PROSTATITIS

Once thought to be a sexually transmitted disease, prostatitis is the term used to describe swelling of the prostate which can be caused by bacteria or can occur spontaneously with no direct infectious cause. Prostatitis is the diagnosis for 25% of urology complaints in young and middle-aged men. Only 5-10% of prostatitis cases are caused by bacteria. Those cases can be treated with antibiotics.

Chronic, non-bacteria prostatitis is the most common form of the ailment, accounting for 90% of prostatitis cases. The condition is marked by urinary and genital pain for at least three of the past six months. Patients have no bacteria in their urine, but may have other signs of inflammation. The pain from prostatitis occurs because the swollen prostate puts pressure on the urethra and other surrounding tissues.

The symptoms of prostatitis include:

• Frequent urge to urinate
• difficulty urinating
• blood in the urine
• fever
• painful ejactulation
• pelvic pain

Treatments for prostatitis include:

• warm sitz baths
• anti inflamatory medication
• antibiotics
• muscle relaxants
• prostate massage
• surgery

Risk factors that increase the likelihood of prostatitis include:

• particpation in anal sex
• abnormal urinary tract
• recent catheterization
• bladder infection
• enlarged prostate

There is no link between prostatitis and prostate cancer. Prostatitis is not contagious.

Since this sick is not deadly and has no disturbing manifestations aside from a heck of a lot of discomfort, I rate it a
1 on my "lethality scale" (1-10)
and a 1 on my "disturbing scale" (1-10)