Prostatitis is an important male medical condition that may clinically afflict as many men as the other two important prostate diseases- benign prostatic hyperplasia and prostate cancer. It is estimated that 4 % to 5 % of young men (age less than 50 years) have a history of prostatitis. In older men, the overall prevalence of a prostatitis diagnosis is 11% to 16 . An international study determined that 35 % of men had at least one symptom of prostatitis over the previous year and for 8 % of men, this represented at least a minor problem.
Prostatitis is inflammation of the prostate gland that can cause some pretty uncomfortable symptoms. Nearly one quarter of all visits to urologists are for prostatitis, and perhaps half of all men will have symptoms of prostatitis at some point in their lives, expert say. Though it is rarely discussed and often ignored, prostatitis is much more common than prostate cancer or an enlarged prostate that causes symptoms.
It can cause sexual problems and even infertility. The prostatitis symptoms in men range from mild but frequent groin ache to excruciating pain. Because it can also make it difficult for a man to urinate, it is often confused with an enlarged prostate or prostate cancer. But while those two ailments affect mainly older men, the prime time for getting prostatitis is between he ages of twenty five and forty five.
Prostatitis is poorly understood. One reason is that so many of the young men who get it won´t tell anyone to seek help from a doctor. Another reason is that prostatitis is difficult to treat or to explain, and it has attracted little attention from researches or from health officials. Many women worry that prostatitis symptoms in men is a sign that their husband is fooling around. It is almost certainly not; chronic prostatitis is not considered a sexually transmitted disease. So if your husband gets it, do not jump to that conclusion.
Acute prostatitis is caused by bacterial infection, it is the least common kind of prostatitis but the easiest to cure. It causes fever and pain and can usually be treated easily with a short course of antibiotics. Because it is so painful and can make very sick, it would not take much convincing to get him to see a doctor.
Chronic prostatitis is much more common than acute prostatitis but not as well understood. The chronic prostatitis symptoms in men can vary a great deal, but they generally come on slowly and linger for weeks or even months. Some men hardly notice their symptoms or find them only slightly annoying. Other men find that the symptoms interfere with work, leisure activities, and sexual enjoyment. Researches now think there are two main type of chronic prostatitis. Chronic bacterial prostatitis results from an unresolved bacterial infection that causes swelling and inflammation of the prostate. With chronic nonbacterial prostatitis symptoms in men have much the same symptoms as chronic prostatitis but no bacteria in their urine. Chronic nonbacterial prostatitis is the most common type and the most mysterious.