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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.