Discovery of Prostatitis

Incidence and prevalence of prostatitis

Prostatitis can affect men of any age group. It is estimated that 50% of men experience this kind of disease in their whole life. According to the National Institutes of Health, prostatitis accounts for 25% of all office visits involving the genitourinary system by young and middle-aged men.
Chronic pelvic pain syndrome(CPPS), including nonbacterial prostatitis and prostatodynia, is the most frequently dignoses. Bacterial prostatitis (acute and chronic) accounts for less than 5–10% of cases. Acute bacterial prostatitis occurs most often in men under age 35, and chronic bacterial prostatitis mainly affects men between the ages of 40 and 70.

Inflammation of the prostate gland

What is prostatitis?

Prostatitis refers to that the prostate becomes infected or inflamed. The disease may cause severe pain in the perineum—the area between the rectum and scrotum. Men may also feel pain in their groin, genitals, and lower back. Other possible symptoms include urinary urgency and frequency which are sometimes mistakenly attributed to benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). According to one study, men with prostatitis live a diminished life which is comparable to that of men who have recently suffered a heart attack. Prostatitis is usually difficult to treat, partly because several form of the disease exist and the cause of the most common form is unknown.

Prostatitis Risk Factors, Causes

Risk factors for prostatitis include bladder outlet obstruction (e.g., stone, tumor, BPH), diabetes mellitus, a suppressed immune system, and urethral catheterization(i.e., small tube inserted into the bladder through the urethra to drain urine). Some sexually transmitted diseases (STDs; e.g., nongonnococcal urethritis, gonorrhea) increase the risk for developing bacterial prostatatis. Bacteria could also enter the urethra and travel to the prostate through unprotected anal and vaginal intercourse.

Diagnosis of Prostatitis

When evaluating the prostatitis, a urine sample is examined first to determine whether the disease stems from a bacterial infection. If chronic prostatitis is suspected, two urine sample would be needed. The first is taken from a man's normal urine flow and the second is taken from urine voided after a prostate massage (in which the doctor strokes the prostate until fluid is pushed into the urethra). However, the value of these pre- and post-massage urine cultures have been questioned. When the diagnosis is not clear-cut—which is often the case— it is necessary to conduct other diagnostic tests.

What treatment will be taken if prostatitis is not caused by infection?

It can be hard to treat when doctor do not yet know the causes of prostatitis without infection. Doctor might try an antibiotic to treat a hidden infection. Other treatments are aimed at making you feel better.
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medicines, and hot soaking baths may help you feel better. Some men feel better by taking medicines that help the bladder or prostate gland work and release the pain .

Can prostatitis be passed on during sex?

Sometimes prostatitis is caused by a sexually speaded organism, such as Chlamydia, Mycoplasma. However, most cases of prostatitis are caused by infections that are not sexually transmitted. These infections can't be passed on to sexual partners.

Can prostatitis recur?

Men who have had prostatitis once are more likely to get it again. Because antibiotics may not get into the prostate gland radically. A small number of bacteria might "hide" in the prostate always and not be killed by antibiotics. Once you stop taking the antibiotic, the infection can be worse again. If this happens, you have to take antibiotics for a longer period of time to prevent another infection. Chronic prostatitis is not caused by infection . If you have this kind of prostatitis, you might have to take medicine for a long time.

Does prostatitis cause cancer?

Although prostatitis can make you feel uncomfortable and painful, it does not cause cancer. Some doctors use a blood test called the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) to test for prostate cancer. If you have prostatitis, your PSA level might go up. This does not mean you have cancer. Your doctor will treat your prostatitis and may check your PSA level again.