Prostatitis is a disease that mainly affects young and middle-aged men (30-50 years old) and can be recognized very easily. When it occurs, the prostate gland can increase its volume and consistency, becoming sensitive, which causes stinging when urinating, discomfort and pain in the genital area. Prostatitis can appear either gradually or suddenly and can last for months. Until treatment, any form of prostatitis, whether it is acute or chronic, must be diagnosed, therefore the specialist consultation must be carried out when the patient notices the first symptoms.
What are the causes of prostatitis?
What are the symptoms of prostatitis?
Symptoms of acute bacterial prostatitis
Symptoms of chronic bacterial prostatitis
Symptoms of chronic pelvic pain syndrome
Asymptomatic inflammatory prostatitis
What investigations are necessary for diagnosis?
What treatments are there for prostatitis?
When should I go to a specialist consultation?
What do the specialists recommend before coming to the consultation?
What is prostatitis?
Prostatitis is a disease-specific to men. Even if it seems harmless, it can seriously affect your health. That is why it is recommended to be discovered in the early stages.
Prostatitis is the inflammation of the prostate gland, located under the urinary bladder of men. When it is installed, the patient may notice changes in the way he urinates. The condition can also be serious because the prostate gland is the one that produces a component of the seminal fluid, which carries the spermatozoa.
Prostatitis can affect men of any age, the age category with a higher risk being 30-50 years.
Most of the time, prostatitis is initially caused by bacterial infections, and the symptoms are those specific to an infection, such as fever, chills and painful urination or even accompanied by bleeding. In these cases, antibiotics are the most effective solution to treat and relieve the symptoms.
There are several types of prostatitis, classified according to the causes that lead to their appearance: acute bacterial prostatitis, chronic bacterial prostatitis, and asymptomatic inflammatory prostatitis. Each type has different forms of treatment and diagnosis.
One thing that very few people know is that prostatitis can last for months as a manifestation. In some cases, it can be asymptomatic, being detected accidentally following specialist consultations or tests for other conditions.
Prostatitis can be recurrent, reappearing at regular intervals.
What are the causes of prostatitis?
In most cases, prostatitis is caused by a bacterial infection, and the symptoms are those specific to an infection. The patient may have fever and chills, the cause of which he cannot detect. The most common cause is the migration of bacteria to the urinary tract. Constipation, stress, cold and immunodepression can be possible triggers.
The prostate becomes inflamed when bacteria from the urethra and rectum reach the level of the prostatic tissue. Other associated causes are the improper functioning of the pelvic muscles, stress and various neuromuscular or mechanical ailments.
Age can also be a cause of the appearance of prostatitis, with young middle-aged patients being more prone to develop this condition. However, it is not a standard condition, because similar cases also occur in older patients.
Frequent urinary infections are a main cause, the bacteria in the urethra can also affect the functioning of the prostate gland.
Cyclists and people who ride horses have a high risk of developing this condition due to the pelvic trauma that can occur as a result of these activities.
Stress is another cause of prostatitis, as well as HIV infection. Anomaly of the urinary tract is less common in the category of causes, as is dehydration.
What are the symptoms of prostatitis?
Because it is caused by a bacterial infection, prostatitis has symptoms specific to an infection, most of the time: fever, chills, pain when urinating. The patient may experience groin pain and stinging when urinating. These are the most easily recognizable symptoms when it comes to prostatitis.
Depending on the type of prostatitis the patient has, the symptoms can be different.
Symptoms of acute bacterial prostatitis
This form of prostatitis begins suddenly, with fever, muscle and joint pain, as well as a state of increased fatigue. The prostate is enlarged, the flow of urine becomes smaller, and the pains during urination become more pronounced. Urinary bleeding and pain in the penis, as well as in the lumbar area, may also occur. The symptoms can become acute and if they are not treated, they can lead to the impossibility of urinating, as well as emergency hospitalization.
Other symptoms by which you can identify this form of prostatitis are:
- Pain in the perineum (the area between the scrotum and the anus)
- Nausea and vomiting
- Burning sensation when urinating
- Chills
- Reduced pressure of the urinary stream
- Penile pain
Symptoms of chronic bacterial prostatitis
This type of condition is also caused by bacteria, but the manifestation is easier. The symptoms are at a low intensity, and this makes the patient not realize that he has a medical condition. That is why, in most cases, patients present themselves for consultation late, a few weeks or months after the onset of the main symptoms.
Fever is a rare symptom, but instead, various urinary phenomena appear such as frequent urination, the urgent need to urinate, weak urinary stream. Pain when urinating and frequent urination are other associated symptoms. Rectal pain also occurs, as well as a feeling of discomfort in the scrotum.
Other specific symptoms of chronic bacterial prostatitis are:
- Painful ejaculation
- Problems initiating the flow of urine
- Penile pain
- Sexual dynamics disorders (erectile dysfunction, premature ejaculation)
Symptoms of chronic pelvic pain syndrome
Chronic pelvic pain is one of the most common forms of prostatitis. According to some studies, the factor that triggers them can be stress or trauma at the groin level, leading to an increase in the sensitivity of the nerves in the genital-urinary area.
This type of prostatitis can be manifested by chronic pain, which can affect both the bladder and sexual function. The pain occurs in the penis and scrotum area, most of the time. Very important to remember, that the pain can also appear during or after ejaculation, this being a symptom.
Asymptomatic inflammatory prostatitis
There is also a type of prostatitis that is very difficult to detect because it is asymptomatic. Inflammatory prostatitis is discovered after tests and analyses for other medical conditions, such as infertility. Having no symptoms, it remains untreated, most of the time.
What investigations are necessary for diagnosis?
Diagnosing prostatitis is not as simple as in the case of other diseases, because its symptoms can be very easily confused with those of urinary infection. A simple specialist consultation is not enough, therefore additional investigations are recommended every time.
Urine analysis
These are necessary to indicate to the specialist whether there is an associated urinary infection or not. Uroflowmetry (urine flow measurement) is also necessary. Through this investigation, the pressure of the urine flow can be measured. Through these tests and analyses, obstacles that exist in the prostate, urethra or pelvic muscles can be detected.
Blood Tests
They may be necessary for an accurate diagnosis of prostatitis. Blood tests can also indicate signs of a possible infection or problems with the prostate.
Imaging investigations
The CT scan of the urinary tract can be very useful in the diagnosis of prostatitis, providing high-accuracy images that can help the specialist. Ultrasound and radiography are also useful in diagnosis.
If it is not diagnosed in time, prostatitis can lead to acute urinary retention, infertility and serious sexual dysfunctions.
What treatments are there for prostatitis?
The treatment of prostatitis differs from one situation to another, depending on the triggering cause.
Non-invasive treatment using ultrasound technology (ESWT)
The ultrasonic waves are applied in sessions of about 15-20 minutes at the level of the perineum and focused in-depth to penetrate the depth of the prostate gland.
The waves deliver a large amount of focused energy at a depth of about 3-4 cm, which produces an effect of reshaping the affected tissues and revascularization, stimulating certain biochemical processes that result in the normalization of the affected prostatic anatomical structure and a considerable reduction of urinary symptoms.
Bacterial prostatitis is treated with antibiotics, which can kill the bacteria in the urethra. If the symptoms are severe, the specialist doctor may recommend the administration of intravenous antibiotics, along with anti-inflammatories and drugs that facilitate urination or alpha-blockers. The treatment can last between 4 and 6 weeks and the patient must respect it for the entire duration suggested by the specialist, even if the symptoms improve after the first days.
There are also natural treatments for prostatitis that can help relieve symptoms. These can be warm baths and compresses, as well as different types of teas. St. John’s wort, thorn, nettle and plantain tea are some natural alternatives that are effective in the case of this condition, just like propolis.
During the treatment, the patient must avoid alcohol, caffeine and spicy foods, which can irritate the bladder.
How frequent is prostatitis?
Prostatitis can affect any man, regardless of his age. Patients prone to developing this condition are cyclists and people who ride horses, as well as those who have unprotected sex.
There are no studies attesting the incidence of prostatitis among men up to this point, but what must be remembered is the fact that this condition must be diagnosed and treated as soon as possible after the symptoms are observed. Otherwise, it can generate serious complications, such as infertility and acute urinary retention.
When should I go to a specialist consultation?
Specialist consultation is recommended when the first symptoms appear, such as:
- pain or stinging when urinating
- frequent urination
- pain in the groin/testicular area
- fever and chills
- muscle and joint pains
What do the specialists recommend before coming to the consultation?
Before reaching the specialist consultation, the patient is recommended to eliminate foods such as coffee, spicy foods and alcohol from the diet. Also, a diet based on fruits and vegetables, as well as proper hydration can help in the case of prostatitis.
Good intimate hygiene, as well as avoiding unprotected sex, can be the best solution to keep the symptoms under control until an exact diagnosis.
