Prostatitis problems

Contact your health professional immediately if you have sudden fever, chills, and urinary symptoms, such as pain or burning with urination or blood or pus in the urine. These symptoms may indicate acute bacterial prostatitis.

Prostatitis is a usually painful condition of the prostate gland, the small walnut-shaped organ that lies just below a man's bladder. The prostate gland produces most of the fluid in semen.

Often the cause of prostatitis is not known. Many men with prostatitis have no signs of inflammation, so no exact cause can be determined. Prostatitis may be caused by an infection or by inflammation not related to infection. It may be acute (short-term) or chronic (long-term).

Symptoms of prostatitis include:

    * An urge to urinate often but passing only small amounts of urine; feeling an urgent need to urinate; a burning sensation when urinating; and the inability to empty the bladder completely.
    * Difficulty starting urination, interrupted flow (urinating in waves instead of in a steady stream), weaker-than-normal urine flow, and dribbling after urinating.
    * Pain or discomfort in the lower back; in the area between the scrotum and the anus; in the lower abdomen, scrotum, or upper thighs; or above the pubic area.
    * Excessive urinating at night.
    * Prostate pain or vague discomfort on ejaculation.


A urinary tract infection (UTI) is an infection in the organs and tubes that process and carry urine out of the body. Most UTIs are either bladder infections (cystitis) or kidney infections (pyelonephritis).

UTIs occur most often when bacteria begin to grow in the kidneys, the bladder, the tubes that carry urine from the kidneys to the bladder (ureters), or the tube that carries urine from the bladder to outside of the body (urethra). Sexual intercourse may introduce bacteria into the urinary tract, especially in women. Catheterization is a common source of bacterial infection in people who are hospitalized or live in long-term care facilities.

An adult or older child with a UTI may have:

    * Pain or burning during urination.
    * An urge to urinate frequently but usually passing only small quantities of urine.
    * Dribbling (inability to control urine release).
    * Reddish or pinkish urine.
    * Foul-smelling urine.
    * Cloudy urine.

Urinary tract infections are more common in women than in men. They are also more common in older adults than in younger adults.

Treatment for most urinary tract infections is antibiotic pills and home treatment, such as drinking lots of fluids. If widespread infection (sepsis) develops or if the infection is severe or harms kidney function, hospitalization may be necessary so that antibiotics can be given directly into a vein (intravenous antibiotics).

Call your doctor if you have:

    * Urinary symptoms and persistent pain in the low back, scrotum, penis, or the area between the scrotum and anus, or if you have pain with ejaculation or with a bowel movement.
    * Recurring urinary tract infections (UTIs).
    * Discharge from your penis or sores on your genitals.
    * Problems urinating, such as excessive nighttime urination, trouble starting urinating, decreased urinary stream, or frequent urination that is not related to drinking lots of fluids.

Watchful Waiting

Most men will have some discomfort in their prostate (prostatitis) at some time during their lives. If you do not have a fever and chills or extreme pain, you may try home treatment for a few weeks. Take nonprescription pain medications, such as aspirin, ibuprofen, or acetaminophen, to relieve pain. However, if your urinary symptoms and pain continue, you need to see a health professional.