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Prostatitis may
affect up to one-half of all Males during
their lifetimes
Newswise — Estimates on
the number of males in the United States who
will experience prostatitis during their
lifetimes range up to 50 percent. Many
urologic disease experts feel that from 5 to
10 percent of males are experiencing
prostatitis at a particular time, making it
one of the most common urologic diseases in
the U.S.
Prostatitis is an infection or inflammation
of the prostate gland that causes intense
pain, urinary complications, sexual
dysfunction, infertility, and a significant
reduction in the quality of life. Prior to
the mid-1990s, very little research had
occurred that could lead to improved
diagnostic techniques and a cure.
Prostatitis is difficult to diagnose and
treat, and has a wide range of debilitating
and troublesome side affects. Unlike
prostate cancer and benign prostatic
hyperplasia (BPH), prostatitis often affects
the lives of young and middle-aged men.
According to The
Prostatitis Foundation, prostatitis can
result in four significant symptoms: pain,
urination problems, sexual dysfunction, and
general health problems, such as feeling
tired and depressed.
The prostate is a
reproductive gland located just below the
bladder and in front of the rectum. It wraps
around the urethra, a tube that carries
urine from the bladder. The prostate
produces most of a male’s semen.
To diagnose prostatitis,
a physician will collect a patient’s urine
and thoroughly exam his prostate gland. To
check the prostate gland, a physician will
carry out a digital rectal examination,
which involves inserting a well lubricated
gloved finger into the rectum to check for
any abnormalities of the gland. The
physician also may collect a sample of
prostate fluid so that it can be analyzed.
Some physicians also
may want to carry out a prostate specific
antigen test to measure the amount of this
chemical in a person’s blood. Both
prostatitis and prostate cancer can increase
a patient’s PSA level.
Over the years,
prostatitis has been subdivided into a
number of categories, but today commonly
accepted variations of the disease include
nonbacterial, acute, and chronic.
By far, the most common
type of prostatitis is nonbacterial
prostatitis. Symptoms may include frequent
urination and pain in the lower abdomen or
lower back area. Causes may be stress and
irregular sexual activity.
According to Dr. Leroy Nyberg, Jr., director
of Urology Programs at the National
Institutes of Health, treatments for
nonbacterial prostatitis may include
anti-inflammatory medications or muscle
relaxants, taking hot baths, drinking extra
fluids, learning to relax when urinating,
and ejaculating frequently. “Some physicians
also may recommend some changes in a
patient’s diet,” Dr. Nyberg said.
Acute bacterial
prostatitis can be the result of bacteria, a
virus, or a sexually transmitted disease.
Symptoms may include fever and chills, low
back pain, frequent and painful urination,
weak stream urination, and infrequent
urination.
Dr. Nyberg explained
that these infections often are treated with
antibiotics, bed rest, stool softener, and
increased fluid intake.
Chronic prostatitis may
be bacterial or the result of an
inflammation of the prostate. Symptoms may
include frequent bladder infections,
frequent urination, and persistent pain in
the lower abdomen or back.
This form of
prostatitis often is treated with
medications (often antibiotics), changes in
the diet, biofeedback, and nonprescription
supplements, according to Dr. Nyberg.
Additional information about prostatitis can
be found at the Foundation's web site--http://www.prostatitis.org.
PROSTATITIS FOUNDATION MOVES ON THREE FRONTS
Since its founding in 1995, The Prostatitis
Foundation has focused its activities on
three fronts: encouraging funding for
increased prostatitis research, collecting
data on the disease, and providing
information about this chronic disease to a
variety of audiences, including prostatitis
patients and their families.
In early 1996, the
Foundation and Dr. Richard Alexander of the
University of Maryland testified before the
House Subcommittee on Labor, Health, and
Human Services and Education about the need
for research to find a cause and cure for
prostatitis. The Foundation has provided
oral or written testimony every year since
that time.
In June of 1996, the
Foundation along with the University of
Illinois co-hosted a Grand Rounds in Urology
on prostatitis. Also at this time, two
workshops for prostatitis patients were
organized and held in the Chicago area.
About 70 patients attended.
The next Foundation
milestone took place in 1998 when The
National Institutes of Health announced the
opening of five interactive prostatitis
clinical research centers and a
biostatisical support center. (Eventually,
the number of clinical research centers
expanded to 11.)
Also in 1998, the first
International Workshop on Chronic
Prostatitis was hosted by the NIH’s National
Institute of Diabetes and Digestive
Diseases.
In the following year,
the second International Workshop on Chronic
Prostatitis was sponsored by the National
Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and
Kidney Diseases.
In 2000, NIDDK sponsored a third
international prostatitis workshop. Also
during that year, ABC-TV broadcast a
discussion about prostatitis with Medical
Editor Dr. Timothy Johnson and Good Morning
America host Charles Gibson.
The next year saw a
delegation of Prostatitis Foundation leaders
meet in Atlanta with Center for Disease
Control leaders to discuss mutual interests
regarding prostatitis. The Foundation also
arranged a patient meeting at the American
Agrological Association Annual Meeting in
Anaheim.
In 2002, the Foundation
co-hosted a meeting in Germany with The
European Society of Andrology and The
European Society of Infection in Urology.
Since one of the most
difficult aspects of prostatitis is
isolation. To help combat this problem, the
Foundation helped initiate a roster of
volunteers to participate in a telephone
network to talk with patients about this
disease and to help men deal with it.
Individuals answering the phones share their
own experiences with the diseases to help
fellow prostatitis patients handle the
problems associated with this medical
problem.
From the time of its
founding in 1995, the Foundation has been
lead by its Director Mike Hennenfent.
