Prostatitis (inflammation or an infection of the prostate) is a complex and diffuse condition. Unlike most prostate problems, prostatitis occurs more often in young and middle-aged men. Only 5% to 10% of men develop prostatitis in their lifetime.
Symptoms
Prostate inflammation is represented by different symptoms depending on the concrete type of prostatitis but generally speaking, the common sign is pain in intimate area (apart from asymptomatic prostatitis). In most cases, those affected experience:
- pain in the lower abdomen, around the perineum or the bladder
- frequent urges to urinate while also experiencing pain when urinating or ejaculating.
In case of a bacterial infection, chills and fever may also occur.
Types of prostatitis and treatment
Acute bacterial prostatitis
Acute bacterial prostatitis has quick onset with fever, chills and other symptoms of acute infection.
The inflammation develop if bacteria colonise the prostate gland. Symptoms include:
- chills
- high fever 39-40 °
- frequent and painful urination.
If you are experiencing above mentionned symptoms, visit your urologist immediately. Treatment with antibiotics is effective for bacterial infections, neverthelles, a brief hospitalization is sometimes necessary.
In some cases, the infection reappears again and again. This is characteristic for chronic bacterial prostatitis.
Chronic prostatitis
Chronic prostatitis (or chronic pelvic pain syndrome) is the most common type of prostatitis with the main sign being pain that lasts more than 3 months in genitalia, lower abdomen or lower back.
Therapy for chronic pelvic pain syndrome is considerably more difficult than for acute prostatitis because the cause is usually hard to determine (if not consecutive to several outbreaks of acute prostatitis). A set of examinations is needed before starting the relevant treatment which usually combines medicines and lifestyle changes.
Asymptomatic prostatitis
Asymptomatic prostatitis means that prostate is inflamed but the patient feels no disturbing symptoms. There is a risk that this kind of prostatitis can lead to infertility.