What is Prostatitis?
- Inflammation of the prostate gland
- Not life-threatening but can be extremely bothersome
- 8% of men suffer from it and majority are 30-50 years’ old
- Effective treatment is available
Causes
Acute prostatitis is usually caused when bacteria in the urinary tract enter the prostate. The urinary tract includes the bladder, kidneys, tubes that connect the kidneys to the bladder (ureters) and the urethra. It can also be caused by infection in other parts of your genitourinary tract. Antibiotics are used to treat the infection. If they do not eliminate the bacteria, prostatitis may recur or be difficult to treat (chronic bacterial prostatitis).
A) Bacterial Prostatitis
Bacteria ascends to prostate gland via urethra
B) Non-Bacterial Prostatitis
Urine seeps into prostate tissue
Symptoms
- Pain or discomfort at the perineal area
- Bothersome urinary symptoms
- Pain or burning sensation when urinating (dysuria)
- Pain during urination
- Frequent urination and nocturia
- Cloudy urine or blood in the urine
- Urgent need to urinate
- Pain or discomfort of the penile urethra
Diagnosis
- Doctor aims at differentiating whether bacterial or non-bacterial
- Doctor listens carefully to patient’s complaints
- Digital Rectal Examination
- Urine examination and culture for bacterial identification
Treatment
The types of prostatitis are determined and treated accordingly.
- Acute bacterial prostatitis – Short term antibiotics, usually 1 week – 2 weeks
- Chronic bacterial prostatitis – Antibiotics for at least 4 weeks – 6 weeks
- Chronic bacterial prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome – Alpha blockers, anti-inflammatory medicines, pain killers, counselling
- Asymptomatic inflammatory prostatitis – No treatment
Preventing Prostatitis
- Avoid coffee, tea, alcohol.
- Take your medication as long as they are prescribed.
- Keep a urinary diary, if instructed to do so.
- Discuss your symptoms & treatment progress with your doctor.
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