About this topic
The prostate is a part of the mans body that helps make semen. It is located at the base of the penis and in front of the rectum. Prostatitis is an infection or swelling of the prostate gland. This can make it hard to pass urine. ‚
Prostatitis can be an acute or short-term problem. It can also be a chronic or long-term problem. With acute prostatitis you may have a fever, lower back pain, pain and problems passing urine. With chronic prostatitis you may get bladder infections more often, have pain in your lower back or belly, and need to pass urine more often. ‚
What care is needed at home?
- Ask your doctor what you need to do when you go home. Make sure you ask questions if you do not understand what the doctor says. This way you will know what you need to do.
- Drink at least 8 to 10 glasses of water or water-based drinks every day. Do not include drinks with caffeine, like coffee or tea.
- Do not hold back your urine. Go to the bathroom every 2 to 3 hours and try to get all your urine out.
- Talk with your doctor if you have hard stools. You may need a stool softener.
- Talk with your doctor about sitz baths. Sit in 2 to 3 inches of warm water in the tub for 10 to 15 minutes each time. Do this 3 to 4 times a day. Carefully wipe or pat your bottom dry afterwards.
- Use a pillow or blow-up cushion if sitting is uncomfortable.
- Find ways to limit stress. Try deep breathing and exercise as ways to help.
What follow-up care is needed?
- Your doctor may ask you to make visits to the office to check on your progress. Be sure to keep these visits.
- Your doctor may want to recheck you to be sure the infection is gone.
What drugs may be needed?
The doctor may order drugs to: ‚
- Help with pain
- Fight an infection
- Relax the bladder
- Soften stools
Will physical activity be limited?
Avoid activities that put pressure on the prostate like riding a bike. Talk with your doctor about the right kind of activity for you. ‚
What changes to diet are needed?
- Avoid beer, wine, and mixed drinks (alcohol) and drinks with caffeine.
- Avoid spicy foods and foods that have a lot of acid in them like citrus juices and fruits.
- Eat a diet high in fiber. This includes lots of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.
What problems could happen?
- Infection spreads to the blood. This is sepsis.
- Not able to pass urine. You could need a catheter if not able to pass urine.
- Prostatitis comes back
What can be done to prevent this health problem?
- Practice good hygiene. Keep your genital area clean. Wash daily with soap and water.
- Drink lots of fluids each day.
- Practice safe sex.
- See your doctor if you have signs of a urinary tract infection.
- Avoid injury to the area between your scrotum and rectum .
When do I need to call the doctor?
- Signs of infection. These include a fever of 100.4 ‚ °F (38 ‚ °C) or higher, chills, back pain, nausea, or throwing up.
- Signs of a urinary tract infection. These include pain when passing urine, trouble passing urine, urine looks red or pink, foul-smelling urine, or urine that is cloudy.
- Hard to start your stream of urine, having a weak urine stream, or not able to empty your bladder fully
- Pain in the lower back, groin, genitals, or the area between your scrotum and rectum
- Sores on the genitals
- Pain with a bowel movement or ejaculation
- Blood in your semen
- If you are not circumcised and you cannot pull your foreskin back over the end of your penis
- You are not feeling better in 2 to 3 days or you are feeling worse
Teach Back: Helping You Understand
The Teach Back Method helps you understand the information we are giving you. The idea is simple. After talking with the staff, tell them in your own words what you were just told. This helps to make sure the staff has covered each thing clearly. It also helps to explain things that may have been a bit confusing. Before going home, make sure you are able to do these: ‚
- I can tell you about my condition.
- I can tell you what are good fluids for me to drink and how often I should try to go to the bathroom.
- I can tell you what I will do if I have a fever, chills, have problems passing urine, or have blood in my semen.
Where can I learn more?
American Urology Association ‚
http://www.urologyhealth.org/urology/index.cfm?article=15 ‚
Better Health Channel ‚
http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/bhcv2/bhcarticles.nsf/pages/Prostate_gland_and_urinary_problems ‚
NHS Choices ‚
http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/prostatitis/pages/introduction.aspx ‚
Consumer Information Use and Disclaimer
This information is not specific medical advice and does not replace information you receive from your health care provider. This is only a brief summary of general information. It does NOT include all information about conditions, illnesses, injuries, tests, procedures, treatments, therapies, discharge instructions or life-style choices that may apply to you. You must talk with your health care provider for complete information about your health and treatment options. This information should not be used to decide whether or not to accept your health care providers advice, instructions or recommendations. Only your health care provider has the knowledge and training to provide advice that is right for you. ‚
Copyright
Copyright ‚ © 2015 Clinical Drug Information, LLC and Lexi-Comp, Inc. ‚