Prostatitis

Prostatitis is a prostate gland disorder usually caused by bacterial infections. Prostatitis often causes painful or difficult urination and pain in the groin, pelvic area, or genitals.

Your prostate is a small gland - the size of a walnut - and is found just below the bladder in men. The prostate and other sex glands produce semen, which transports sperm during ejaculation.

Types of Prostatitis

There are generally four types of prostatitis:

• Acute bacterial prostatitis is a bacterial infection of the prostate.
• Chronic bacterial prostatitis is an ongoing or recurring bacterial infection.
• Chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome is ongoing or recurring pelvic pain and urinary tract symptoms without infection.
• Asymptomatic inflammatory prostatitis is when you have the signs of an inflamed prostate but with no symptoms.

Prostatitis Symptoms

Your signs and symptoms of prostatitis will vary depending on the type of prostatitis you have. Your symptoms may include:

• Frequent urination, particularly at night (nocturia)
• Urgent need to urinate
• Pain or burn when urinating (dysuria)
• Pain in your groin, abdomen or lower back
• Painful ejaculation
• Dribbling or hesitant urination
• Cloudy urine
• Blood in the urine
• Pain in the penis or testicles
• Pain in the perineum
• Fever, muscle aches, chills, and other flu-like symptoms

When to see a doctor for prostatitis

Many conditions can contribute to the symptoms associated with prostatitis, so it's essential to get an accurate diagnosis as soon as possible so that you can begin treatment quickly.

Get emergency care if you have any of the following symptoms:

• Inability to urinate
• Blood in your urine
• Painful or difficult urination, accompanied by fever
• Severe pain or discomfort in the pelvic area or genitals.