Prostate Inflammation

Prostatitis is an inflammation of the prostate gland. It can cause mild, moderate, or severe pain and often has a negative impact on quality of life.

A man’s walnut-sized prostate gland is located just below the bladder. It is responsible for the flow of urine and the production of fluid that carries sperm during ejaculation.

Prostatitis is a common urologic disorder, but unlike other common prostate conditions such as enlarged prostate, it is more common in men below age 50 than in older men.

What are the causes of prostatitis?

While the exact cause isn’t known, some cases of prostatitis are clearly related to acute or chronic bacterial infections. Bacterial prostatitis isn’t contagious and isn’t a sexually transmitted disease. A sexual partner cannot catch this infection. Certain conditions or medical procedures increase the risk of contracting bacterial prostatitis.

What are the types of prostatitis and symptoms of each?

There are several types of prostatitis, including acute bacterial prostatitis and chronic bacterial prostatitis and nonbacterial prostatitis. The type of symptoms depends on the type of disease.

1. Acute bacterial prostatitis is the least common type of prostatitis but the easiest to recognize because of the typical symptoms, including painful urination, inability to empty the bladder, pain in the lower back, abdomen or pelvic area, fever and chills. It is usually caused by a sudden bacterial infection.
2. Chronic bacterial prostatitis is similar to acute bacterial prostatitis but the symptoms develop gradually, are less severe, and don’t cause fever. Other symptoms are burning during urination, urinary frequency, especially at night, and painful ejaculation. The condition sometimes has flare-ups and remissions.
3. Chronic nonbacterial prostatitis is the most common type of prostatitis. Symptoms include pain in the genitals and pelvic area, difficulty or pain urinating, and sometimes pain during or after ejaculation. In some cases, the symptoms can be just like those for chronic bacterial prostatitis.
4. Asymptomatic inflammatory prostatitis is prostatitis without symptoms, despite an inflammation of the prostate. Patients are diagnosed when they are being evaluated for symptoms unrelated to prostatitis.

How is prostatitis diagnosed?

One tool doctors use to diagnose Prostatitis is the National Institutes of Health Chronic Prostatitis Symptom Index. It’s a series of questions about prostatitis symptoms and how much they’re affecting you. Your doctor may also perform a physical exam, along with a digital rectal examination (DRE).

The doctor may analyze your urine specimens as well as a sample of prostatic fluid obtained by massaging the prostate gland during the DRE. These samples may help determine whether your problem is inflammation or infection and whether the problem is in the urethra, bladder or prostate.

Some doctors may also check blood and/or semen samples. With all of these, they are looking for the presence of microorganisms, white blood cells or other signs of infection.

How is prostatitis treated?

The type of treatment depends on what type of prostatitis you have. The most common method of treatment involves antibiotics. You may also be prescribed alpha blockers, which help relax the bladder neck and muscle fibers where the prostate connects to the bladder. In addition, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medicines (NSAIDs) can make you more comfortable.

You can also make lifestyle changes that can help relieve symptoms. These can include soaking in a warm bath, avoiding alcohol, caffeine, and spicy foods, and using an inflatable cushion when sitting for a long time.

Is prostatitis related to cancer?

No. Having an inflamed prostate can increase your PSA level in the blood (a common test for prostate cancer), but the condition is not associated with cancer in any way. Also, it’s important to know that prostatitis does not increase your risk for getting prostate cancer in the future.