Prostatitis: Symptoms, Types, Diagnosis, and Treatment

What is Prostatitis?

Prostatitis  is a painful medical condition in which your prostate is swollen, inflamed, and tender. It is often caused by a bacterial infection or only be swollen.

While suffering from this condition, you might experience painful or difficult urination, and pain in the groin, genital or pelvic area. Though bacterial infections cause some types of Prostatitis but not all cases.

You need to know that the prostate gland the size of a walnut is present just below the bladder in men. It is responsible for surrounding the top portion of the tube that further drains urine from your bladder.

The prostate as well as other sexual glands produce the fluid that conveys sperm during ejaculation (semen). Men suffering from asymptomatic inflammatory prostatitis do not experience any symptoms, while acute or sudden prostatitis is a medical emergency.

How common is prostatitis?

At some point in time, half of all men will experience the symptoms of prostatitis. It is often considered the most common urinary tract problem in men below the age of 50.

On the other hand, in men above 50, it is the third most common. Every year several men across the world suffer from the symptoms of prostatitis.

Symptoms

Depending upon the type and cause, prostatitis symptoms might differ. People suffering from asymptomatic inflammatory prostatitis do not experience any symptoms.

While men with chronic pelvic pain syndrome or chronic bacterial prostatitis might experience the following symptoms:

• Frequent urge to urinate
• Pain in the male reproductive organ, testicles, or perineum. This pain might further radiate to the lower back
• Erectile dysfunction
• Blood in semen
• Painful urination
• Painful ejaculation or pain at the time of intercourse
• Weak urine flow or urine stream that starts and stops

You can experience fever and chills when suffering from acute bacterial prostatitis.

Types of prostatitis

There are mainly four different types of prostatitis:

Acute bacterial prostatitis: A UTI is responsible for causing an infection in your prostate gland. The symptoms of acute bacterial prostatitis usually include chills and fever. If you suffer from acute bacterial prostatitis then immediately get medical treatment.

Chronic bacterial prostatitis: Bacteria get trapped in your prostate gland and start causing persistent Urinary Tract infections that become difficult to treat.

Chronic pelvic pain syndrome: CPPS is considered the most common type of prostatitis. Prostate gland inflammation happens in around 1 out of 3 men. As the name suggests, this type causes chronic pain in your pelvis, perineum as well as genitals.

Asymptomatic inflammatory prostatitis: This type of condition leads to prostate gland inflammation but with no symptoms. You might even come to know about this condition after getting tests to find the main cause of other problems.

These are some of the types of prostatitis. If you suffer from any of them, then immediately meet the doctor.

Diagnosis of Prostatitis

When it comes to diagnosing prostatitis, the doctor might ask you some questions related to your pain in order to find out what is wrong.

A digital rectal exam might be done to check your prostate. Your doctor will do a transrectal ultrasound to look at your prostate or conduct a test known as a cystoscopy to check the urinary system.

The doctor might also ask for some lab tests to check bacteria present in your urine or prostate fluid. A urodynamics test can be done to look for a block if present in your urinary system.

In case, the doctor finds a problem with your prostate or nearby tissues then you might be sent to a urologist. A urologist is a doctor who is responsible for treating problems of your urinary tract as well as the male reproductive system.

It is important to know that a urologist is a doctor who is responsible for treating the problems of the urinary tract as well as the male reproductive system.

Each type of prostatitis requires different treatments. With the treatment, the doctor will determine what actually is causing you the symptoms of prostatitis.

Treatment of prostatitis

When you suffer from prostatitis, the doctor might assist you to find different ways in order to manage the symptoms and control your pain. The treatment of prostatitis can include the following medicines:

Antibiotics

If a bacterial infection is causing severe symptoms then the doctor will recommend you go to the hospital and get antibiotics. You might require to take antibiotics for almost a month.

In case, the symptoms continue coming back then the doctor will suggest staying on a low dose of antibiotics for a long time.

Alpha-blockers:

These medicines allow you to relax parts of your urinary tract. They assist in reducing obstruction from an enlarged prostate which further leads to UTIs and prostatitis.

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs

Over-the-counter pain relief medicines assist in easing soreness and swelling problems.

Pain medicines

Antidepressants or anti-seizure medicines are mainly two types of medications that are effective in treating long-term prostate pain.

Supplements

Quercetin, a natural compound present in plants help to ease inflammation in men who suffer from prostatitis. A pollen extract known as cernilton might also help you.

Before starting any supplements or herbal remedies, it is necessary to consult the doctor once. Some supplements might make your medicines not work effectively.

• Certain lifestyle changes can also help you to deal with the problem of prostatitis. To feel better, you can try the following points:
• Pay attention to your diet. Avoid the consumption of spicy food, caffeine, and alcohol as they can worsen your condition.
• Take sitz baths. Sitting in 2 to 3 inches of warm water can offer you quick relief from the symptoms.
• Make sure to protect yourself. In case, you sit at a desk or in a chair for a long time then try to sit on a cushion.
• Stay active as much as you can. Exercising on a regular basis can decrease your pain and improve your overall health.

How does Chronic prostatitis cause erectile dysfunction?

Nitric Oxide is a key player in penile erection as it leads to vasodilation. The synthesization and release of NO occur from cavernous endothelial cells by endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS). But Chronic inflammation of the prostate may produce cytokines and markers of inflammation. As a result, they may inhibit the expression of eNOS in endothelial cells and reduce their biological functions. Thus, the mechanism that relaxes the vascular wall and smooth muscles of penile tissue starts to underperform. Over time it may lead to a lack of blood flow to the penile region and contribute to sexual fault like Ed.

Conclusion

Prostatitis is a medical condition that can cause significant discomfort and pain in men, though fortunately there are treatments available to help ease the symptoms. It's important to note that while bacterial infections may be responsible for some types of Prostatitis, not all cases have an identifiable cause. If you think you may be suffering from prostatitis, it's important to see your doctor as early diagnosis and treatment can improve outcomes. With proper care and treatment, men with prostatitis can lead full lives with minimal disruption or discomfort.

Thus, it is easy to treat prostatitis, if diagnosed at the right time. Following the doctor’s recommendation can provide you with quick relief