Prostatitis

Prostatitis is a diagnosis used to describe inflammation of the prostate gland. It is thought that prostatitis results from bacterial infection; however, infection is not always found. In fact, most cases of recurrent prostatitis do not demonstrate active infection.

Prostatitis can affect men of any age. Half of all men will experience an episode of prostatitis at some point in their lives. Prostatitis is the most common urological disorder in men over the age of 50 and the third most common disorder in men under 50. Prostatitis alone makes up nearly a quarter of all office visits involving the urinary system by young and middle-aged men. The prostate is located at the base of the bladder where it grows around the urethra, the tube that drains urine from the bladder. The prostate mainly functions to produce ejaculatory fluid, though it is also thought to protect the testicles and bladder from infection.