Description

Prostatitis is a disease of the prostate gland are most often linked with the swelling and irritation, called inflammation. Prostatitis can make it painful or difficult to urinate. It can also cause pain in the groin, pelvic area or genitals. Bacterial infections cause some but not all of prostatitis.

The prostate gland, the size of a walnut, located just below the bladder in people who are assigned male at birth. It surrounds the upper part of the tube that drains urine from the bladder, called the urethra. The prostate and other sex glands produce the fluid that carries sperm during ejaculation. This fluid is called semen.

Types of

There are four major types of prostatitis:

  • Acute bacterial prostatitis. The Bacteria that cause this infection of the prostate. Most often, has a sudden onset and severe symptoms.
  • Chronic bacterial prostatitis. This is a bacterial infection that lasts or comes back. The symptoms are often less severe are those of acute bacterial prostatitis.
  • Chronic prostatitis, also called chronic pelvic pain syndrome. This causes pain in the pelvis and lower urinary tract symptoms that last or come back. But there is no sign of infection.
  • Asymptomatic inflammatory Prostatitis. This has signs of an inflammation of the prostate without urinary symptoms.

Symptoms

Prostatitis symptoms depend on the type of condition. They may include:

  • Pain or burning sensation when urinating, called dysuria.
  • Difficulty urinating, such as dribbling or difficulty starting the flow of urine, or to keep it in operation.
  • Urinate frequently, especially at night is called nocturia.
  • The urgent need to urinate.
  • Cloudy urine.
  • Blood in the urine.
  • Pain in the belly, groin, or in the lower part of the back.
  • Pain in the area between the scrotum and the rectum, is called the perineum.
  • Pain or discomfort in the penis or testicles.
  • Painful ejaculation.
  • Fever, chills, muscle aches and other flu-like symptoms with acute bacterial prostatitis.

When to see a doctor

Various conditions can cause symptoms similar to those of prostatitis. Get a diagnosis and treatment as soon as possible.

Get medical attention immediately if:

  • You are not able to pass urine.
  • You have a fever, and difficulty urinating or pain when urinating.
  • You have blood in the urine.
  • They have a lot of discomfort or pain in the pelvic area or genitals.

Causes

Causes depend on the type of prostatitis.

  • Acute bacterial prostatitis. Common strains of bacteria are more often the cause. The infection may have spread to other parts of the urinary tract or reproductive systems.
  • Chronic bacterial prostatitis. This is most often the same cause, such as acute bacterial infection. It can happen when the treatment for an acute infection is not sufficient, or not to kill all the bacteria.
  • Chronic prostatitis, also called chronic pelvic pain syndrome. The research suggests that the cause may involve several factors. These include early infection, a condition of the nervous system and the immune system, psychological stress, or problems with the hormones.
  • Asymptomatic inflammatory Prostatitis. This has no known cause. May appear during an examination for other medical conditions.

Risk factors

Risk factors for prostatitis are:

  • Young or middle-aged adult.
  • Before prostatitis.
  • Infection of the urinary tract or the reproductive system.
  • HIV infection or AIDS.
  • The use of a tube put into the urethra to drain the bladder, called a urinary catheter.
  • Have a sample of the prostate tissue taken for the study in a laboratory, it is called a biopsy.

Other risk factors for chronic prostatitis, also called chronic pelvic pain syndrome, may include:

  • The Mental stress.
  • Damage to the nerves in the pelvic region due to a surgery or injury.

Complications

Complications of acute or chronic prostatitis may include:

  • Bacterial infection of the blood is called bacteremia.
  • Irritation of the coiled tube connected to the back of the testicle, called epididymitis.
  • Pus-filled cavity in the prostate, called prostatic abscess.
  • Infection that spreads to the upper part of the bones of the pelvis or lumbar spine.

Complications of chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome may include:

  • The worry, or depression.
  • Sexual dysfunction, such as not being able to get and maintain an erection, called erectile dysfunction.
  • The changes in the sperm and semen that may affect having children, called infertility.

There is no evidence that prostatitis can lead to prostate cancer. Researchers are studying whether long-term irritation of the prostate is a risk factor for cancer.

Diagnosis

Various conditions can cause symptoms similar to those of prostatitis. Your health care professional may refer you to a specialist in the urinary and the reproductive system of the conditions, which is called a urologist. The diagnosis involves a physical exam, review of your medical history and symptoms, and tests.

Test for the diagnosis of bacterial infections

Diagnostic tests to assess the infection can include:

  • Digital rectal exam. With this procedure, a healthcare provider puts a gloved finger that soaked into the rectum to see if there is inflammation of the prostate.
  • Urine test. A sample of urine is evidence of the infection and what type it is.
  • Blood test. Blood samples may show signs of infection and other disorders of the prostate.
  • Prostate test specimen. Sometimes, a healthcare provider gently massages the prostate during a rectal exam. This is the release of fluid from the prostate into the urethra. A urine sample collected after the massage is tested to verify the presence of infection in the prostate fluid. This test is not for acute bacterial prostatitis because it may spread the germs in the blood.

Other tests

If the first tests do not show any sign of infection, you may have other tests, including:

  • Urodynamic tests. These tests measure the bladder and the urethra, hold and release urine. These tests can help reveal the source of the problems with urination.
  • The projection image. Imaging tests can show something that is not usual in the prostate and tumors, or other problems in the pelvic region that may be causing the pain.

Treatment

The treatment for prostatitis depends on the type and its symptoms.

The treatment of the infection

Acute or chronic bacterial prostatitis, antibiotics. Acute prostatitis may need antibiotics given through a tube into a vein, called an IV in the hospital for a short period of time.

The course of antibiotic treatment is most often 4 to 6 weeks. Sometimes it can be longer. Take all of your medications to get rid of the infection and decrease the risk of chronic bacterial prostatitis.

The treatment of urinary symptoms

Medicines called alpha-blockers help relax the bladder neck and the muscle fibers where your prostate joins your bladder. This treatment can relieve symptoms, such as pain during urination or difficulty urinating.

Alpha-blockers most of the times the treatment of persons with chronic prostatitis, also called chronic pelvic pain syndrome. Alpha-blockers may also relieve the urinary symptoms of bacterial infections.

The treatment of pain

Your health care professional may prescribe pain medication or suggest medicines that you can get without a prescription. These include acetaminophen (Tylenol, others) and ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB, others).

The management of psychological symptoms

Your health care professional may recommend that you see a mental health professional. This can help you manage the stress, depression, or worry, which may be linked with long-term pain.

Lifestyle and home remedies

Do the following to help relieve some of the symptoms of prostatitis:

  • Soaking in a hot bath, called a sitz bath, or use a heating pad.
  • There is No limit for alcohol, caffeine, and spicy or with high acid content of the food. They can irritate the bladder.
  • Drink lots of water. This will make you urinate more and help remove bacteria from the bladder.

Alternative medicine

Alternative therapies that show promise for reducing the symptoms of prostatitis are:

  • Biofeedback. Use this mind-body technique to help control some of your body, such as heart rate and muscle responses. During biofeedback, you're connected to the electrical grid pills that help you learn how your body responds.
  • Acupuncture. This treatment involves placing very thin needles through the skin at certain points of your body. Acupuncture can help relieve the pain.
  • Herbal treatments. Some studies suggest that the rye grass extract of pollen, also called cernilton, can help manage the pain of chronic prostatitis, also called chronic pelvic pain syndrome. There is not sufficient evidence that other herbal treatments to relieve the symptoms of prostatitis.

Talk about their use of alternative medicine practices and herbal treatments with your health care professional before you try any.

Preparing for your appointment

Your healthcare provider will review your medical history and symptoms with you. Be prepared to answer the following questions:

  • When did your symptoms begin?
  • Are your symptoms constant or come and go?
  • Do you have pain? Where?
  • Do you have pain when you urinate?
  • Do you have problems with urinating, such as dribbling, or problems to start the flow of urine, or to keep it in operation?
  • Have you seen bloody or cloudy urine?
  • Has had a sudden, urgent need to urinate?
  • Are you urinating more often than usual?
  • How often you need to urinate at night?
  • Do you have pain when you ejaculate?
  • Have you been diagnosed with bacterial prostatitis or a urinary tract infection in the past? When?
  • Did you take all of the pills for the infection?
  • Has had a recent injury to the groin?
  • What medicines, dietary supplements, herbal products and vitamins that you take?
Symptoms and treatment of Prostatitis