If
you or someone you care about thinks you have prostate problems, you
might be actually be suffering from a condition known as prostatitis -
or inflammation of the prostate. Read this article now to learn more
about prostatitis, who it affects, what the symptoms are and what your
options are for treating prostatitis.
Prostatitis simply means an inflammation of the prostate gland. The
symptoms are uncomfortable at best; more often they are extremely
painful and can also be dangerous. Symptoms may include pain and
swelling in the area of the prostate, fever, chills, pain in the lower
back, burning or painful urination, a need to urinate frequently and
get up in the night, dribbling, fatigue and body aches, and pain with
ejaculation. Prostatitis can severely affect the quality of life.
Rigorous activity, sports, exercise-even sitting for any length of time
in an office, theater or at a sporting event may become too painful to
tolerate. And as for sex - it's simply not an option.
The statistics are alarming. It's estimated that over 50% of all men
will suffer from prostatitis some time in their lives. And what's worse
is prostatitis is no respecter of age. It can strike any adult male -
and with painful consequences.
According to the American Foundation for Urologic Disease, 25% of all
office visits by young and middle-aged men for genital and urinary
problems are the result of prostatitis. It hits men in the prime of
life and also is considered to be the most common of all diseases among
middle-aged men.
Adding to the problem is the fact that contemporary medicine really
doesn't know much about prostatitis. The Prostate Foundation has termed
it "the bastard child" of urology. Though it is the most widespread
disease of the prostate, it's also the least understood and the least
researched. As a consequence, it is frequently misdiagnosed.
Physicians sometimes have difficulty distinguishing between the
symptoms of prostatitis and benign prostate enlargement (BPH). A
Harvard University study showed that urologists seeing patients with
the same symptoms diagnosed them with prostatitis if they were under 50
and with BPH if they were over 50. In addition, there are four types of
prostatitis, the most common of which is unfortunately the one that is
the most baffling.
Prostatitis can be either acute or chronic. That is to say that it can
have a sudden onset and be relatively short-lived, or be an ongoing and
aggravating problem.
Acute prostatitis is likely to occur intermittently. It can cause
fever, bladder discomfort, frequent and burning urination, and blood or
pus in the urine. It can also result in infertility.
Chronic prostatitis is ongoing and usually increases with time. Its
symptoms may include frequent urination, blood in the urine, a burning
sensation, discomfort in the prostate area and lower back, painful
ejaculation and even impotence.
Nonbacterial prostatitis is the most common form of the disease, but
because it is also the least understood, it's the most difficult to
treat. Nonbacterial prostatitis is frequently a chronic, painful
condition found in men of any age. Symptoms may disappear and then
return suddenly. Though no evidence of bacteria is found, semen and
other prostate fluids contain cells that the body produces to fight
infection.
Doctors often treat nonbacterial prostatitis with antibiotics and drugs
that relax the muscles of the prostate gland, but these treatments have
not been proven to be effective. In fact, they often do not work at all
and can have unpleasant side effects as well.
The good news is, there are several herbal remedies that have been
shown in clinical studies to help fight and in many cases - conquer
prostate problems, including prostatitis. These herbs include pygeum
africanum, saw palmetto and nettle root extract.
To learn more about treating prostatitis and other prostate health
conditions, please visit our web site at www.prostatehealthtips.com
