Prostatitis | Prostate Information

Acute infectious Prostatitis is caused by bacteria in the prostate and comes on very quickly. Its symptoms include: fever and chills, burning and painful urination, lower abdominal pressure and pain, difficulty urinating, painful ejaculation, blood in the urine and lower back pain. Antibiotics are used to kill the bacteria causing the infection. They are typically taken for 7-14 days. These symptoms are severe so a visit to the doctor's office or the emergency room is highly critical. Hospitalization is frequently required in order to effectively treat this form of Prostatitis.

Chronic Infectious Prostatitis is also caused by bacteria. The symptoms associated with this form of Prostatitis are the same as Acute Infectious Prostatitis, but patients will find them milder. Pain and discomfort will be persistent around the prostate, which is often due to frequent infections in the urinary tract. Antibiotics are required for anywhere from 4 to 6 weeks in order to kill the bacteria. Symptoms may not clear in that time period, if this is the case, low dose antibiotics can be taken for a longer period of time.

This form of Prostatitis, even though it is not as severe as Acute Infectious Prostatitis, must be thoroughly monitored. It can be potentially debilitating because of its chronic recurrence. If untreated, it can greatly impact the patient’s quality of life.

Noninfectious Prostatitis is a form of Prostatitis that is caused by different forms of bacteria. Physicians are not completely clear how this form of Prostatitis develops but they have some theories:

If the patient has an abnormal urinary tract
If the patient has had a recent urinary tract infection
If the patient has an enlarged prostate
If the patient has engaged in rectal intercourse
The bacteria enters the urethra by backward flow of infected urine into the prostate ducts or
from rectal bacteria
If the patient has recently used of a urinary catheter

Prostatitis can be diagnosed by a rectal exam, a semen analysis and/or a urine dip. Performing a rectal exam allows the physician to determine if the prostate has any lumps or is enlarged. The semen analysis and the urine dip will determine if there are any white blood cells or bacteria in either the semen or the urine. These tests will help the physician to discover the type of bacteria that is causing the infection so that it may be effectively treated.

While all three forms of Prostatitis do have similar symptoms, Acute Infectious Prostatitis is the easiest of the three to diagnose. The symptoms come about suddenly and require immediate medical attention. Chronic Infectious Prostatitis is mainly associated with repeat urinary tract infections, so if you experience multiple urinary tract infections, you could possibly have Chronic Infectious Prostatitis.

Noninfectious Prostatitis is more common than Infectious Prostatitis. It is diagnosed simply because it mimics all the symptoms of Chronic Infectious Prostatitis yet the patient will not have a urinary tract infection. It is important that the form of Prostatitis you might have is diagnosed correctly because there are different treatments for each form. In order for treatment to be effective, the form must be diagnosed correctly.

Having this disease does not increase your risk of developing other prostate diseases. However, once you reach age 40, yearly check-ups will ensure early detection of any prostate abnormalities. Prostatitis is completely treatable. Even if your problem cannot be cured, by following the physicians recommend treatment, you can get relief from your symptoms. This disease is not contagious; therefore, you can live your life normally.

In order to ensure the management of your disease, it is best to make sure the diagnosis is correct, and once the diagnosis is made, treatment should be followed completely, even if the symptoms desist. There may not be a cure for Prostatitis, but early detection can guarantee your ability to life your life as normally as possible.