From the Guidelines
Prostatitis symptoms include pain in the genital area, lower abdomen, or lower back, painful urination, frequent urination, difficulty urinating, painful ejaculation, and sometimes fever and chills, as noted in the most recent guidelines 1.
Key Symptoms
- Pain in the genital area, lower abdomen, or lower back
- Painful urination
- Frequent urination, especially at night
- Difficulty urinating
- Painful ejaculation
- Sometimes fever and chills
Types of Prostatitis
- Acute bacterial prostatitis (ABP) often presents abruptly with febrile UTI symptoms 1
- Chronic bacterial prostatitis (CBP) involves more persistent symptoms or recurrent UTIs 1
- Chronic pelvic pain syndrome (non-bacterial prostatitis) is characterized by pain in the perineum, suprapubic region, testicles, or tip of the penis, often exacerbated by urination or ejaculation 1
Diagnosis and Treatment
- Diagnosis for ABP relies on clinical presentation and laboratory tests 1
- CBP diagnosis involves comparing bacteria levels in prostatic fluid and urinary cultures 1
- Treatment depends on the type of prostatitis, with antibiotics prescribed for bacterial forms and alpha-blockers, anti-inflammatory medications, and warm sitz baths for chronic pelvic pain syndrome 1
Importance of Medical Attention
If you experience these symptoms, seek medical attention promptly as proper diagnosis through physical examination, urine tests, and sometimes prostate fluid analysis is essential for appropriate treatment 1.
From the Research
Symptoms of Prostatitis
The symptoms of prostatitis can vary depending on the category of the condition. According to 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, the main symptom domains include:
- Urogenital pain
- Lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS), such as voiding or storage symptoms
- Psychological issues
- Sexual dysfunction
Categories of Prostatitis
Prostatitis is classified into four categories:
- Acute bacterial prostatitis (category I)
- Chronic bacterial prostatitis (category II)
- Chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome (category III)
- Asymptomatic inflammatory prostatitis (category IV)
Specific Symptoms
The symptoms of each category are:
- Acute bacterial prostatitis: characterized by uropathogenic infections of the prostate gland, responding well to antimicrobial treatment 2
- Chronic bacterial prostatitis: presents as recurrent urinary tract infections with the same organism identified on repeated cultures 3
- Chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome: marked by a mixture of pain, urinary, and ejaculatory symptoms with no uniformly effective therapy 2, 3, 4
- Asymptomatic inflammatory prostatitis: an incidental finding of unknown clinical significance 2