prostatitis gets little press, but it’s an all-too-common genitourinary condition in men. It accounts for about 1.8 million visits to the doctor’s office in the United States each year. Depending on how you define the term, 9% to 16% of men experience prostatitis. It’s also an "equal opportunity" disorder. Unlike benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and prostate cancer, which predominantly affect older men, prostatitis affects men of all ages.
Despite its commonness, little is known about what sparks prostatitis or, more importantly, how to treat it. Frustrated patients visit one doctor after another in search of a remedy, but they usually leave disappointed. Relative to other prostate conditions, little research has been conducted on prostatitis. But a few bright spots may be emerging.
Acute prostatitis can be a life-threatening condition and should be treated in an emergency setting. Some medications used to treat chronic prostatitis have side effects, such as headaches or low blood pressure. Complications of untreated prostatitis can be serious or even life threatening in some cases. You can help minimize your risk of serious complications by following the treatment plan you and your health care professional design specifically for you. Complications of prostatitis include:
Infertility
Prostate abscess
Sepsis (life-threatening bacterial blood infection)
Spread of infection
Treatment for prostatitis will depend on the underlying cause of the prostatitis. Prostatitis caused by bacterial infection will require antibitocis and Asymptomatic inflammatory prostatitis may require an alternative treatment such as herbal medicine, because antibiotics can't work effectively.
