Prostatitis is the growth and irritation of the prostate gland. The gland produces liquid (semen) that nurtures and transports sperm.
Prostatitis is common in men 50 or younger, although it affects men of all ages. The condition has various causes and based on these, prostatitis can appear. Some prostatitis lasts a long time or keeps recurring, they’re known as chronic prostatitis. The condition can improve either by itself or with treatment. If prostatitis is brought about by a bacterial disease, it can be treated with antibiotics.
Following are some of the common symptoms of prostatitis:
- A burning sensation or pain while passing urine (dysuria)
- Problems while urinating like dribbling or hesitant urination
- Constant urge to urinate, especially at night.
- Urgent need to urinate
- Cloudy urine
- Blood in the urine
- Pain or discomfort in the abdomen, groin or lower back
- Pain in the area between the scrotum and rectum (perineum)
- Pain or discomfort of the penis or testicles
- Pain during ejaculation
- Signs and symptoms of Flu ( bacterial prostatitis)
It isn’t clear what triggers most cases of prostatitis. Usually, the nerves and muscles in the pelvis cause distress as a result of inflammation. This affects the nerves in the region, or in rare cases, causes a bacterial infection. A few tests can pinpoint the exact reasons why you feel pain.
Bacterial prostatitis is brought about by bacterial infection in the prostate. Bacteria can get into the prostate when infected urine streams backward from the urethra.
Nonbacterial prostatitis might be related to pressure, nerve inflammation, injuries or earlier urinary tract diseases. Or so, it might happen if your body responds to an infection or injury that occurred before. This type of prostatitis has no indications of bacteria in the urine or seminal liquid.
The diagnosis of prostatitis includes the elimination of different conditions as the reason for your symptoms and figuring out what sort of prostatitis you have. Your doctor will enquire about your clinical history and symptoms, likewise do a physical test, which will include an advanced rectal examination. You may be asked to take the following tests –
- Urine test
- Blood test
- Post-prostatic massage
- Imaging test
Based on your symptoms and test results, your doctors will settle upon one of the following prostatitis:
Acute bacterial prostatitis
Regularly brought about by normal strains of bacteria, this sort of prostatitis, in major cases, begins abruptly and causes flu-like signs and symptoms like fever, chills, nausea and vomiting.
Chronic bacterial prostatitis
When antibiotics don’t remove prostatitis causing bacteria, you can get infected by recurring or hard-to-treat infections. Between the relapses of chronic bacterial prostatitis, you may have no side effects or minor ones.
Chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome
This kind of prostatitis — the most widely recognized — isn’t brought about by bacteria. Often, a definite reason can’t be identified. In certain men, side effects remain about the same over time. For other people, the symptoms are either more and less extreme.
Asymptomatic inflammatory prostatitis
This kind of prostatitis has no symptoms and is normally discovered when you’re undergoing tests for different conditions. It doesn’t need treatment.
Prostatitis treatments rely on underlying reasons. They can include:
Antibiotics
Taking antibiotics is the most generally endorsed treatment for prostatitis. Your doctor will pick your medicine based on the kind of bacteria that may be causing your contamination.
In serious symptoms, you may need intravenous (IV) antibiotics. You’ll likely need to take oral antibiotics for four to six weeks, yet may require longer treatment for chronic or recurring prostatitis.
Alpha-blockers
These meds help loosen up the bladder neck and the muscle fibers where your prostate joins your bladder. This treatment may ease the symptoms like discomfort while urinating
Anti-inflammatory agents
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs(NSAIDs) may also be recommended to make you more comfortable.
Biofeedback
A biofeedback pro uses signals from monitoring equipment to encourage you to control certain body functions and responses, including relaxing the muscles.
There are a few lifestyle changes or remedial procedures that can help you relieve the symptoms of prostatitis. Always, take a warm bath (sitz bath) or use a heating pad. Limit the consumption of bladder irritating foods like caffeine, spicy or acidic food, alcohol, etc. Avoid prolonged sitting or bicycling, these can irritate your prostate. Drink plenty of water and caffeine-free drinks to flush bacteria from the bladder. Stay safe.
Dr. Prashanth Kulkarni | Consultant – Kidney Transplant – Adult, Robotic Surgery, Urology | Mazumdar Shaw Medical Center, Bommasandra, Bangalore