Prostatitis

Inflammation of the prostate, both of infectious and non-infectious origin, is called prostatitis. It can be acute (lasts less than three months) and chronic (persists for more than three months). Generally, the cause of inflammation is a bacterial infection. Symptoms are based on the existence of urinary symptoms (burning sensation or pain when urinating, blood in urine, fever with chills, hot flushes, need to urinate more frequently than normal, weak flow of urine and difficulty in starting to urinate) and pelvic pain (in the suprapubic, perineal, lumbosacral, scrotal and penile areas and the inside of the thighs). Diagnosis is made through the medical history, a physical examination (including palpation of the prostate through a rectal examination), laboratory tests (blood and urine) and cultures. Treatment of prostatitis is with antibiotics, which must be administered for a long time: 4 to 6 weeks for acute prostatitis and up to 12 weeks for chronic prostatitis. To speed up the disappearance of symptoms, non-pharmacological measures such as taking hot baths, drinking plenty of fluids, taking laxatives and avoiding irritants can be taken.