Prostatitis refers to not one, but several conditions in which the prostate becomes swollen and inflamed. Unlike the prostate growth known as benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), which typically affects older men, prostatitis is more common in men under age 50.
A few different types of prostatitis exist. By far the most common form is chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome. What causes this condition isn?t clear, but it may stem from a bacterial infection, an immune response to a past infection, or damage to the pelvic nerve.
Symptoms of chronic prostatitis include a frequent and urgent need to urinate, painful urination, lower abdominal pain, and uncomfortable ejaculation. The condition can be hard to diagnose, because tests for bacteria are usually negative. Chronic prostatitis treatments include antibiotics to clear up an infection, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) for pain, and alpha-adrenergic blockers to relieve urinary symptoms.
Acute bacterial prostatitis and chronic bacterial prostatitis are less common forms of prostatitis. In acute bacterial prostatitis, bacteria infect the prostate gland, causing sudden and painful inflammation. Symptoms are similar to those of chronic prostatitis, including frequent and urgent urination. The main treatment is a two-to-six-week course of antibiotics.
Bacteria also cause chronic bacterial prostatitis, although the symptoms tend to be milder and last for at least three months. Treatment also involves antibiotics, but the course is longer than it is with acute bacterial prostatitis. Men must take antibiotics for at least four to 12 weeks, and sometimes for several months, to fully eradicate the infection.
The rarest form of this prostate condition is asymptomatic inflammatory prostatitis, which is usually detected during an examination for another urinary tract or reproductive condition. Asymptomatic inflammatory prostatitis causes no symptoms?the only evidence of the disease is white blood cells in the urine or semen?and it does not need to be treated.
Chronic pelvic pain, or chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CPPS), is a pain in the pelvic area of men or women that lasts for six months or more. The pelvic area is the area below your belly and between your hips. The cause of CPPS may be hard to find and … Read More
It’s well known that the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test used to screen for prostate cancer is imprecise. Elevations in PSA levels may signal prostate cancer, but they also may be due to nonmalignant prostate conditions. Further complicating the screening process is that several medications and a number of other modifiable … Read More
PSA is prostate specific antigen, a protein made by prostate cells that shows up in your blood with a PSA blood test. PSA levels increase with prostate cancer, so PSA has been used as a screening test for prostate cancer for many years. A cancer screening test is a test … Read More
Prostatitis refers to one of a number of conditions in which the prostate becomes inflamed. Men of any age can be affected by prostatitis symptoms, but it is more common in men who are 50 or younger. The National Institute of Health (NIH) has divided prostatitis into four categories: acute … Read More
Despite the fact that there are roughly 221,000 new cases of prostate cancer diagnosed in American men each year, many of them have no prostate cancer symptoms. In these asymptomatic men, prostate cancer is often detected during routine screening with tests such as a digital rectal exam, urinalysis, and possibly … Read More
Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) is an increasingly recognized condition in which there is an elevated number of bacteria in the small intestines.[1] The small intestine normally contains relatively few bacteria, but with SIBO, bacteria that are normally found in the colon—Escherichia coli, species of Enterococcus, Klebsiella pneumonia and Proteus … Read More
As is the case with most cancers, the earlier prostate cancer is detected, the greater the odds of a cure. Proponents argue that a PSA screening is the only way to catch prostate cancer at an early stage. They also point to the fact that death rates from prostate cancer … Read More
The International Continence Society defines urinary incontinence as “the involuntary loss of urine that represents a hygienic or social problem to the individual.” It is a symptom, not a disease, and can be caused by many factors. Urinary incontinence increases with age and is often underdiagnosed and underreported. According to … Read More
The term prostatitis describes inflammation of the prostate gland. Unlike other prostatic conditions, prostatitis affects younger and older men alike. It is common, affecting up to 1 in 12 men in their lifetime and keeping urologists busy. If you have symptoms of prostatitis, your physician will want to determine the … Read More
For many men with prostatitis, fatigue can be a daily companion, albeit an unwanted one. In fact, among the broad and diverse range of prostatitis symptoms accompanying chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CP/CPPS)—the most common type of prostatitis—fatigue, pain, and urinary problems can be the most debilitating. But the adverse … Read More
