Our urinary system is a remarkable system. It filters our blood for toxins. It maintains the electrolytes sodium and potassium in our body and excretes waist. This important system consists of bladder, kidneys, ureters and urethra.
In men this would also include the prostate, since urine runs through it. It’s this small organ that causes men to have so many urinary difficulties like prostatitis, benign prostate hyperplasia and prostate cancer.
So what are the different types of prostatitis? What causes them to occur? What treatment options are available and how long does it take? You will find answers to all these questions in the paragraphs below.
Prostatitis
Prostatitis is inflammation of the prostate. This term is actually an umbrella term that includes four different illnesses, they are; acute bacterial prostatitis, chronic pelvic pain syndrome, chronic bacterial prostatitis and asymptomatic prostatitis.
Acute Bacterial Prostatitis
This is caused by a bacterial infection. If ignored, it can cause a person to have prostatic abscesses and possible sepsis, infection in the blood.
Men who are either under the age of thirty five, who are sexually active and older men who have unprotected sex should be checked for STD’s. Because these bacteria’s can cause this to occur.
The symptoms of this disorder include; urinary retention, urinary frequency and possible urgency to urinate. It may be difficult for the patient to begin urinating, or the urine stream may be weak. They can have pain in the pelvic and the genital area. In addition, the suffer might experience cold like symptoms; fever cold chills, general malaise, nausea, vomiting. They can have a fast heart rate and low blood pressure.
The doctor will do a urinalysis, CBC, chemistry panel. He will start the patient on antibiotic therapy. This can be done at home if the infection isn’t too severe, if the patient is critical, he will be hospitalized. The treatment for acute bacterial prostatitis generally lasts four to six weeks.
Chronic Bacteria Prostatitis
It’s a bacterial infection that’s continued over three months. It’s thought that E coli is what causes this infection to occur. This’s the reason why it’s so difficult to treat. Doctors believe that the infection moves from either the urethra, intestines, bladder, lymph system, or the blood to the prostate.
Others physicians believe disorders like urethral stricture, bladder neck hypertrophy, or benign prostatic hyperplasia cause this. It’s also thought that risky sexual activity, foreskin, cauterization and urinary system disfigurement might cause this to occur.
The symptoms include; pain in the lumbar region of the back and in their penis. They may have difficulty urinating, frequent urination, or unable to void. They can experience epididymitis, urethritis or reoccurring UTI’s.
The treatment choice is antibiotics. Most respond to the Fluoroquinolones antibiotics like levofloxacin ciprofloxacin and Gemafloxacin. Cipro and leviquin work well because, they are both broad spectrum antibiotics and kill numerous infections.
Second generation antibiotics like doxycycline and Biaxin work well. The treatment lasts 6-12 weeks, Antibiotics are generally continued after the treatment as a precautionary.
Chronic Pelvic Pain Syndrome or Chronic Prostatitis
Doctors concluded this diagnosis should be broken down further into two separate disorders, they are; inflammatory and non-inflammatory. The difference between the two is the amount of white blood cells in the patient’s urine and semen.
Although the cause is uncertain, many doctors believe it might be the result of neuromuscular spasms, infections, or autoimmune diseases.
This disorder is difficult to understand because the symptoms vary among affected people, the disease doesn’t appear to worsen over time and occasionally the disease goes away on its own.
The treatment might consist of anti-inflammatory medicines, antimicrobials, or alpha blockers. If this doesn’t help, he may be referred to a urologist.
Asymptomatic Prostates
A person is given this diagnosis when there is white blood cells in the urine or seaman, or there is inflammation in the prostate biopsy.
The treatment is systematic, dependent on the symptoms, but further evaluation is done to determine if cancer is present.
Prostate Cancer
Studies have shown that men who eat more than 30 GM of saturated fat a day has double the chances of getting this, than the men who ate 1/3 less fat. Further studies concluded that men whose diet had large amounts of dairy, poultry and other meats has a greater risk factor. Lastly research has shown a high fiber diet reduces the risk of prostate cancer.
Natural Treatments
Many readers would rather use an all-natural ingredient to reduce their symptoms. So I’ve included natural remedies in this article.
Zinc has shown to reduce frequent urination, urgency and difficulty beginning to urinate. It’s also shown to reduce prostate swelling.
PS11 is a combination of 11 herbs. It’s shown to improve the health of your prostate. It reduces urinary symptoms. PS11 reduces inflammation, swelling and muscle spasms of your urinary system.
Pygeum helps with numerous disorders of the urinary system. For instance frequent urination, urgency, poor flow rate and difficulty urinating. It also helps with dysuria absence of urine. It has shown to work as an anti-inflammatory. Some believe it helps with testosterone. It’s also thought to help with BPH.
Stinging nettle is thought to help with BPH. It also helps with dysuria because of its diuretic effects. In Germany it’s also given for high blood pressure.
Quick Review
There are four types of prostatitis, they are acute bacterial prostatitis, chronic bacterial prostatitis, chronic pelvic pain prostatitis and asymptomatic prostatitis. The symptoms of these ranges from frequent urination, urgency, dysuria, or weak urine flow.
Some may have difficulty beginning to urinate or have a weak urine flow. While others may have pain in the pelvic region, penis and lower back. With acute prostatitis a person may experience cold like symptoms. Fever, chills generally malaise, fever, nausea, vomiting.
The treatment choice is antibiotics. The type of medicine chosen depends on the strain of bacteria present. You can also try herbs to help reduce symptoms, some of them include; Zinc, PS11, pygeum and stinging nettle.
