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The Forgotten Prostate Disease
If you're a man suffering from a fever, lower back pain and frequent or painful urination, should you see a doctor? Probably, since those are the symptoms of a little-known but serious condition called prostatitis, which affects half of all men in the United States during their lifetime.
Prostatitis is the inflammation of the prostate gland. Different prostate disorders can have similar symptoms, but prostatitis is not usually an indicator of prostate cancer, the most commonly diagnosed cancer and the second leading cause of cancer death among American men, according to the American Foundation for Urologic Disease and the Men's Health Network. Many Americans know little about the causes, diagnosis and treatment of prostatitis, and many men suffering from prostatitis may be too apprehensive about being examined or learning the results
to seek medical treatment, health experts in the national prostatitis campaign say.
"It's a greatly neglected men's health condition. If you have symptoms, you deserve to be evaluated," says John Krieger, M.D., professor of urology at the University of Washington School of Medicine in Seattle.
Test your knowledge
In a national survey done for the prostatitis campaign, 84 percent of the 1,002 respondents said they had never heard of prostatitis, and more women than men claimed to be somewhat or very knowledgeable about this male-only illness. Take the prostatitis quiz to see how much you know about prostatitis:
- True or False. Prostatitis causes prostate cancer.
Answer: False. Both conditions can exist at the same time. But prostatitis is noncancerous, and there is no evidence that it leads to cancer.
- True or False. Both men and women can have prostatitis.
Answer: False. Only men have a prostate, a walnut-sized gland of the male reproductive system that wraps around the urethra. In the national survey, 16 percent of the people who claimed to be knowledgeable about this condition incorrectly said men and women could contract prostatitis. Prostatitis can affect men of all ages and accounts for 2 million visits to doctors every year.
- True or False. In its early stages, prostatitis actually may improve your sex life.
Answer: False. Symptoms of prostatitis may have a negative effect on your sexual activity. Symptoms can include fever, chills, muscle aches, fatigue, and frequent or painful urination, pain in the lower back and genital area, and painful ejaculation. Severe cases can require hospitalization.
- True or False. Prostatitis is highly contagious.
Answer: False. Though prostatitis is not contagious, bacteria contained in semen could be transmitted to your partner during intercourse.
- True or False. You are at increased risk for prostatitis if you had a recent or recurrent bladder infection.
Answer: True. Fifty percent to 70 percent of prostatitis cases are caused by infections from bacteria or other organisms. The bacteria usually come from a bladder infection but also can come from sexual contact with a partner who is infected with a sexually transmittable disease. Using condoms during intercourse may prevent exposure to bacteria that can cause an infection.
You are also at risk for prostatitis if you:
- Have an enlarged prostate
- Recently had a medical instrument inserted into
your urinary tract
- Engage in anal intercourse
- Have abnormalities in your urinary tract
The American Urological Association recommends a yearly prostate examination for men age 40 and older and an immediate checkup
for any man who is experiencing persistent urinary problems.
Seek treatment
A digital rectal examination is the first step in diagnosing prostatitis. However, the American Foundation for Urologic Disease
says thousands of men suffer each year with prostate problems because they are too afraid or embarrassed to get a rectal examination, which can be momentarily discomforting but is usually pain-free.
"There seems to be a great reluctance among many otherwise healthy men to go to the doctor. There is somehow a feeling that if
you have these complaints, you're a wimp or not macho," Krieger says.
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External Resources:
Prostatitis Patient Education, Bayer Corporation and the American Association of Clinical Urologists, 1999.
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Most Americans Uninformed About Prostate Disease That Affects One in Two Men, Survey Reveals, The American Foundation for Urologic Disease, Bayer Corporation, and The Men's Health Network, September 2000.
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What Every Man Should Know About Prostatitis, The American Foundation for Urologic Disease, Bayer Corporation, and The Men's Health Network, September 2000.
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This article was reviewed by Simeon Margolis, M.D., Ph.D.
Professor of Medicine, Endocrinology and Biological Chemistry
The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
01/2003
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This article was published on
2000-10-05
This article was reviewed on
2003-02-03
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