Prostatitis: what it is, symptoms, causes and treatment

Prostatitis is characterized by inflammation of the prostate, which is a small gland responsible for the production of seminal fluid, which is the liquid that contains sperm, which leads to an increase in its size, which can cause symptoms such as pain, burning when urinating and fever, for example.

The main cause of prostatitis is infection by bacteria, mainly Escherichia coli , Klebsiella spp . and Proteus spp ., and, therefore, the treatment recommended by the urologist corresponds to the use of antibiotics, to fight infection, in addition to analgesics and anti-inflammatories to relieve symptoms.

What symptoms

The most common symptoms that can indicate prostatitis are mainly the decrease in the force of the urine stream and pain when urinating. Since the symptoms of prostatitis are very similar to those of other prostate problems, check your symptoms and see what your risk of having a prostate problem is:

1. Difficulty starting to urinate Yes No
2. Very weak stream of urine Yes No
3. Frequent desire to urinate, even at night Yes No
4. Feeling full bladder, even after urinating Yes No
5. Presence of urine drops in the underwear Yes No
6. Impotence or difficulty maintaining an erection Yes No
7. Pain when ejaculating or urinating Yes No
8. Presence of blood in the semen Yes No
9. Sudden urge to urinate Yes No
10. Pain in the testicles or near the anus Yes No

In addition to the symptoms indicated, prostatitis can also cause fever and chills, especially if prostatitis is caused by an infection. However, the only way to confirm the diagnosis is to consult a urologist for tests such as blood tests, urine or even an ultrasound.

As the frequency of urge to urinate increases, blood may be present in the urine and impotence due to constant pain is common. However, these can also be symptoms of urinary tract infection in men, so it is important to have a doctor's evaluation. Know how to recognize the signs and symptoms of urinary tract infection in men.

Possible causes

Although there are different causes that can result in inflammation of the prostate, most prostatitis is caused by an infection, especially by bacteria like Escherichia coli, Klebsiella spp. or Proteus mirabilis . For this reason, it is relatively common for prostatitis to be treated with the use of antibiotics, which must be indicated by the urologist.

In some cases, prostatitis can be caused by surgery or injury in the region and there are still situations where it is not possible to identify the cause.

Classification of prostatitis

Prostatitis can be classified according to its cause into bacterial and non-bacterial and according to the time of onset of symptoms and duration in water or chronic. Thus, prostatitis can be classified into 4 main types:

Type I - Acute bacterial prostatitis, which is caused by bacteria, most often Escherichia coli or belonging to the genus Klebsiella spp . or Proteus spp. , and has a sudden onset and the symptoms are more general, and prostatitis can easily be mistaken for a urinary tract infection; Type II - Chronic bacterial prostatitis, which occurs when the bacteria remains in the urinary tract, causing infection and progressive inflammation, so that the symptoms evolve slowly and the treatment is more complicated; Type III A - Pelvic pain syndrome , also known as chronic inflammatory prostatitis, which has no infectious cause and the inflammatory symptoms have a slow evolution, being, therefore, called chronic; Type III B - Chronic non-inflammatory prostatitis or prostatodynia, in which there are changes in the prostate but there are no inflammatory and / or infectious signs; Type IV - Asymptomatic inflammatory prostatitis, in which although the prostate is inflamed, there are no characteristic symptoms, but in the microscopic examination, cells indicating tissue inflammation are identified.

Although chronic and acute prostatitis have the same symptoms, in chronic prostatitis the symptoms evolve slowly and last for more than 3 months, in addition to being associated with greater difficulty in treatment.

How the diagnosis is made

The diagnosis of prostatitis is made by the general practitioner or urologist taking into account the symptoms reported by the patient and which are usually related to difficulty in urinating. In addition, the doctor may indicate blood, urine and prostate fluid collection and recommend the performance of tests such as flow analysis, digital rectal examination, PSA blood test or even a biopsy to confirm the cause of an enlarged prostate.

Watch the following video and see what tests can be done to assess prostate health:

Treatment for prostatitis

Treatment for prostatitis should always be indicated by a urologist who, in most cases, identifies an infection and, therefore, prescribes the use of antibiotics in pills or, in more severe cases, medicines that are applied directly in the vein, in the hospital.

In addition, the doctor may also prescribe painkillers and anti-inflammatory drugs to relieve symptoms or alpha blockers, such as tamsulosin, which helps to relax the bladder neck and muscle fibers where the prostate joins the bladder.

In chronic bacterial prostatitis, treatment with antibiotics is longer, being carried out for about 3 months, however, when antibiotics do not treat inflammation, surgery may be necessary to remove the prostatic abscess that causes the symptoms.

Learn more about treating prostatitis.