On men’s health today, we’d be learning about Prostatitis.
The Prostate is a walnut-shaped organ in the male which produces the seminal fluid that bathes the sperm and makes it semen.
It is prone to developing health conditions as men age, but the more common conditions such as Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia and Prostate Cancer are often discussed.
So what is Prostatitis?
Prostatitis is the swelling and inflammation of the prostate gland, often causing painful or difficult urination and sometimes, flu-like symptoms.
Prostatitis is reported to affect men of all ages but tends to be more common in men aged 50 or younger.
The condition has several causes, and sometimes the cause cannot be identified.
However, acute bacterial prostatitis is often caused by bacteria, especially the common strains. The infection starts when these bacteria in urine leak into your prostate and cause inflammation and other symptoms. If antibiotic treatment doesn’t eliminate the bacteria, then prostatitis might recur or be difficult to treat, forming chronic bacterial prostatitis.
Nerve damage in the lower urinary tract, usually caused by surgery or trauma to the area, might contribute to prostatitis not caused by a bacterial infection.
Risk factors for prostatitis include:
- Being a young or middle-aged man
- Previous history of prostatitis
- Previous bladder or Urethral infection
- Pelvic trauma, such as an injury from bicycling or horseback riding
- Using a tube inserted into the urethra to drain the bladder i.e Urinary catheterization
- Having HIV/AIDS
- Having had a prostate biopsy done previously.
Prostatitis signs and symptoms are dependent on the cause and some of which can include:
- Dysuria or pain or burning sensation while urinating
- Difficulty urinating, such as dribbling or hesitant urination
- Frequent urination, particularly at night or nocturia
- Urgent need to urinate
- Cloudy urine
- Bloody urine
- Abdominal pain, or groin or lower back pain
- Perineal pain
- Penile or testicular pain
- Painful ejaculation
- Flu-like signs and symptoms (with bacterial prostatitis).
To diagnose Prostatitis accurately and rule out other diseases of the prostate, the following tests are usually ordered by your attending urologist, or general physician, before referral.
- Urine tests. Your urine is analyzed to look for signs of infection in your urine (urinalysis). A sample of your urine can also be sent to a lab to determine if you have an infection. (Urine Culture)
- Blood tests. Examination of samples of your blood for signs of infection and other prostate problems.
- Imaging tests. In some cases, your doctor might order a CT scan of your urinary tract and prostate or a sonogram of your prostate. CT scan images provide more detailed information than plain X-rays do. A sonogram is a visual image produced by ultrasound.
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Prostatitis treatments depend on the underlying cause. They can include:
- Antibiotics. Taking antibiotics is the most commonly prescribed treatment for prostatitis. Your medication will be chosen based on the type of bacteria that might be causing your infection.
If you have severe symptoms, you might need intravenous (IV) antibiotics, with you likely needing to take oral antibiotics for four to six weeks but might need longer treatment for chronic or recurring prostatitis.
- Alpha-blockers. These medications help relax the bladder neck and the muscle fibers where your prostate joins your bladder. This treatment might ease symptoms, such as painful urination.
Anti-inflammatory agents. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) might make you more comfortable.
Of course, complications can arise if the condition is not promptly treated.
These complications could include:
- Bacterial infection of the blood (bacteremia), or an inflammation of the coiled tube attached to the back of the testicle known as epididymitis
There could be the formation of a pus-filled cavity in the prostate known as a prostatic abscess
Also, in the long term, semen abnormalities and infertility, which can occur with chronic prostatitis.
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