How to determine if you have prostatitis

Written by Chen Feng
Urology
Updated on October 21, 2024
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To determine whether one has prostatitis, it is necessary to make a comprehensive judgment based on symptoms and relevant examinations. Prostatitis is divided into acute prostatitis and chronic prostatitis. Acute prostatitis tends to be severe and is mainly characterized by frequent, urgent, and painful urination. Patients may also experience pain and discomfort in the pubic and perineal areas. Due to the swelling of the prostate compressing the urethra, most prostatitis patients will have difficulty urinating, a thinning urine stream, or even intermittent urine flow. Examination of the patient's urine generally shows an increase in white blood cells. Chronic prostatitis has a longer course and also presents symptoms of frequent, urgent, and painful urination, with a white discharge dripping from the urethral opening after urination. Examination of the patient's prostate fluid generally shows abnormal changes, such as an increase in white blood cells in the prostate fluid.

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Written by Wang Shuai
Urology
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Is frequent and urgent urination a symptom of prostatitis?

Frequent urination and urinary urgency are both symptoms of urinary irritation. There are many reasons that can cause frequent urination and urgency, and these symptoms alone cannot diagnose prostatitis. Initially, it is crucial to conduct routine urine tests and ultrasounds to preliminarily determine the specific causes of frequent urination and urgency. Besides prostate diseases, common causes include urethritis, urethral stones, urethral tumors, urethral stricture, bladder stones, or even stones in the ureter, all of which can lead to frequent urination and urgency. Therefore, if symptoms of frequent urination and urgency occur, it is necessary to visit the hospital's urology department promptly for relevant examinations to determine the specific causes.

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Written by Wang Shuai
Urology
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Is frequent urination alone prostatitis?

Frequent urination is just a symptom of urinary irritation, and there are many causes of frequent urination. Prostatitis is just one of the causes. Additionally, infections in the urinary system, such as urethritis, or the presence of stones or tumors in the bladder, can also lead to symptoms of frequent urination. Therefore, after experiencing frequent urination, it is essential to first visit the urology department at a hospital for routine urine tests and an ultrasonic scan of the urinary system. If necessary, conduct routine examinations of prostate fluid to identify the specific cause of the frequent urination. If it is due to a urinary tract infection, it is crucial to use antibiotics promptly. If it is caused by stones or tumors in the urethra, surgical treatment may be required in a timely manner.

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Written by Chen Feng
Urology
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What are the symptoms of prostatitis?

Prostatitis is generally divided into acute prostatitis and chronic prostatitis. Acute prostatitis mainly manifests as frequent urination, urgent urination, and painful urination. Patients will also experience pain and discomfort in the perineal area and the suprapubic area. Due to the swelling of the prostate gland in acute prostatitis patients, it compresses the urethra, causing difficulty urinating, thinning of the urine stream, and even an inability to urinate. Some patients may also experience fever. Chronic prostatitis has a longer course and also presents with symptoms of frequent urination, urgent urination, and painful urination. After urinating, patients may notice a white discharge from the urethral opening, and they may also experience pain and discomfort in the perineal area and the suprapubic area. Some patients may also experience sexual dysfunction, such as erectile dysfunction, premature ejaculation, or frequent nocturnal emissions.

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Written by Wang Shuai
Urology
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How to check for prostatitis?

For the examination of prostatitis, the main methods currently used are color ultrasound, routine prostate fluid analysis, culture of prostate fluid, and susceptibility testing. After contracting prostatitis, a color ultrasound examination often reveals varying degrees of prostate swelling, routine prostate fluid analysis will indicate a decrease in lecithin bodies, accompanied by either an increase in white blood cells or normal white blood cell levels. If the lecithin bodies are decreased and there is an increase in white blood cells, bacterial prostatitis is a likely consideration. If the white blood cell count is normal, nonbacterial prostatitis may be considered. Regardless of the type of prostatitis, timely examination and treatment are necessary. If it is bacterial prostatitis, further culture and susceptibility testing of the prostate fluid should be performed, and treatment should be conducted using antibiotics that are sensitive to the results of the susceptibility test.

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Written by Wang Shuai
Urology
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How to treat prostatitis with frequent urination

Patients with prostatitis often experience symptoms such as frequent urination and incomplete bladder emptying. For these symptoms, it's important to visit a urology department at a hospital promptly. Through routine prostate fluid analysis, culture of prostate fluid, and susceptibility testing, the specific cause of prostatitis can be determined, allowing for targeted treatment. If the prostatitis is bacterial, antibiotic treatment is necessary. Commonly used antibiotics include quinolones and cephalosporins. At the same time, medications that improve urinary discomfort such as alpha-blockers or phytotherapeutic drugs can be used to alleviate symptoms like frequent urination by relaxing the urethral smooth muscle, improving symptoms of frequency and incomplete emptying. Physical treatments like warm sitz baths, microwave therapy, and shortwave therapy can also be employed. During treatment, it's crucial to eat a light diet, avoid spicy and irritating foods, avoid sitting for long periods, and avoid holding in urine. (Please use medications under the guidance of a doctor.)