Acute
prostatitis is inflammation of the prostate gland that results in sudden onset of symptoms. Acute bacterial prostatitis is not that common. Only about 2 in 10,000 men will develop acute prostatitis at some point in their lives.
What can cause acute prostatitis?
Infection by bacteria that normally live in your bowel
This is the usual cause. Some bacteria that live harmlessly in the bowel commonly get on to the skin near to the anus when we pass faeces. In some people they may then multiply. Some of these bacteria may then travel up the urethra and cause infection anywhere in the urinary tract - that is, the kidneys, bladder, prostate, or urethra.
Urine infection with
cystitis (bladder infection) is the common 'urinary tract infection'. But, a prostate infection may also occur with or without other parts of the urinary tract being infected. Some conditions that cause pooling or blockage of urine increase the risk of a 'urinary tract infection'. For example, having an enlarged prostate, kidney stones, etc. This is because bacteria often thrive and multiply quickly in pooled urine.
Less common causes
•Damage to the prostate makes it more prone to infection - for example, after prostate surgery.
•A catheter passed into the bladder through the urethra may sometimes let bacteria travel to the prostate. This can also happen after a telescopic instrument is passed through the urethra into the bladder (as happens during investigation of the prostate gland and the bladder).
•Sometimes the prostate is infected by bacteria in the bloodstream that have travelled from other infections in the body.
Acute prostatitis is not considered a sexually transmitted infection, so a sexual partner is not at risk.
How to prevent acute prostatitis?
Most cases of acute prostatitis cannot be prevented. However, if an infection is caught early, it is more likely to respond quickly to treatment. In addition, some cases of prostatitis are caused by sexually transmitted bacteria. Many of these infections can be prevented by practicing safe sex.
