Chronic prostatitis is one of the most common disease in andrology. Not only for patients, but also for doctors, it is really a dilemma. Also, chronic prostatitis is one of the most common disease in medical advertisements. So many patients always say:"My symptoms are just as same as those said on the newspapers( Internet, TV) about chronic prostatitis!" As a result, chronic prostatitis is known almost by everyone.
However, maybe most people do not know (including some doctors) what are the symptoms of chronic prostatitis. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) developed the questionnaire below to help evaluate men suffering from chronic prostatitis.The self-administered test measures the severity of symptoms and the impact of these symptoms on daily Life. No matter its academic status or usage, this list is a directing sign. It is a fact that this questionnaire is used in almost all the clinic research on chronic prostatitis. If we look at this questionnaire from a different perspective, we can easily make a conclusion of symptoms of chronic prostatitis:
Pain: Mainly occurs in perineal, testis, head of the penis, bladder, pubic area,below the waist. Buring and soreness when urinating, discomfort after orgasm (ejaculation ) or during sexual intercourse.
Urination: Incomplete emptying. Patients always feel strong micturition desire again after micturition.
Quality of life: Chronic prostatitis can greatly impact patients' quality of life.
We often met some patients who confused other diseases, such as acute urinary tract infection or urinary calculus as chronic prostatitis. In oder to help patients to gain a better understanding of chronic prostatitis symptoms, the questionnaire is given below.
Pain or Discomfort Urination Impact of Symptoms
1. In the last week, have you experienced any pain or discomfort in the following areas?
Area between rectum & testicles (perineum)
Yes=1 No=2
b. Testicles
Yes=1 No=2
c. Tip of the penis (not related to urination)
Yes=1 No=2
d. Below the waist, in your pubic or bladder area
Yes=1 No=2
2. In the last week, have you experienced:
Pain or burning during urination?
b. Pain or discomfort during or after ejaculation?
3. How often have you had pain or discomfort in any of these areas over the last week? (Circle one.)
Never = 0
Rarely = 1
Sometimes = 2
Often = 3
Usually = 4
Always = 5
4. Circle the number that best describes your AVERAGE pain or discomfort on the days that you had it, over the last week. (0 represents no pain, 10
represents pain as bad as you can imagine.
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
A：Total Pain Score:________
Urination
5. How often have you had a sensation of not emptying your bladder completely after you finished urinating, over the last week? (Circle one.)
Not at all=0
Less than 1 time in 5=1
Less than half the time=2
About half the time=3
More than half the time=4
Almost always=5
6. How often have you had to urinate again less than two hours after you finished urinating, over the last week? (Circle one.)
Not at all=0
Less than 1 time in 5=1
Less than half the time=2
About half the time=3
More than half the time=4
Almost always=5
B：Urinary Symptoms Score:________
Impact of Symptoms
7. How much have your symptoms kept you from doing the kinds of things you would usually do, over the last week? (Circle one.)
None=0
Only a little=1
Some=2
A lot=3
8. How much did you think about your symptoms, over the last week? (Circle one.)
None=0
Only a little=1
Some=2
A lot=3
Quality of Life
9. If you were to spend the rest of your life with your symptoms just the way they have been during the last week, how would you feel about that? (Circle one.)
Delighted = 0
Pleased = 1
Mostly satisfied = 2
Mixed (about equally satisfied and dissatisfied) = 3
Mostly dissatisfied = 4
Unhappy = 5
Terrible =6
C. Total Quality of Life Impact Score: ________
Scoring:
To determine your Symptom Scale Score,
add A+B ________
To determine your Total Score,
add A+B+C ________
The Symptom Scale Score, which can be calculated by adding your responses to questions one through six, indicates whether symptoms are mild (0 to 9), moderate (10 to 18), or severe (19 to 31). The Total Score is calculated from all nine questions. A score of 0 to 14 indicates a mild case of prostatitis, 15 to 29 a moderate case, and 30 to 43 a severe case.
