Prostatitis means that the prostate becomes inflamed. Acute prostatitis is rare, but if you get it you need treatment. The trouble can come quickly. Then you may have a fever, stomach ache and have difficulty peeing. Sometimes it hurts in the lower back or abdomen.
You need treatment with antibiotics if you have acute prostatitis. Then the inflammation heals and you are usually completely restored. There is also chronic prostatitis .
Abdominal pain and fever that come suddenly
Acute prostatitis often comes on suddenly. You may have any of the following problems:
- You get a stomach ache, often the lower part, or the back end. The pain can radiate down to the groin, into the scrotum, penis and the area between the scrotum and the rectum. It can hurt when you sit.
- It’s hard to pee. It can burn or hurt. You may also need to urinate more often.
- You get high fever and chills.
- It hurts during ejaculation.
- You feel really sick all over your body.
When and where should I seek care?
If you have stomach, back or abdomen pain and have a fever or chills, contact a health care center immediately or an on-call reception . This also applies if you have difficulty peeing and have a fever.
If it is closed at the health center or on-call reception, seek care at an emergency room.
You need to get antibiotics
You need treatment of acute prostatitis with antibiotics if you have acute prostatitis. Sometimes you need antibiotics directly in the blood of a hospital. When you feel better, or if you do not have such severe symptoms, you will receive antibiotics in tablet form for three to four weeks.
You may need a catheter
You can get a catheter in the bladder if you have difficulty peeing, or cannot pee at all. It is inserted when you are in the hospital. The catheter allows the urine to pass freely.
Most will be fine
Acute prostatitis heals well after treatment with antibiotics. You usually get no further trouble. But sometimes you can get acute prostatitis again. In some cases, it can develop into chronic prostatitis .
Investigations
The doctor feels the prostate
You must first do a body examination . Then the doctor especially feels on the stomach, penis and scrotum to assess if there are changes and if you are in pain.
The prostate is examined by the doctor putting on a glove and inserting a finger into the rectum. The investigation can feel uncomfortable and hurt a little.
You may submit urine samples
You should always pass a urine test to see if there are bacteria or traces of red or white blood cells in the urine.
You may be given special urine tests for gonorrhea and chlamydia if your doctor thinks you have a STD.
Sometimes you may be allowed to submit a new urine sample a few weeks after treatment with antibiotics is completed. This is done if the first urine sample contained bacteria.
You are allowed to submit blood samples
You may have blood tests if you have acute prostatitis with high fever and severe problems. This is done to check that the internal organs are functioning properly, such as the liver and kidneys. Sometimes you may also have a blood test to check for bacteria in your blood.
What is acute prostatitis?
Prostatitis means that the prostate becomes inflamed. Then it becomes tender and swollen. Sometimes, the muscles of the pelvic floor can also become inflamed.
The prostate is a gland located around the urethra, right where it leaves the bladder and exits the penis. The prostate forms transport fluid for the sperm. Just below the prostate is a muscle plate called the pelvic floor that holds the organs in the lower part of the pelvis.
Prostatitis is usually due to the bacteria in the genital area going up into the urinary tract, such as gut bacteria.
Acute prostatitis can also be caused by a sexually transmitted disease, such as chlamydia or gonorrhea .
You can also get prostate after a so-called prostate biopsy .
Affect and participate in care
In order to be involved in the care and treatment, it is important that you understand the information you receive from the healthcare staff. Ask questions if you don’t understand. For example, you should get information about treatment options and how long you may have to wait for care and treatment .