Overview

 

Prostatitis is a condition of the prostate gland most often linked with swelling and irritation, called inflammation. Prostatitis can make it painful or hard to urinate. It also may cause pain in the groin, pelvic area or genitals. Bacterial infections cause some but not all prostatitis.

 

 

The prostate gland, about the size of a walnut, sits just below the bladder in people assigned male at birth. It surrounds the top part of the tube that drains urine from the bladder, called the urethra. The prostate and other sex glands make the fluid that carries sperm during ejaculation. This fluid is called semen.

 

 

 

Types

There are four main types of prostatitis:

  • Acute bacterial prostatitis. Bacteria causes this infection of the prostate. It most often has sudden, serious symptoms.
  • Chronic bacterial prostatitis. This is a bacterial infection that lasts or comes back. The symptoms often are less serious than are those of acute bacterial prostatitis.
  • Chronic prostatitis, also called chronic pelvic pain syndrome. This causes pelvic pain and urinary tract symptoms that last or come back. But there's no sign of infection.
  • Asymptomatic inflammatory prostatitis. This has signs of an inflamed prostate with no urinary symptoms.

 

Symptoms

Symptoms of prostatitis depend on the type of condition. They may include:

  • Pain or burning feeling when urinating, called dysuria.
  • Trouble urinating, such as dribbling or trouble starting a stream of urine or keeping it going.
  • Urinating often, mostly at night, called nocturia.
  • Urgent need to urinate.
  • Cloudy urine.
  • Blood in the urine.
  • Pain in the belly, groin or lower back.
  • Pain in the area between the scrotum and rectum, called the perineum.
  • Pain or discomfort of the penis or testicles.
  • Painful ejaculation.
  • Fever, chills, muscle aches and other flu-like symptoms with acute bacterial prostatitis.

 

When to see a doctor

Several conditions can cause symptoms like those of prostatitis. Get a diagnosis and treatment as soon as possible.

Get care right away if you:

  • Are not able to pass urine.
  • Have a fever and trouble urinating or pain while urinating.
  • Have blood in your urine.
  • Have a lot of discomfort or pain in the pelvic area or genitals.