Prostatitis is the general term used
to describe an infection or inflammation of the prostate
gland.
It is a common condition which may affect up to three in 20 men
(15 per cent) at some time in their lives. It can affect men of any
age but it is more common in men aged between 30 and 50.
The symptoms
vary from man to man but can include problems passing urine and
pain or discomfort around your testicles, back passage or lower
abdomen.
Prostatitis is not a form of prostate cancer. It is also
not the same as having an
enlarged prostate.
Prostatitis is a complex condition. There are four types of
prostatitis, listed below. Some types are not well understood and
doctors can disagree about what causes it and what the most
effective treatments are.
Chronic pelvic pain
syndrome (CPPS)
This is also called chronic non-bacterial prostatitis or
prostate pain syndrome. It is the most common type of prostatitis
but it is the type that doctors know least about because there is
no evidence of any bacterial infection.
There are several possible causes of CPPS, including backflow of
urine into the prostate gland or a problem with the body's immune
system. There is some evidence that CPPS may be linked with chronic
fatigue syndrome, irritable bowel syndrome and raised levels of
stress and anxiety. Nobody knows for certain what causes CPPS.
The symptoms
of CPPS vary from man to man. There is no single test to diagnose
it so your doctor will need to rule out other possible causes of
your symptoms before making a diagnosis. You will also be asked to give some
samples and you may need some tests.
There are several different medicines
that may help improve symptoms of CPPS. Treatment
will be tailored to you because each man will respond differently
to different treatments. You may find it useful to record your
symptoms on a regular basis to help you and your doctor find out
which treatment suits you best.
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Acute
bacterial prostatitis
This is an inflammation of the prostate gland that causes
symptoms to develop very quickly. It is not common. It can develop
when certain types of bacteria get into your prostate, causing it
to become infected.
Your doctor can check for signs of
infection to diagnose acute bacterial prostatitis. It is treated with
antibiotics.
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Chronic bacterial
prostatitis
This is an inflammation of the prostate gland that can last for
several weeks or months. It is thought to be caused by a bacterial
infection. It can develop from acute bacterial prostatitis if
antibiotics do not destroy all of the bacteria in the prostate
gland. It can also be caused by the same bacteria that cause
urinary tract infections.
As with acute bacterial prostatitis, your doctor can check for
signs of
infection to diagnose chronic bacterial prostatitis. It is also
treated
with antibiotics.
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Asymptomatic
prostatitis
This is where you have prostatitis but do not show any of the
symptoms. It is usually detected by chance when you are having
tests for other conditions.
Asymptomatic prostatitis usually needs no treatment. However, if
you have high levels of a protein called prostate specific
antigen (PSA) in your blood or if you have high levels of white
blood cells in your urine or semen, your doctor will usually give
you a course of antibiotics.
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