Prostatitis

(This information is from Dr. Patrick Walsh's Guide to Surviving Prostate Cancer)

Prostatitis hurts. This painful condition—an inflamed, swollen, and tender prostate—can be caused by a bacterial infection or by other factors. The major complaint in men with prostatitis is pain in the perineum (the area between the rectum and the testicles). They may also experience aches, pain in the joints or muscles and lower back, blood in the urine, pain or burning during urination, and painful ejaculation. In its own way, prostatitis is every bit as difficult and frustrating as BPH—not only because of the symptoms, but because there is not always an apparent cause. Prostatitis is a benign ailment—it is not cancer, and it does not lead to cancer. It is not always curable, but it is almost always treatable.

The National Center for Health Statistics estimates that about 25 percent of all men who see a doctor for urological problems have symptoms of prostatitis. An estimated half of all men will experience some of these symptoms during their lifetime. Prostatitis is the most common cause of urinary tract infections in men; in fact, American men make about two million trips to the doctor each year seeking help for the symptoms of prostatitis or its siblings, "irritative prostatic conditions."

For further reading:

What Causes Prostatitis?

How Do You Know If You Have Prostatitis?

How Is Prostatitis Treated?