Prostatitis (”PRAH-stuh-TYE-tis”) is an inflammation or infection of the prostate. It affects more than half of all men at some time in their lives. It is one of the more common urologic diagnoses, accounting for up to 25% of all urological office visits by young and middle aged men. Men over the age of 50 should be screened each year for risk of prostate problems. If a family history of prostate cancer is present, younger men should also see their urologist for screening. If you are experiencing any of the following symptoms, contact your urologist to check for prostatitis/or other urological condition concerning the prostate:

• Trouble or pain when urinating
• A burning or stinging feeling when urinating
• Strong, frequent urge to urinate
• Blocked urine
• Chills and high fever
• Low back pain or body aches
• Pain low in the belly, groin, or behind the scrotum
• Rectal pressure or pain
• Genital and rectal throbbing
• Urethral discharge with bowel movements
• Painful ejaculation (sexual climax)
• Sexual problems and loss of sex drive

This condition of the prostate is not contagious. It is not spread through sexual contact, nor can your partner catch this infection from you. Also, having this condition does not increase your risk of any other prostate disease.

Getting the right diagnosis of your exact type of prostatitis is the key to getting the best treatment. It may take several visits to find the prostatitis treatment that’s right for you. Acute and chronic bacterial prostatitis is routinely treated with antibiotics. For nonbacterial prostatitis treatment, medications are used to reduce the difficulty in urination and anti-inflammatory drugs are prescribed for pain. Lifestyle changes, including diet and stress management, may be suggested.

You may also be given a medicine for prostatitis treatment called an alpha blocker to relax some of the tissue in the prostate in addition to a medication that helps shrink the prostate. No single solution works for everyone with this condition.

If you feel you may have prostatitis, please set up a consultation with Dr. Allen to discuss your specific symptoms and any questions you may have about prostatitis treatment.