Prostatitis is a group of conditions that affect the prostate. The prostate is a male sex gland responsible for producing a fluid into the semen to make it expel more quickly during ejaculation. Prostatitis cause pain in the prostate, as well as difficulty or pain while urinating. The treatment for the prostatitis will typically depend on the precise prostate condition that a male is suffering from.
One category of the condition is known as bacterial prostatitis, which occurs due to an infection caused by excessive bacteria from urine that gets trapped near the prostate. The condition can be acute or chronic and reoccurring. Acute prostatitis generally causes flu-like symptoms, such as fever, nausea, and chills, while chronic prostatitis may result in urinary tract infections. The treatment for prostatitis caused by bacteria will typically consist of oral antibiotics to eliminate the bacteria causing the infections.
Another type of prostatitis is chronic prostatitis, also referred to as chronic pelvic pain. Men with this condition may experience pain in their genital region; blood in their urine or semen; and changes in their urination patterns, such as frequently urinating, having difficulty emptying their bladders completely, or experiencing pain while urinating. This type of prostatitis does not have a proven cause, but may possibly be due to fungi, viruses, parasites, sexual abuse, or disorders affecting the nervous system of the urinary tract. Treatment for prostatitis that is not caused by bacteria tends to be more difficult, but the symptoms may be able to be controlled with the use of medications to relax prostate muscles.
Asymptomatic inflammatory prostatitis is a category of the condition in which the prostate is inflamed, yet does not result in any pain or other symptoms. The conditions tends to only be discovered in men who are having other diagnostic tests performed on the prostate or other surrounding areas. Since it does not cause any uncomfortable symptoms, the treatment for asymptomatic prostatitis is generally not needed.
If treatment for prostatitis is not taken, it may cause certain health complications, in addition to the symptoms affecting a male’s everyday quality of life, such as making urination or sexual activity difficult or painful. Untreated bacterial prostatitis can result in bacteria spreading to the bloodstream and causing more infections in other organs of the body. Complications of chronic prostatitis can result in a loss of fertility. If asymptomatic inflammatory prostatitis is not treated, there will typically be no health consequences.