Prostatitis (Prostate Infection)

Prostatitis is swelling and inflammation of the prostate gland, a small walnut-sized gland that sits just beneath a mans bladder and produces the seminal fluid that nourishes and transports sperm. Prostate infection (prostatitis) often causes painful or difficult urination. Other symptoms of prostatitis include pain in pelvic area or genitals, the groin and sometimes flu-like symptoms.Prostate infection can affect men of all ages but is more common in men 50 years of age or younger.

Risk Factors

• You are at increased risk of prostate infection if you are
• Having a past episode of prostatitis
• A young or middle-aged man
• Having an infection in the bladder
• Not drinking enough fluids (dehydration)
• Having a pelvic trauma, such as injury from bicycling or horseback riding
• Using a urinary catheter, a tube inserted into the urethra to drain the bladder
• Having unprotected sexual intercourse
• Having HIV/AIDS
• Under stress

Symptoms

Symptoms of prostate infection may include:

• Frequent urination
• urinary urgency
• Pain in the abdomen, back, or in the genital area
• Blood in your semen or your urine
• Pain in the area between rectum and the scrotum
• Painful orgasms (ejaculations)
• Burning sensation or pain while urinating (dysuria)
• Flu-like symptoms (with bacterial prostatitis)

Tests and Diagnosis

Diagnosing Prostate infection involves ruling out other serious conditions that may be causing the symptoms. Initial tests may include the following:

• Blood culture
• Urine tests
• Bladder tests (urodynamic tests)

Types of Prostatitis

There are different types of prostatitis:

CHRONIC BACTERIAL PROSTATITIS

• Generally affecting young and middle-aged men, chronic bacterial prostatitis occurs when bacteria aren’t eliminated by antibiotics and lead to recurring urinary tract infections (UTIs). In this type of prostatitis, you may have less intense symptoms or may not have any of them.

ACUTE BACTERIAL PROSTATITIS

• Easiest to diagnose, this type of prostatitis is the least common. It causes flu-like symptoms, such as fever, nausea, vomiting and chills.

ASYMPTOMATIC INFLAMMATORY PROSTATITIS

• Between bouts of asymptomatic inflammatory prostatitis, you don’t have symptoms. It’s usually discovered by chance when diagnosing some other problem.

CHRONIC BACTERIA PROSTATITIS

• This type of prostatitis is not caused by bacteria. This is the most common prostatitis, in which symptoms come and go. It strikes men of all ages.

Treatment

What Prostatitis treatment options are available to you depend on the underlying cause

ANTIBIOTICS

• This is the most commonly prescribed treatment for Prostate infection. You may need to take oral antibiotics for several weeks or months.

ALPHA BLOCKERS

• These medications are prescribed to relax muscle tissue in the prostate.

Other treatments include Non-Steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), stool softeners, pain relievers and warm baths or prostate massage.