Prostatitis is a condition that affects the male prostate glands causing inflammation. There are a number of reasons that cause the condition and two of them are acute prostatitis and chronic bacterial prostatitis. A case of acute prostatitis is a condition with a sudden onset and is caused by a bacterial infection of the prostate gland. This is a medical emergency that requires the immediate administration of intravenous antibiotics. Chronic bacterial prostatitis, on the other hand, is not that severe and sometimes does not even cause any symptoms; though, frequent urinary tract infections in men can sometimes be because of this condition.
The prostate gland is part of the male reproductive system and its primary aim is in the secretion of an alkaline fluid along with the seminal ejaculate. The need for this alkaline medium is because the female vagina is naturally acidic in nature and will kill sperm if it comes into contact with it. Therefore, an alkaline, prostatic fluid is secreted along with the sperm to ensure fertilization. The gland itself is palpable and can be massaged in a rectal exam. The exact location of the gland is in the area between the rectum and the urinary bladder. Infections this deep in the body are usually caused due a seepage of bacteria from the colon into the interstitial fluid and further to the prostate gland. Chronic bacterial prostatitis is identified when there is a recurring urinary tract infection and if bacterial cultures of the urine indicate the presence of bacteria and white blood cells. Another test is the measure of the antigen Prostate Specific antigen. These behave like tags and mark out organisms for destruction by the white blood cells.
Treatment
Treating the condition requires the administration of quinolones like ciprofloxacin, a common drug used for urinary tract infections. There are also another slew of antibiotics that are administered for ridding the prostate of bacteria. Unfortunately, the long term prognosis for sufferers of this problem is not very good as relapse rates are so high that it is almost by default that the condition recurs. Home remedies for this problem include a daily high intake of garlic as this is the only potent oral antibiotic. Topical applications will not help with this condition as the infection is deep in the pelvic region. The reasons for this near definite relapse could probably be because of a structural problem with the prostate gland that makes it a reservoir for infective pathogens.