Prostatitis is a general term that is used to refer to inflammation, or infection, of the prostate gland. Symptoms of prostatitis include:
- pelvic pain,
- pain when urinating, and
- pain when ejaculating semen.
The prostate gland
The prostate is a small gland in the pelvis that is found only in men. It is located between the penis and the bladder and surrounds the urethra (the tube that carries urine from the bladder to the penis).
The main function of the prostate is to help with the production of semen. The prostate produces a thick white fluid that is liquefied by a special protein known as prostate-specific antigen (PSA). The fluid is then mixed with sperm, produced by the testicles, to create semen.
Types of prostatitis
There are three main types of prostatitis:
- acute prostatitis,
- chronic bacterial prostatitis, and
- chronic non-bacterial prostatitis.
Acute prostatitis
Acute prostatitis is a bacterial infection of the prostate.
Acute prostatitis should be regarded as a medical emergency. Without prompt treatment using antibiotics, damage to the prostate and surrounding areas can occur.
Chronic bacterial prostatitis
In cases of chronic bacterial prostatitis, a chronic (long-lasting) bacterial infection develops inside the prostate. The bacteria can also spread out of the prostate and into the urinary tract.
The urinary tract is made up of:
- the kidneys,
- the ureters (the tubes that carry urine from the kidneys to the bladder),
- the bladder, and
- the urethra (the tube that passes from the bladder through the penis).
Therefore, many men with chronic prostatitis also develop repeated urinary tract infections (UTIs), such as a bladder, or urethra, infection.
Chronic non-bacterial prostatitis
Chronic non-bacterial prostatitis is a poorly understood condition of unknown origin. It shares many of the symptoms of chronic bacterial prostatitis except upon diagnosis, no trace of a bacterial infection (or any other type of infection) can be found.
Some experts have argued that in cases of chronic non-bacterial prostatitis there may not actually be any inflammation or infection of the prostate, so the condition should be known as ‘chronic pelvic pain syndrome’.
How common is prostatitis?
Acute prostatitis is an uncommon condition. For example, it is estimated that only 1 in every 10,000 men will develop acute prostatitis.
Chronic bacterial prostatitis is also uncommon, affecting 1-2% of all men.
Chronic non-bacterial prostatitis is the most common form of prostatitis.
Unlike other types of prostate disease, such as prostate cancer, or prostate enlargement, which usually affects older men, prostatitis can develop in men of all ages.
Outlook
If treated with antibiotics, the outlook for acute prostatitis is very good. Most men will make a full recovery within two weeks.
Chronic bacterial prostatitis can also be treated with antibiotics, but an estimated 50% of men will experience a relapse of symptoms at some time in the future and will require further treatment.
Chronic non-bacterial prostatitis can be a challenging condition to treat. This is because so little is known about the causes of the condition that it can be difficult to identify effective treatments for all cases.
However, many men with chronic non-bacterial prostatitis will experience periods where their symptoms are not particularly troublesome.