PROSTATITIS SPecialists in Atlanta, GA

Prostatitis occurs when your prostate is inflamed, causing painful urination, lower back pain, and other uncomfortable symptoms. If this sounds familiar, contact the team of expert urologists at Urology of Greater Atlanta. 

The team diagnoses prostatitis and offers personalized treatment plans to reduce the inflammation and relieve your symptoms. Call or make an appointment online today. 

What is prostatitis?

Prostatitis is a painful condition characterized by infection or inflammation in the prostate. There are several types of prostatitis, including:

• Acute bacterial prostatitis
• Chronic prostatitis 
• Chronic nonbacterial prostatitis (pelvic pain syndrome)
• Chronic bacterial prostatitis

Many patients think they have a urinary tract or bladder infection. The condition is also sometimes mistaken for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH).

What are the signs of prostatitis?

Like BPH and UTIs, prostatitis causes symptoms, including:

• Fever
• Extreme pain or pressure felt in the bladder or rectum (the lower back)
• Painful, burning sensation during urination (dysuria) and ejaculation
• Feeling like you have a full bladder all the time
• Blood in your semen
• Split urine stream (also called urinary spraying)

It’s critical to have an exam and lab tests to identify the cause of your symptoms. Not only does this ensure that you receive the correct treatment, but it allows your urologist to rule out more dangerous conditions such as prostate cancer. 

How is prostatitis diagnosed?

Your doctor at Urology of Greater Atlanta provides a thorough physical exam and extensive lab tests to identify prostatitis. They order a urinalysis and a urine culture to check for the presence of the bacteria that cause prostatitis. Your doctor might also suggest a semen culture to determine if bacteria is leaking from the prostate. 

In some cases, your doctor might order an ultrasound or a cystoscopy to look inside your prostate and bladder to look for a pocket of infection (also known as an abscess) or another issue that could be causing your infection.

How is prostatitis treated?

After diagnosing prostatitis, your doctor prescribes lifestyle changes and medication to relieve your infection and related symptoms. For example, they might recommend dietary adjustments to limit caffeine and other foods that can trigger your symptoms like spicy or acidic foods. 

Your doctor might also prescribe antibiotics to help your body fight off a bacterial infection. Alpha-blockers can relax the muscles around your bladder and prostate to relieve urinary symptoms. You might also benefit from pain-relieving medication like analgesics to reduce lower back pain and discomfort during urination.

If you have any prostatitis symptoms, call Urology of Greater Atlanta or book an appointment online today.