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 Is The Prostate
The prostate is a walnut-shaped gland that is part of the male reproductive system. The main function of the prostate is to make a fluid that goes into semen. Prostate fluid is essential for a mans fertility. The gland surrounds the urethra at the neck of the bladder. The bladder neck is the area where the urethra joins the bladder. The bladder and urethra are parts of the lower urinary tract. The prostate has two or more lobes, or sections, enclosed by an outer layer of tissue, and it is in front of the rectum, just below the bladder. The urethra is the tube that carries urine from the bladder to the outside of the body. In men, the urethra also carries semen out through the penis.
How To Reduce Prostate Inflammation
An enlarged prostate or Prostatitis is a common condition in men over 40 years of age. This condition, that generates annoying symptoms, must be diagnosed and monitored by a urologist who will determine if it is bacterial prostatitis or of a chronic nature. Changes in diet as well as some changes in lifestyle habits and the intake of certain home remedies can help to shrink the prostate and improve the quality of life of patients. At oneHOWTO we explain in detail how to reduce prostate inflammation and improve your health.
An enlarged prostate is a condition that must be diagnosed and monitored by a urologist as it is necessary to determine the cause of this condition to then find the ideal treatment. In addition to medical recommendations that should be strictly followed there are some changes in lifestyle habits are also important to take to promote a reduction of the prostate.
The first step is to have a diet which is rich in fibre in order to improve the intestinal transit and prevent constipation, a condition that may increase the symptoms and discomfort of patients with an enlarged prostate. Fruits, vegetables and grains are essential to achieve this and should be consumed daily, while avoiding high-fat ingredients that can hinder digestion.
If you want to read similar articles to How to Reduce Prostate Inflammation, we recommend you visit our Family health category.
You May Like: Flomax Ejaculatory Dysfunction
Treatments That A Specialist May Suggest
Various treatments have been tried for chronic prostatitis. They may benefit some people but so far there are few research studies to confirm whether they help in most cases. They are not ‘standard’ or routine treatments but a specialist may advise that you try one.
For chronic bacterial prostatitis, possible treatments may include the following:
- A longer course of antibiotics. If the specialist suspects that you have chronic bacterial prostatitis and your symptoms have not cleared after a four-week course of antibiotics, they may suggest a longer course. Sometimes a course of up to three months is used.
- Removal of the prostate may be considered if you have small stones in the prostate. It is not clear how much this may help but it has been suggested that these small stones may be a reason why some people have recurrent infections in chronic bacterial prostatitis. However, this is not commonly carried out and is not suitable in everyone. Your specialist will advise.
For chronic prostatitis/CPPS, possible treatments may include the following:
Talking With Your Doctor
Different kinds of doctors and other health care professionals manage prostate health. They can help you find the best care, answer your questions, and address your concerns. These health care professionals include:
- Family doctors and internists
- Physician assistants and nurse practitioners
- Urologists, who are experts in diseases of the urinary tract system and the male reproductive system
- Urologic oncologists, who are experts in treating cancers of the urinary system and the male reproductive system
- Radiation oncologists, who use radiation therapy to treat cancer
- Medical oncologists, who treat cancer with medications such as hormone treatments and chemotherapy
- Pathologists, who identify diseases by studying cells and tissues under a microscope
View these professionals as your partnersâexpert advisors and helpers in your health care. Talking openly with your doctors can help you learn more about your prostate changes and the tests to expect.
Recommended Reading: How To Treat Prostate Cancer That Has Spread To Bones
Is A Prostate Massage The Same Thing As Trying For A Prostate Orgasm
Yes. If you massage the prostate in a way that feels good, youre probably going to have an orgasm if you keep at it.
Some doctors recommend prostate massage therapy to help relieve the symptoms of certain conditions, such as painful ejaculation prostatitis.
Yep! Though evidence on the efficacy of prostate massage for certain conditions is somewhat limited, it does appear to have some benefits.
Question 1 Of : What Does Prostate Pain Feel Like
Recommended Reading: Does Enlarged Prostate Affect Ejaculation
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
What Is Chronic Inflammation
To back up for a moment, let me give you a very brief primer on inflammation. Its a complex system in our bodies with an ever-growing list of identified components, but the big picture is that it occurs in two main ways. It can be a self-limited response to an injury or infection, for example, if you get a paper cut or a sprained ankle. Youll notice redness, pain, warmth, and swelling in the area. But once all the cells from the inflammatory response have done their job and the injury is healed, that inflammation disappears. Thats the kind of inflammation you want to happen.
The other kind of inflammation, called chronic inflammation, is the problematic one. It may occur if the immune system is trying to fend off infection, like Lyme disease, but isnt having success. Or it may occur if the immune system becomes confused, such as in someone who has antibodies to gluten that also end up attacking other parts of the body that resemble gluten. Inflammation also happens when the immune system senses that something isnt right, such as when LDL cholesterol makes its way into the lining of an artery. White blood cells follow, but instead of fixing the problem, they inadvertently make it worse by making the plaque unstable and more likely to rupture. These are all signs of inflammation in the body.
Read Also: Does Enlarged Prostate Affect Ejaculation
How Do I Know If My Prostate Is Enlarged
If your prostate is enlarged, it may not be a sign of cancer, but it is something that you should discuss with your doctor. Many of the symptoms of an enlarged prostate tend to relate to urination. If you are concerned about an enlarged prostate, here are 7 symptoms to look for:
Problems With Enlarged Prostate Gland
Benign enlargement of the prostate gland is more common as men get older. It can cause troublesome symptoms, although it doesnt always.
The urethra passes through the prostate gland, so men may have problems urinating if the enlarged gland restricts the flow of urine. If the flow stops completely, a catheter is required to empty the bladder. It is rare for this form of acute urinary retention to cause kidney damage.
An enlarged prostate doesn’t always cause urinary problems. Studies indicate that the size of a man’s prostate gland has little influence on the type or severity of his urination problems. BPH is just one possible cause of urinary symptoms.
Another cause of urinary symptoms can be changes to the muscular wall of the bladder, which may cause spasms of the bladder or weaken the bladder, causing problems passing urine.
Recommended Reading: Can You Give Yourself A Prostate Massage
Who Is More Likely To Develop Prostatitis
The factors that affect a mans chances of developing prostatitis differ depending on the type.
Chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome. Men with nerve damage in the lower urinary tract due to surgery or trauma may be more likely to develop chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome. Psychological stress may also increase a mans chances of developing the condition.
Acute and chronic bacterial prostatitis. Men with lower UTIs may be more likely to develop bacterial prostatitis. UTIs that recur or are difficult to treat may lead to chronic bacterial prostatitis.
Symptoms For Acute Bacterial Prostatitis
If you have acute bacterial prostatitis the symptoms usually develop very quickly. They include:
- a high temperature , feeling feverish, sweating, chills and shivering
- pain in the area between your testicles and back passage , the skin around your testicles , your penis, lower back, muscles or joints in your pelvic area, inner thighs, and sometimes in your back passage
- needing to urinate more often, especially at night
- a sudden urge to urinate
- pain when urinating
- difficulty urinating.
About 1 in 10 men with this type of prostatitis find they suddenly and painfully cant urinate. This is called acute urine retention. It needs treating straight away, usually at a hospital. The doctor or nurse will pass a thin, flexible tube called a catheter up your penis into your bladder to drain the urine. Or they might pass the catheter through the wall of your stomach area . This will help drain urine from your bladder.
Dont wait
It is very important to seek medical advice immediately if you think you might have acute bacterial prostatitis and have a high temperature. It needs treating straight away.
Don’t Miss: What Happens To The Prostate Later In Life
Providing Your Medical History
At first, the doctor will probably ask you about your medical history. Do you have any chronic illnesses? What illnesses and operations have you had in the past? What medications are you taking, if any? Your doctor is also likely to ask about your psychological well-being and lifestyle: Do you suffer from depression? Are you under a lot of stress? Do you drink alcohol? Smoke? Use illegal drugs? Have you felt a loss of affection for your partner? Have you recently grown interested in a new partner?
As part of this health history, be prepared to tell your doctor specific details about the symptoms that brought you to the office and when they began. Your doctor might want to know how often you had sex before the problem started and if there have been weeks or months in the past when youve had erectile dysfunction. Your doctor may conduct a written or verbal screening test.
If the cause is clear a recent operation for prostate cancer, for example the conversation may move directly to your treatment options. Otherwise, you may need to answer more questions to help the doctor narrow down the possible causes and avoid unnecessary testing.
How About Giving A Prostate Massage With A Toy
If youre using a sex toy, only opt for one that is specifically made for anal play, meaning it has a flared base or some other feature that makes it so that nothing can go in that cannot come back out. You might try something like the Booty Bling Plug , but there are also toys made specifically for prostate play. The Hugo Prostate Massager is a sleek toy with two motors for pressure and vibration, and the Duke Vibrating Prostate Massager has a unique shape that targets prostate stimulation along with perineum pressure and is meant to create a real feeling of fullness. Even if you dont grab a toy specifically for prostate play, please dont use random things lying around your house to explore prostate pleasure. Every physician whos ever worked in the ER has a story of a household anal sex toy gone awry, Hong warns. If you can imagine it, its probably been up the rectum.
If this is all feeling good to your partner, they may orgasm from the stimulation. Dont be nervous if theres a climax that doesnt involve ejaculationaccording to Brown-James, that can happen during prostate play. As long as you and your partner are enjoying yourselves, the journey is way more important.
Don’t Miss: Finding The Prostate Externally
What Is Prostatitis And Prostatodynia
There are two kinds of bacterial prostate infections: acute and chronic, but only about 5% of men with symptoms of prostatitis actually have a documented bacterial infection. The remainder have prostatodynia. Prostatodynia is a word similar to urethral syndrome it conveys the idea that the symptoms are coming from the prostate but, in fact, we dont know for sure that is the case. More about prostatodynia a little later.
An acute infection of the prostate is characterized by high fever, lower abdominal pain, marked urinary frequency, urgency, muscle aches and pains, pain going down the inner aspect of the thigh, and sometimes urinary retention. The patient looks very ill and the prostate is exquisitely tender on rectal examination. Because it is very difficult for antibiotics to penetrate the prostate and cure the infection, it is important that you take culture specific antibiotics for about six weeks. If the symptoms dont subside within a few days of starting antibiotics, it is important to be sure that a prostatic abscess is not brewing. At this stage, it can be difficult to be sure on examination, but an abdominal ultrasound or CAT scan can usually make the proper diagnosis. If there is an abscess, it will require surgical drainage.
What Is The Prostate Gland What Does It Look Like
The prostate gland is part of the male reproductive system, and it is a walnut-sized gland found in men that is located below the bladder and in front of the rectum. It surrounds the urethra, the tube through which urine and semen exit the body. Its main function is to produce seminal fluid in order to transport sperm through the urethra.
Recommended Reading: Do Females Have Prostate Cancer
The Tension Headache Of The Groin
Prostatitis is a benign but painful condition that causes inflammation of the prostate or surrounding area. While half of all men will experience it, many dont know what it is.
When prostatitis happens to younger men, it can be alarming and a little scary.
We asked UNC Medical Center urologist Eric Wallen, MD, to explain prostatitis and what can be done to fix it.