Causes of Prostate Infection

Prostate infection is a common medical problem in men, and causes a lot of inconvenience. However, it is not a life-threatening disease. To know more about the different causes of prostate infections, read on.

Prostate infection or prostatitis, is the infection of the prostate gland that usually leads to inflammation and pain. Generally, the infection is caused by bacteria that reside in the large intestine. Sometimes, infection in other parts of the body like the urinary bladder and the urethra may also spread to the prostate gland, which is located just below the bladder and leads to prostatitis. There are four types of prostate infections, known as acute prostatitis, chronic bacterial prostatitis, non-bacterial prostatitis and asymptotic inflammatory prostatitis.

Causes of Prostate Infection

There can be several causes of prostate infection, depending on the specific type. As the name suggests, the acute bacterial prostatitis is caused by bacterial infection. The infection in the large intestine, urinary bladder and other parts of urinary tract can spread to the prostate gland and cause prostate infection. It accounts for almost 5% of the total cases of prostatitis. On the other hand, the causes of chronic bacterial prostatitis are not exactly known, but it is suspected that the disease can be caused by a previous case of bacterial infection of the prostate gland. So it has been surmised that some of the bacteria can remain in the gland after such an infection and their reactivation can cause the disease.

The exact causes of non-bacterial prostatitis are not known, but infectious agents other than bacteria like viruses and parasites are suspected. Many also believe that it can be caused by inflammation produced by the reverse flow of urine from the bladder to the prostate gland. This can be caused by certain activities like horse riding, cycling, lifting very heavy objects, especially when the bladder is full. According to medical estimates, about 95% of the cases of prostatitis are caused by unknown factors. Sometimes, infection and abnormalities in the structure of the urinary tract can also be the possible causes of prostatitis, especially the non-bacterial one. The asymptotic inflammatory prostatitis is characterized by inflammation of the prostate gland, and it does not produce any symptom. The causes of this type of prostatitis are not known.

Symptoms of Prostate Infection

The acute bacterial prostatitis is usually accompanied by a frequent urge to urinate, pain during urination and ejaculation, and pain in the genital organs. Severe infections can produce a high fever with chills and fatigue. Prostate enlargement may occur and tenderness and irregularity can be felt in the organ. The symptoms of chronic bacterial prostatitis are increased frequency of urination, pain during urination and pain in the back, testes and other reproductive organs. Individuals may also experience joint and muscle pain and mild fever. On the other hand, non-bacterial prostatitis is accompanied by pain in the pelvic region that can radiate to the back and rectum.

Prostate infections are usually diagnosed by a physical examination of the organ, as an enlarged and firm or tender prostate can indicate a possible case of infection. Urine analysis, blood culture, ultrasound, CT scan and MRI, are carried out to confirm the diagnosis. Besides these, there are several other tests which involve the examination of the urine samples collected before and after a prostatic massage. The disease is mainly treated with antibiotics. However, they are not effective in curing the non-bacterial type of prostatitis and therefore, treatment is mainly individual specific. In addition to the treatment, it is very important to drink plenty of water, avoid certain strenuous activities like horse riding, cycling, biking and jogging, to prevent the further occurrence of the disease and also to maintain prostate health.