After having a catheter in for nearly 4 years some bacteria infected my prostate and i ended up with a condition called bacterial prostatitis. This condition made me feel very ill and i was in hospital for 6 days.
 
This webpage is to support those with prostate problems.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
What are the types and symptoms of prostatitis?

There are four types of prostatitis:

  • acute bacterial prostatitis

  • chronic bacterial prostatitis

  • chronic prostatitis without infection

  • asymptomatic inflammatory prostatitis
 

Acute prostatitis

Acute prostatitis is a bacterial infection of the prostate.

Acute prostatitis should be regarded as a medical emergency. Without prompt treatment using antibiotics, the prostate and surrounding areas can become damaged.

Chronic bacterial prostatitis

In cases of chronic bacterial prostatitis, a chronic (long-lasting) bacterial infection develops inside the prostate. The bacteria can also spread out of the prostate and into the urinary tract.

The urinary tract is made up of:

  • the kidneys
  • the ureters (the tubes that carry urine from the kidneys to the bladder)
  • the bladder
  • the urethra (the tube that passes from the bladder through the penis)

Therefore, many men with chronic prostatitis also develop repeated urinary tract infections (UTIs), such as a bladder or urethra infection.

Chronic non-bacterial prostatitis

Chronic non-bacterial prostatitis is a poorly understood condition of unknown origin. It shares many of the symptoms of chronic bacterial prostatitis, except that when it is diagnosed there is no trace of a bacterial infection (or any other type of infection).

Some experts have argued that in cases of chronic non-bacterial prostatitis there may not actually be any inflammation or infection of the prostate, so the condition should be known as ‘chronic pelvic pain syndrome’.

How common is prostatitis?

Acute prostatitis is an uncommon condition. It is estimated that only one in every 10,000 men will develop acute prostatitis.

Chronic bacterial prostatitis is also uncommon, affecting 1-2% of all men.

Chronic non-bacterial prostatitis is the most common form of prostatitis. In England, it is estimated that as many as 15% of men will have the condition at some point in their life.

Prostatitis can develop in men of all ages, unlike other types of prostate disease, such as prostate cancer or prostate enlargement, which usually affects older men.

Outlook

If treated with antibiotics, the outlook for acute prostatitis is very good. Most men will make a full recovery within two weeks.

Chronic bacterial prostatitis can also be treated with antibiotics, but an estimated 50% of men will see a relapse of symptoms at some time in the future, which will require further treatment.

Chronic non-bacterial prostatitis can be a challenging condition to treat. Very little is known about the causes of the condition, so it can be difficult to identify effective treatments for all cases.

However, many men with chronic non-bacterial prostatitis will go through periods of time where their symptoms are not particularly troublesome.

PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS IS ONLY A GUIDE AND YOU SHOULD SEEK MEDICAL ADVICE FOR ANY WORRYING SYMPTOMS