generally, no treatment is needed if symptoms are mild; moderate symptoms usually call for some form of BPH treatment; and severe symptoms indicate that surgery for BPH is most likely to be effective.
Johns Hopkins Health Alerts | Prostate Disorders | What's Your Prostate Symptom Score
