What Are Clinical Trials And Are They Right For You
Clinical trials are part of clinical research and at the heart of all medical advances. Clinical trials look at new ways to prevent, detect, or treat disease. Researchers also use clinical trials to look at other aspects of care, such as improving the quality of life for people with chronic illnesses. Find out if clinical trials are right for you.
What Causes Chronic Bacterial Prostatitis
Chronic bacterial prostatitis is a type of infective prostatitis. It is caused by a persistent infection with a germ of the prostate gland. A man with chronic bacterial prostatitis will usually have had recurring urine infections. Chronic bacterial prostatitis is usually caused by the same type of germs that causes the urine infections. The prostate gland can harbour infection and therefore recurring infections can occur. Chronic bacterial prostatitis is not a sexually transmitted infection.
What Are The Symptoms Of Prostatitis
Each type of prostatitis has a range of symptoms that vary depending on the cause and may not be the same for every man. Many symptoms are similar to those of other conditions.
Chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome. The main symptoms of chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome can include pain or discomfort lasting 3 or more months in one or more of the following areas:
- between the scrotum and anus
- the central lower abdomen
- the scrotum
- the lower back
Pain during or after ejaculation is another common symptom. A man with chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome may have pain spread out around the pelvic area or may have pain in one or more areas at the same time. The pain may come and go and appear suddenly or gradually. Other symptoms may include
- pain in the urethra during or after urination.
- pain in the penis during or after urination.
- urinary frequencyurination eight or more times a day. The bladder begins to contract even when it contains small amounts of urine, causing more frequent urination.
- urinary urgencythe inability to delay urination.
- a weak or an interrupted urine stream.
Acute bacterial prostatitis. The symptoms of acute bacterial prostatitis come on suddenly and are severe. Men should seek immediate medical care. Symptoms of acute bacterial prostatitis may include
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What Are The Symptoms Of An Enlarged Prostate
Most men with prostatitis will have a persistent form of the disease, where symptoms come and go for at least three months.
Possible symptoms of chronic prostatitis are:
- pain in the pelvis, genitals, lower back and buttocks
- pain when urinating
- difficulty urinating, such as problems starting or ‘stop-start’ urination
- pain when ejaculating, which may contribute to erectile dysfunction
- discomfort in the perineal area
The symptoms may vary from day to day: some days they may be particularly troublesome, on other days they may be mild or almost non-existent.
Sometimes you may also experience tiredness, joint pain, muscle pain and a high temperature.
How Long Can Prostatitis Last Untreated
;An inflammation or infection of the prostate gland is called asprostatitis, this is a common disease influences men in range age area from 20s to 50s, this disease can be divided into three forms, each form has different signs and causes. Prostatitis cannot be cued naturally and may arise many complications involve male’s urology and reproductive system.
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Treating Prostatitis: Any Cause For Optimism
Michael P. OLeary, M.D., M.P.H., looks at what may be ahead
Prostatitis gets little press, but its an all-too-common genitourinary condition in men. It accounts for about 1.8 million visits to the doctors office in the United States each year. Depending on how you define the term, 9% to 16% of men experience prostatitis. Its also an equal opportunity disorder. Unlike benign prostatic hyperplasia and prostate cancer, which predominantly affect older men, prostatitis affects men of all ages.
Despite its commonness, little is known about what sparks prostatitis or, more importantly, how to treat it. Frustrated patients visit one doctor after another in search of a remedy, but they usually leave disappointed. Relative to other prostate conditions, little research has been conducted on prostatitis. But a few bright spots may be emerging.
Prostatitis Testing & Treatment
To diagnose prostatitis, your doctor will ask you about your symptoms and may examine the prostate gland by inserting a lubricated, gloved finger into the rectum. Urine and prostate fluid may also be collected and evaluated for bacteria.
TreatmentTreatment depends on the type of prostate infection.
- For acute prostatitis, patients take antibiotics for 4 to 6 weeks.
- For chronic bacterial prostatitis, patients take antibiotics for 4 to 12 weeks. About 75 percent of all cases of chronic bacterial prostatitis clear up with this treatment. Sometimes the symptoms recur and antibiotic therapy needed again. For cases that do not respond to this treatment, long-term, low dose antibiotic therapy is recommended to relieve the symptoms.
- Treatment for nonbacterial prostatitis is difficult. The goal is to control symptoms because it is hard to cure this condition. Some doctors prescribed anti-inflammatory drugs, pain medications and muscle relaxants. Therapies used to treat interstitial cystitis or chronic pelvic pain syndrome may also be helpful.
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Can Prostatitis Come Back
Men who have had prostatitis once are more likely to get it again. Antibiotics may not get into the prostate gland well. Small amounts of bacteria might hide in the prostate and not be killed by the antibiotic. Once you stop taking the antibiotic, the infection can get bad again. If this happens, you might have to take antibiotics for a long time to prevent another infection. Prostatitis that is not caused by infection is often chronic. If you have this kind of prostatitis, you might have to take medicine for a long time.
Causative Pathogens In Prostatitis
Aerobic gram-negative bacilli are the predominant pathogens in bacterial prostatitis. E. coli cause 50%80% of cases; other pathogens include Enterobacteriaceae , Enterococcus species , and nonfermenting gram-negative bacilli . Some debate the role of gram-positive organisms other than enterococci , but most accept Staphylococcus and Streptococcus species as pathogens . The increasing prevalence of gram-positive pathogens may represent changing disease epidemiology or acceptance of their pathogenicity by health care providers. Limited data suggest that obligate anaerobes may rarely cause chronic prostatitis .
Some cases of prostatitis are caused by atypical pathogens . A large prospective study of men with chronic prostatitis found that 74% had an infectious etiology; the most common isolates were Chlamydia trachomatis and Trichomonas vaginalis , whereas 5% of patients had infection due to Ureaplasma urealyticum . Classical bacterial uropathogens were found in 20% of patients, and more patients with these pathogens, compared with patients with nonbacterial pathogens, had prostatic specimens with leukocytes . Other possible prostatitis pathogens include Mycoplasma genitalium, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, various fungi, and several viruses .
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How Can You Treat Prostatitis
Prostatitis is a common condition affecting men. It is defined as inflammation of the male prostate gland and may be due to a bacterial or fungal infection or simply irritation.
In many cases, the gland is inflamed, and there is no apparent infection or other cause of the condition.
Prostatitis is not cancer, and studies show it does not cause or predispose a man to cancer. However, it is frequently associated with men that have Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia . 1
It is a common problem for men of all ages and is most prevalent in middle-aged men between 35 and 55 years old. It is estimated to affect nearly half of all men at some point in their lives.
The male prostate tends to grow throughout life in most men. This continuing growth can increase the risk of prostatitis.
How Long Does It Usually Take To Treat Prostatitis
Treatment cycle of acute prostatitis is shorter than that of chronic prostatitis. As we know, chronic prostatitis is a chronic inflammation which is caused by specific and non-specific infection in prostate. Systematic symptoms occur usually. Time to treat chronic prostatitis can be affected by three aspects mainly:
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The Role Of Leaky Gut
In addition to the retention of urine, the prostate can become infected due to a break down in the intestinal lining, sometimes called leaky gut.
Leaky gut is characterized by bacteria, toxins, and even undigested food, which are all meant to stay within the digestive system, leaking out into the blood stream where these invaders have the potential to cause autoimmune like reactions in some people.11
For example, men who give up gluten sometimes find that their prostate issues go away.
Presumably, this happens because gluten increases the production of zonulin, a protein that is responsible for breaking down the intracellular tight junctions that form the gut wall. 12 Removing gluten reduces levels of zonulin, which allows the gut to heal, stopping the release of irritants that had previously reached the blood stream where they can cause autoimmune reactions.
As a practical matter, this will overlap with the anti-fungal protocol above, but stop eating gluten for a month and see if the condition improves. There are multiple anecdotal stories online about men healing prostate issues by cutting out gluten.
The point here is that a low-grade infection of the prostate can come from places you may not expect, including the gut.
A Healthy Lifestyle Can Help Relieve Prostatitis
Prostatitis is, by definition, inflammation of the male prostate gland. The inflammation can be due to a bacterial or fungal infection or of an unknown source.
While I found no specific studies of the influence of obesity on the risk for prostatitis, several studies support obesity as a risk factor for both and prostate cancer, and men with BPH frequently develop prostatitis.
Obesity is known to alter endocrine status, increase oxidative stress, and contribute to increased inflammation. Lifestyle issues, such as poor diet, lack of exercise, stress, and other issues are also contributors. 8
Another risk factor for the development of prostatitis is diabetes. It is well known that diabetes is associated with ED and BPH, both of which are common in older men. Obese men with high blood sugar levels seem to have a high risk of prostatitis.
There are many conditions, both dietary and lifestyle, that can negatively alter the overall health of the body and increase systemic inflammation. Chronic nonbacterial prostatitis affects around 10 to 15 percent of men in the United States, most of them over the age of 50.
Any man experiencing chronic nonbacterial prostatitis, should take a hard look at his diet and lifestyle and take steps to decrease his inflammatory loading. Bacterial prostatitis should be evaluated by a urologist, especially if it is associated with a UTI.
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Help With Your Symptoms
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs , such as ibuprofen or naproxen, may help with pain or discomfort. Ask your doctor if you can take these.
Warm baths may relieve some of your perineal and lower back pain.
Avoid substances that irritate the bladder, such as alcohol, caffeinated beverages, citrus juices, and acidic or spicy foods.
Drink plenty of fluids, 64 or more ounces per day, if your doctor says this is OK. This helps flush bacteria from the bladder. It can also help prevent constipation.
To reduce discomfort with bowel movements, you may also:
- Get some exercise every day. Start slowly and build up at least 30 minutes a day.
What Is The Prostate Gland
The prostate is a gland that lies just below a man’s urinary bladder. It surrounds the urethra like a donut and is in front of the rectum. The urethra is the tube that carries urine out of the bladder, through the penis and out of the body. Your doctor may check your prostate by putting a finger into your rectum to feel the back of your prostate gland.
The prostate gland makes a fluid that provides nutrients for sperm. This fluid makes up most of the ejaculate fluid. We do not yet know all of the ways the prostate gland works.
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How Is Prostatitis Treated
The treatment is based on the cause. Your doctor may do a rectal exam and test urine samples to find out the cause.
An antibiotic is used to treat prostatitis that is caused by an infection. Some antibiotics that might be used are trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, doxycycline, ciprofloxacin, norfloxacin and ofloxin. You might have to take antibiotics for several weeks or even a few months. If prostatitis is severe, you might have to go to a hospital for treatment with fluids and antibiotics.
How I Cured My Prostatitis
If we go deeper into the definition of prostatitis, we find that inflammation is a protective response of body tissues to toxic stimuli such as pathogens, injured cells, or any other organic or non-organic irritants. Inflammation involves a variety of defense mechanisms such as the local or general rise of body temperature, immune response, and molecular mediators to localize the injured site and ultimately restore the tissue functionality.
Not surprising that our prostate contacting to the bladder and urethra carrying liquid wastes from one side and colon carrying fecal wastes from another side, exposed to the influence of these irritants throughout the mens life. Even if we do not know the mechanism of BPH, we can assume the right causes of prostate inflammation leading to the symptoms mentioned earlier. In this regard, our lifestyle, what we eat and what we drink or smoke play a primary role in the development of inflammatory processes in the prostate.
On this base, and bearing in mind the fact that the exact mechanism of prostatitis has not yet been found, any treatment to reduce symptom hardness should be focused on total or, at least, partial removal of inflammation. I wont analyze the pros and cons of available approaches in this post, but their low or medium efficacy and a vast number of side effects make you wonder whether to apply them or not.
The recipe for inflamed prostate treatment.
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Can Treating Gum Disease Cure Prostatitis
However, before I dive into the meat of the research, I think its a good idea to start with an issue that everyone reading this can control for, and thats dental hygiene.
As youll see reading this post, we get into issues of PH and which bacteria thrive in more acidic environments. For example, the PH of urine can dictate whether bacteria like E. coli can grow in the urinary tract. Similarly, the state of our dental hygiene also plays a role in the pathogenic load placed on the body. The issue first came on my radar when visiting with a holistic dentist recently. He developed a product that raises the PH of the mouth to make it more alkaline.
At first, I was skeptical , but then I did some reading.
I was surprised to see saliva referred to as containing many host defense factors, and the PH of saliva is a biomarker for gum disease. 2 More acidic saliva correlates with more advanced gum disease, whereas more alkaline saliva is associated with better gum health.
But, heres the kicker gum disease and prostatitis go hand in hand. In fact, there are studies demonstrating significant improvement in prostate inflammation just by treating the gums alone. So, if youre reading this and you have prostatitis, the first step is to visit with a holistic dentist, make sure your gums are healthy, and pay attention the acidity of your saliva.
What If My Prostatitis Is Not Caused By Infection
Because we do not understand what causes prostatitis without infection, it can be hard to treat. Your doctor might try an antibiotic to treat a hidden infection. Other treatments are aimed at making you feel better. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medicines, such as ibuprofen or naproxen, and hot soaking baths may help you feel better. Some men get better by taking medicines that help the way the bladder or prostate gland work. These medicines include oxybutynin, doxazosin, prazosin, tamsulosin and terazosin.
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Antibiotics For Acute Bacterial Prostatitis: Which Agent And For How Long
Eric A. Dietrich, PharmD, BCPS, and Kyle Davis, PharmD, BCPS
Citation:Dietrich EA, Davis K.;Antibiotics for acute bacterial prostatitis: which agent, and for how long?;Consultant. 2017;57:564-565.
Acute bacterial prostatitis is an infection of the prostate that is most commonly seen in older men. Approximately 8% of men will experience prostatitis-like symptoms, but the overall incidence of acute prostatitis is unknown.1 Acute bacterial prostatitis can be diagnosed by way of a history and physical examination.1 Symptoms commonly mirror those of a lower urinary tract infection , and patients may or may not present with fever. Evaluation also should include urinalysis and cultures, as well as prostatic fluid cultures if needed.
Antimicrobial therapy is the cornerstone of treatment for bacterial prostatitis. Pharmacotherapy should include agents with activity against traditional UTI-causing organisms. Special attention should be given to tissue penetration into the prostate and the duration of therapy.2 Which antibiotics achieve adequate penetration, and how long should clinicians treat patients with acute bacterial prostatitis?
Patient Case
The Evidence
Clinical Application
Outcome of the Case
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