It’s embarrassing. It’s annoying. It’s exasperating. And it’s controllable. We’re talking about the distressing inconvenience of the side effects associated with prostate problems. This often means midnight treks to the bathroom to pee, pain when you start and end urination and dribbling when you’re done. It can be frustrating when nothing you do seems to help, no matter how careful you try to be.
The key to controlling these symptoms is understanding what causes them, so you can learn how to cope and prevent them in the future.
The walnut-sized prostate gland is situated at the base of the bladder. The urethra runs from the bladder through the prostate and through the penis. As the prostate gets bigger, it constricts the flow of fluid through the urethra, contributing to several unpleasant and annoying symptoms:
*A need to urinate frequently during the night
*Urinating more often during the day
*Urinary urgency—a strong and sudden urge to pee
*Slow-to-start urine stream
*Lack of force in the urinary stream
*A slight stinging at the beginning and end of urination
*Urine “dribbling” some time after urination ends
*The sensation that the bladder hasn’t been emptied entirely
*The need to urinate again only a few minutes later
For the most part, these symptoms by themselves don’t require medical attention. They can often be controlled by certain urination management techniques that you can practice on your own. If the symptoms are particularly bothersome to you, consult a healthcare professional for help. In particular, you should seek medical care if you experience these symptoms:
*Inability to urinate
*Painful urination
*Blood in the urine
*Discharges from the penis other than urine
*Continuous or severe urinary incontinence
More often than not, using self-help management techniques and natural supplements such as saw palmetto, pumpkin seed, lycopene, red clover and nettle can help manage your prostate health. It’s important to remember that frequent urination, stinging and dribbling are often not a threat to your health or your life, although they can be awkward and embarrassing.
This problem occurs when the prostate gets enlarged. The prostate then blocks the urethra making it difficult to urinate. It causes a person to have a frequent urge to urinate and may cause urine to dribble. You need to see a doctor who will then conduct a rectal examination to diagnose the problem.
If your condition is not causing any problems, the doctor may advise annual checkups only. Treatment will be prescribed only if your situation gets worse later on. There are medications that can cause you prostate to shrink or can relax the muscles near the prostate. However, these medicines can cause side effects such as sexual problems, headaches, dizziness, or fatigue.
Surgery is usually advised only when the medications are not effective. Radio waves, Microwaves, and Lasers are used to treat BPH-related problems.
2. Acute Prostatitis
This condition is caused due to a bacterial infection of the prostate. It causes fever, chills, pain in the lower back, pain between legs, or pain while urinating. A host of medications are available to treat Prostatitis, but hey will be prescribed by your doctor. Do not take over the counter drugs.
This is a chronic condition caused by a bacterial infection. You may need to take antibiotics for a long time for the situation to improve. Even then, this infection may recur again and a recurrence is usually quite difficult to treat.
4. Chronic Abacterial Prostatitis
This condition is also known as Chronic Pelvic Pain Syndrome (CPPS). It causes pain in the lower back, at the tip of the penis, or between the legs. You may also have pain during sex or may need to urinate frequently. This situation is also hard to treat and may require more than one form of treatment.
Definition:
Prostatitis is inflammation or infection of the prostate gland — an organ about the size and shape of a walnut, located just below the bladder in males. The prostate gland produces semen, the fluid that helps nourish and transport sperm. Prostatitis can cause a variety of symptoms, including a frequent and urgent need to urinate and pain or burning when urinating — often accompanied by pelvic, groin or low back pain.
Prostatitis has been classified by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) into four categories.
Category I Main article: Acute prostatitis
Acute prostatitis is a bacterial infection of the prostate gland that requires urgent medical treatment.
Category II
Main article: Chronic bacterial prostatitis
Chronic bacterial prostatitis is a relatively rare condition that usually presents as intermittent urinary tract infections.
Category III
Main article: Chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome
Chronic Prostatitis/Chronic Pelvic Pain Syndrome (CP/CPPS), accounting for 90%-95% of prostatitis diagnoses, is also known as chronic nonbacterial prostatitis. The annual prevalence in the population of chronic pelvic pain syndrome is 0.5%. Men in this category have no known infection, but do have extensive pelvic pain lasting more than 3 months. There are no standard diagnostic tests; diagnosis is by exclusion of other disease entities. Multimodal therapy is the most successful treatment option, and includes ?-blockers, phytotherapy, and protocols aimed at quieting the pelvic nerves through myofascial trigger point release with psychological re-training for anxiety control. Antibiotics are not recommended.
Category IV
Main article: Asymptomatic inflammatory prostatitis
Asymptomatic inflammatory prostatitis patients have no history of genitourinary pain complaints, but leukocytosis is noted, usually during evaluation for other conditions. Between 6-19% of men have pus cells in their semen but no symptoms.
Pain relievers and several weeks of treatment with antibiotic are typically needed for category 1 and 2 prostatitis, which are bacterial infections. A variety of treatments as well as self-care measures also can provide relief. Treatment for category 3 prostatitis (nonbacterial) is less clear and mainly involves relieving symptoms. Category 4 prostatitis is usually found during examination for another reason and often doesn’t require treatment.
Symptoms
The signs and symptoms vary depending on the various types of prostatitis.
Acute bacterial prostatitis: Category 1
Signs and symptoms of this form of prostatitis usually come on suddenly and may include:
*Fever and chills
*Flu-like symptoms
*Pain in the prostate gland, lower back or groin
*Urinary problems, including increased urinary urgency and frequency, difficulty or pain when urinating, inability to completely empty the bladder, and blood-tinged urine
*Painful ejaculation
*Acute prostatitis can be a serious condition and requires immediate medical treatment. See your doctor right away if you develop any of these signs and symptoms.
Chronic bacterial prostatitis: Category 2
The signs and symptoms of this type of prostatitis develop more slowly and usually aren’t as severe as those of acute prostatitis. In addition, times when symptoms are better tend to alternate with times when symptoms are worse. Signs and symptoms of chronic bacterial prostatitis include:
*Difficulty starting to urinate, or diminished urine flow
*Occasional blood in semen or in urine (hematuria)
*Painful ejaculation
*A slight fever
*Recurring bladder infections
Chronic nonbacterial prostatitis: Category 3
The signs and symptoms of nonbacterial prostatitis are similar to those of chronic bacterial prostatitis, although you probably won’t have a fever. The only way to determine whether prostatitis symptoms are caused by bacterial infection or are nonbacterial is through lab tests to find out whether bacteria is present in the urine or prostate gland fluid.
Other conditions
Prostatitis can be difficult to diagnose, in part because its signs and symptoms often resemble those of other conditions, such as bladder infections, bladder cancer or prostate enlargement due to benign or cancerous growth of the prostate.
Causes:-
Acute bacterial prostatitis: Category 1……..CLICK & SEE
Bacteria normally found in your large intestine typically cause acute prostatitis. Most commonly, acute prostatitis originates in the prostate, but occasionally the infection can spread from a bladder or urethral infection.
Chronic bacterial prostatitis: Category 2..…...CLICK & SEE
It’s not entirely clear what causes a chronic bacterial infection. Sometimes it develops after an episode of acute prostatitis when bacteria remain in the prostate. Catheter tubes used to drain the urinary bladder, injury to the urinary system (such as from bike riding or horseback riding ) or infections in other parts of the body can be the source of the bacteria.
Chronic nonbacterial prostatitis: Category 3…..…CLICK & SEE
The cause or causes of this condition are not well-defined. Some theories regarding the causes are as follows:
* Other infectious agents. Some experts believe nonbacterial prostatitis may be caused by an infectious agent or agents that do not show up in standard laboratory tests.
*Heavy lifting. Lifting heavy objects when your bladder is full may cause urine to back up into your prostate causing inflammation.
*Interstitial cystitis. This condition that’s more frequently diagnosed as a cause of chronic pelvic pain in women is being more frequently recognized in men.
*Physical activity. Although regular exercise, especially jogging or biking, is great for the rest of your body, it may irritate your prostate gland.
*Pelvic muscle spasm. Urinating in an uncoordinated fashion with the sphincter muscle not relaxed may lead to high pressure in the prostate and the development of inflammation and prostatitis symptoms.
*Structural abnormalities of the urinary tract. Narrowings (strictures) of your urethra may cause increased pressure during urination and result in inflammation and symptoms.
Prostatitis is not contagious and is not a sexually transmitted disease.
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Risk factors:-
Risk factors for prostatitis include bladder outlet obstruction (e.g., stone, tumor, BPH), diabetes mellitus, a suppressed immune system, and urethral catheterization (i.e., small tube inserted into the bladder through the urethra to drain urine). Some sexually transmitted diseases (STDs; e.g., nongonnococcal urethritis, gonorrhea) increase the risk for developing bacterial prostatatis. Unprotected anal and vaginal intercourse can allow bacteria to enter the urethra and travel to the prostate.
Unlike other prostate problems, you’re more likely to develop prostatitis when you’re younger, even before age 40. You may also be at increased risk if you:
*Recently had a bladder infection or an infection of your urethra
*Recently had a urinary catheter inserted during a medical procedure
*Do not empty your bladder frequently enough and you perform vigorous activities with a full bladder
*Jog or bicycle on a regular basis or ride horses
*Men with HIV also are at increased risk of bacterial prostatitis. It’s not clear why.
Complications:-
There’s no evidence that having acute or chronic prostatitis increases your risk of prostate cancer, but it may increase the level of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) in your bloodstream. PSA is a substance naturally produced in your prostate gland, and high levels in your blood may sometimes — but not always — be a sign of prostate cancer. For that reason, if you have an elevated PSA level and also have acute prostatitis, you should be rechecked after you’ve been treated with antibiotics and all prostate inflammation has resolved.
Because prostatitis interferes with the transport of sperm cells and may interfere with normal ejaculation, it can sometimes affect fertility. In addition, untreated acute prostatitis can lead to an inability to urinate, and in severe cases may result in bacteria in your bloodstream (bacteremia).
Diagnosis:-
Diagnosing prostatitis involves ruling out any other conditions that may be causing your signs and symptoms and then determining what kind of prostatitis you have.
Your doctor will likely begin by taking a medical history and performing a physical exam. You may be asked to complete a questionnaire about your symptoms. The physical exam may include checking your abdomen and pelvic area for tenderness and a digital rectal exam of your prostate.
Digital rectal exam
During a digital rectal exam, your doctor manually examines your prostate gland by gently inserting a lubricated, gloved finger into your rectum. Because the prostate gland is in front of the rectum, your doctor can feel the back surface of the gland this way. If it seems enlarged and tender to the touch, you may have prostatitis.
Urine and semen test
Your doctor may want to evaluate samples of your urine and semen for bacteria and white blood cells — key cells in your immune system’s response — to help establish a diagnosis of prostatitis.
Modern Treatments:-
The main treatment for bacterial prostatitis (category 1 and 2) is antibiotics to cure the infection. If you have acute prostatitis, you may need to be hospitalized for a few days to receive antibiotics intravenously. Some of these treatments may also be tried for chronic nonbacterial prostatitis. However, there’s no strong evidence that antibiotic therapy is useful for nonbacterial or category 3 prostatitis.
Medications Antibiotics. Antibiotics are usually the first choice of treatment for category 1 and 2 prostatitis. Your doctor will likely begin right away with an antibiotic that fights a broad spectrum of bacteria. He or she will also proceed with testing to determine the exact bacteria causing your infection. Once the exact bacterium is identified, your doctor can prescribe a specific antibiotic that is more likely to kill the particular bacteria present.
*How long you take antibiotics depends on how well you respond to the drug. If you have category 1 prostatitis, you may need medication for a few weeks. Category 2 prostatitis is more resistant to antibiotics and takes longer to treat. You may need to continue taking medication for as long as six to 12 weeks. In some cases the infection may never be eliminated, and you could have a relapse as soon as the drug is withdrawn. If this happens, you may need to take a low-dose antibiotic indefinitely.
*Some doctors may prescribe an antibiotic for category 3 prostatitis to see if symptoms improve. For unknown reasons, some men with this condition seem to benefit from a continuous low dose of an antibiotic. Alpha blockers. If you’re having difficulty urinating, your doctor may prescribe an alpha blocker — an oral medication that helps relax the bladder neck and the muscle fibers where your prostate joins your bladder. This may help you urinate more easily and empty your bladder more completely.
Pain relievers. Sometimes an over-the-counter pain reliever, such as aspirin or ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil, others), can make you more comfortable. Keep in mind, however, that taking too much of any of these medications can cause serious side effects including abdominal pain, intestinal bleeding or ulcers.
Muscle relaxants. Spasms of the pelvic muscles can accompany prostatitis. A combination of a muscle relaxant medication and other medications used to treat prostatitis may be helpful.
Physical therapy
Special exercises and relaxation techniques can improve symptoms of prostatitis in some men, perhaps because tight or irritated muscles can contribute to the condition. Common techniques include:
Exercise. Stretching and relaxing the lower pelvic muscles — sometimes with the addition of heat to make the muscles more limber — may help relieve your symptoms. A physical therapist can show you which exercises will benefit you the most and how to perform them. You can then do the exercises yourself at home. Biofeedback. This technique teaches you how to control certain body responses, including relaxing your muscles. During a biofeedback session, a trained therapist applies electrodes and other sensors to various parts of your body. The electrodes are attached to a monitor that displays your heart rate, blood pressure and degree of muscle tension. You’ll see changes on the monitor and learn to control these changes on your own. Sitz baths. Named from the German word “sitzen,” which means “to sit,” this type of bath simply involves soaking the lower half of your body in a tub of warm water. Warm baths can relieve pain and relax the lower abdominal muscles. Few treatments are easier or as relaxing. Prostate massage. Some men have found that having their prostate massaged helps relieve congestion by unplugging the small ducts blocked by inflammation. The massage is performed using a gloved finger, similar to what is done during a digital rectal exam. This procedure is used less commonly today than it once was. Surgical procedures
Surgical removal of the infected part of the prostate is an option in a few severe cases when other treatments don’t work. The chances of responding to a major surgical procedure for any type of prostatitis are quite low. For this reason most doctors are very hesitant to perform surgery for these conditions and generally discourage surgery even as a last resort.
Other treatments:-
Finasteride (Proscar), a drug that lowers hormone levels in the prostate, and microwave thermotherapy (heat therapy) have been used successfully in a few men with prostatitis, but there’s little long-term experience with these treatments.
Lifestyle and home remedies:-
Because traditional treatments aren’t always effective for prostatitis, many men experiment with various lifestyle changes to control their symptoms. Although no scientific evidence proves these practices are beneficial, you may want to try one or more of the following suggestions:
*Drink plenty of water.
*Limit or avoid alcohol, caffeine and spicy foods.
*Urinate at regular intervals.
*Have regular sexual activity.
*If you’re a cyclist, use a “split” bicycle seat, which reduces the pressure on your prostate.
Men with category 3 prostatitis can learn to live with the disease by limiting the things that make their symptoms worse and emphasizing the things that make them feel better.
Alternative medicine:-
Although how they work is poorly understood, some natural remedies — including saw palmetto preparations, zinc supplements and quercetin — have helped some men manage the symptoms of prostatitis.
Herbal Madication:-
THE HERBS listed below can help you overcome benign enlargement of the prostate – chronic or acute – with symptoms that include pain, frequent urination with or without a burning sensation, blood or pus in the urine, lower back pain, impotence, kidney damage, stubborn or recurring bladder infections
African pygeum, saw palmetto berries, dandelion root, slippery elm bark, marshmallow root, cat’s claw concentrate, san qi, coral calcium with trace minerals.
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Disclaimer: This information is not meant to be a substitute for professional medical advise or help. It is always best to consult with a Physician about serious health concerns. This information is in no way intended to diagnose or prescribe remedies.This is purely for educational purpose.
