Prostatitis

What is Prostatitis?

Prostatitis refers to prostate inflammation and swelling. It’s a common problem for men 50 and younger, although it can appear at any age. American men schedule about 2 million urology care appointments every year because of prostatitis symptoms.

What are the Symptoms of Prostatitis?

Typical prostatitis symptoms include:

• Pain when you urinate

• Burning when you urinate

• Increased urinary frequency, especially during the night

• Blood in urine (hematuria)

• Cloudy urine

• Pain when you ejaculate

• Pain in the space between your scrotum and rectum

• Testicular/scrotal pain

• Flu Like symptoms

Symptoms can be sporadic or constant. You can also have prostatitis with no symptoms at all. Asymptomatic prostatitis is often discovered during diagnosis of another condition, for example during a prostate exam.

Why Do I Have Prostatitis?

One common cause of prostatitis is bacteria escaping from your urine and moving into your prostate gland. Bacteria that cause sexually transmitted infections can also cause prostatitis. Trauma to the scrotal area and nerve damage following surgery are two other possible reasons for prostatitis. In many cases, the underlying cause of prostatitis isn’t certain.

What Tests Can Diagnose Prostatitis?

Your specialist performs a physical exam and conducts a medical history while considering your symptoms. They may order urine and blood tests to find underlying infections.

You may need prostate massage so your urologist can collect prostate fluid for testing. Imaging tests, like a computed tomography (CT) scan or prostate ultrasound, might also be needed.

Although it’s not always possible to diagnose the underlying cause of prostatitis, ruling out problems like bacterial infection and nerve damage can help your urologist tailor your treatment effectively.

How Do You Treat Prostatitis?

If you have an infection, antibiotics are typically the best solution for prostatitis. The exact kind of antibiotic varies according to the strain of bacteria. You usually take antibiotics orally, but in the most severe cases, you may need intravenous (IV) antibiotics.

If it’s painful to urinate, alpha blocker drugs may help. These drugs relax your bladder neck to soothe pain, burning, and other urinary symptoms.

Your urologist may also recommend at-home remedies like taking warm baths, avoiding alcohol, and increasing water consumption to soothe inflammation and reduce symptoms.

To learn more about our customized treatment plans for prostatitis, call your preferred Urology Associates office.