Monday 1 October 2012

Prostatitis - Signs, Symptoms, Treatment Options

In terms of Prostate Health - Prostatitis is the medical term that is applied for an inflammation of the prostate gland. It is a rather complex condition and can affect men of any age.

There are essentially two main types:

1.Bacterial Prostatitis:

This can be:
Acute - which is a short term infection; or Chronic - which is a long term infection.

2.Non Bacterial Prostatitis

This is in essence also a chronic form and is sometimes also referred to as `chronic pelvic pain`
* Symptoms (Acute)
The following acute symptoms are indicative of this condition:
-A pain or burning sensation when urinating
-Lower back pain
-A pain upon ejaculation
-The need to urinate frequently - including at nighttime
-A sudden onset of an urgent need to urinate
-Having a weak urine stream, particularly when starting or stopping
-Experiencing fever and chills & aches and pains
* Symptoms (chronic)
The following chronic symptoms are also indicative of this condition:
-Pain in the pelvic area, often to be experienced in the pelvic floor or perineum ( this is the area between the anus and the testicles)
-Variable symptoms - coming and going from week to week. Sometimes the pain can be rather severe and disabling.
-Problems with urinating

* What Treatment is available?

The following are some of the treatment options available.
- Bacterial Prostatitis - (this includes both chronic and acute conditions). These can be treated with a course of antibiotics.
It is also advisable to take plenty of rest and maintain regular fluids in order to assist in fighting the infection.
- Non Bacterial Prostatitis - This is an area that has had less research and therefore there is less known about the cause and treatment options. This can come as a rather unpleasant surprise to sufferers of the condition!

Treatments in practice therefore tend therefore to be rather limited to that of pain relief. Antibiotics may additionally be prescribed in case the symptoms are cause by an infection that has yet to be identified.

The pain can be quite severe and seriously impact upon the quality of life of a sufferer

It is therefore advisable to take regular hot water baths and hydrotherapy to assist in relieving pain
Research has been carried out by Doctors at Stanford University which has indicated that in some men; the severe pelvic pain that is experienced is as a result of the human instinct to protect the genitals, rectum and contents of the pelvis from injury or pain.

This is achieved by contracting the pelvic muscles

However, over time, this can lead to circulation problems and resultant nerve damage which can in turn cause pain.

This is a highly complex issue and we have only just scratched the surface here. make sure you read further and seek out more high quality information.

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