MEDICAL CONDITIONS
Prostatitis
What is prostatitis?
Prostatitis is inflammation of the prostate gland. Inflammation causes swelling of the gland and can cause local pain. Prostatitis does not increase the chances for a man to develop prostate cancer.
Where is the prostate gland?
The prostate is a small organ about the size of a walnut. It lies below the bladder (where urine is stored) in front of the rectum and surrounds the the tube that carries urine from the bladder (urethra). (See the illustration below showing the prostate in relation to other structures of the genital and urinary system.)
What is the function of the prostate gland?
The prostate produces a thick fluid that becomes part of the semen. Semen is the white fluid that contains sperm.
How frequent are prostate problems?
Prostate problems are common in men. Most of these problems can be treated successfully. A urologist is a specialist in the diseases of the urinary system, including the diagnosis and treatment of conditions involving the prostate gland.
How common is prostatitis?
Prostatitis is a very common health concern for men. This complaint accounts for up to 25% of all medical office visits by young and middle-age men for issues relating to the genital and urinary systems.
Is there more than one type of prostatitis?
Yes. The term "prostatitis" encompasses the following four disorders of the prostate: - Acute bacterial prostatitis is the least common of the four types. It is also the easiest to diagnose and treat effectively. The man with this disease often experiences chills, fever, pain in the lower back and genital area, body aches, burning or painful urination, and the frequent and urgent need to urinate, often at night. The urinary tract is infected, as is evidenced by white blood cells and bacteria in the urine. The treatment of acute bacterial prostatitis is with an antibiotic appropriate for the particular bacteria. Sometimes nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as ibuprofen and naproxen, are given to relieve pain.
- Chronic bacterial prostatitis is also relatively uncommon. This condition is basically longstanding prostatitis associated with an underlying defect in the prostate, which then becomes a focal point for the persistence of bacterial infection in the urinary tract. The symptoms include low back pain , discomfort in the perineum (the area between the anus and the genitalia), testicular pain and, if the infection spreads to the bladder, mild pain or burning on urination (dysuria) and frequent and urgent need to urinate (frequency and urgency). The effective treatment of chronic bacterial prostatitis usually requires the identification and removal of the defect in the prostate and then treatment with antibiotics. Antibiotics alone often do not cure the infection. Sometimes nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as ibuprofen and naproxen, are given to relieve pain.
- Nonbacterial prostatitis is the most common and least understood form of prostatitis. It is believed to occur eight times more often than bacterial prostatitis. Nonbacterial prostatitis is frequently a chronic, painful condition that is found in men of any age. Symptoms go away and then come back without warning. The urine and fluids from the prostate show no evidence of a known infecting organism, but the semen and other fluids from the prostate contain cells that the body usually produces to fight infection. Doctors often treat nonbacterial prostatitis with antibiotics and drugs that relax the muscles of the prostate gland, but these treatments have not been proven to work and, in fact, often fail. This form of prostatitis can be associated with other diseases, such as reactive arthritis (formerly called Reiter's disease). Sometimes nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as ibuprofen and naproxen, are given to relieve pain.
- Prostatodynia is similar to nonbacterial prostatitis with regard to symptoms, age of patients, and ineffectiveness of treatment. However, there are no objective findings, such as the presence of infection-fighting white blood cells, in the urine of men who suffer from prostatodynia. Sometimes nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as ibuprofen and naproxen, are given to relieve pain.
Illustration: The prostate in relation to genitourinary and other structures: 
This article is based, in part, upon information from the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
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