Prostatitis

What is prostatitis?

Prostatitis is caused by many kinds of complicated reasons. It is a doughnut-shaped gland in the small space between the base of the penis and the bladder. The prostate gland completely surrounds the urethra, the tube through which urine and semen pass. The prostate makes the fluid that nourishes and carries sperm.

How does it occur?

Bacteria are often the cause of prostatitis. Some men suffer from prostatitis after they’ve had a urinary tract infection. The bacteria may also travel to the prostate through the urethra after sexual contact. The bacteria can also be spread to the prostate through the bloodstream. Sometimes prostatitis does not appear to be caused by bacteria. The prostate may become inflamed, that is swollen and tender, without infection.

What are the symptoms?

The three types of prostatitis are acute bacterial prostatits, chronic prostatitis, and nonbacterial prostatitis. The symptoms of these different types vary somewhat. If you suffer from the acute bacterial prostatitis and the symproms of the acute bacterial prostatitis are very clear, then you need to get treatment promptly. The symptoms most often are: fever、chills、sweats、lower back pain. You may have pain behind the scrotum. You may have pain or difficulty when you urinate or pain when you have a bowel movement.

The symptoms of chronic prostatitis and nonbacterial prostatitis are much more subtle. They develop more gradually and are not as severe. Possible symptoms are:

(1) You may feel slight discomfort when you urinate.

(2) You may have the mild lower backache.

(3) You may feel aches in the penis, scrotum, or middle to lower abdomen.

(4) You may feel pain during or after the release of semen.

(5) Small amounts of blood will be in the semen.

How is it diagnosed?

Acute bacterial prostatitis is diagnosed from the symptoms of illness. Your health care provider will examine your abdomen and scrotum to rule out other possible medical problems. You may have a rectal exam. A sample of your urine may be cultured in the lab to look for bacteria.

After the infection is treated, you may have x-rays or ultrasound scans of your urinary tract. These images of your pelvic area help rule out causes pr complications of prostaitis, such as kidney infection or an abscess of the prostate gland.

It can sometimes be hard to determine whether chronic bacterial prostatits or an infection of the urinary tract is causing milder symptoms. For this reason a special series of urine samples and prostate secretions may be tested in the lab. Your health care doctor will ask you to provide a urine sample before a rectal examination of the prostate. During the rectal examination, your prostate will be pressed on, which will cause some secretions from the prostate. These secretions will enter the urinary tract. After the rectal examination, another sample of urine will be provided. If white blood cells and bacteria are in the second urine sample, but not in the first, your provider may conclude that the prostate gland is infected.

Your health care provider may conclude that you have nonbacterial prostatitis if you have symptoms but neither the urine culture nor the prostate secretions show evidence of infection.

How is it treated?

Acute bacterial prostatitis and chronic bacterial prostatitis are treated with traditional Chinese medicines. For severe symptoms, you may need intravenous antibiotics for curing in the hospital for some time. Sometimes it is helpful to treat nonbacterial prostatits with antibiotics. Some men find that certain foods, sush as foods that contain caffeine or are spicy, seem to cause prostate symptoms. Ask your health care provider if avoiding these foods might be helpful.

How long will the effects last?

The symptoms of bacterial prostatits usually get better with antibiotics in a few days. Sometimes the symptoms continue for one to two weeks afer you start taking the medicine.

Symptoms may come back if not all of the bacteria in the prostate gland are killed by the antibiotic. Symptoms may also return if bacteria from the urinary tract or from sexual contact reinfect the prostate. In such cases, another treatment with antibiotics is needed.

How can I help prevent postatitis?

1.Prevent sexually transmitted infections to reduce the risk of prostatitis. For example, use latex condoms during sexual intercourse.

2.Practice good genital hygiene. If you have not been circumcised, then you should keep good hygiene habits such as gently pulling back the foreskin and then washing the tip of the penis every time you bathe or shower. This good habit will help you to prevent urinary tract infections, for these infections can lead to prostatitis.

3.Get prompt treatment of any urinary tract problems. This reduces the chance of prostate infection.

Contact Dr.Ming for Complete Prostatitis Treatment