Enlarged Prostate and Prostatitis

An Enlarged Prostate or prostate hyperplasia is different from prostatitis or inflammation of the prostate although the symptoms are similar. In prostatitis, there is usually some pelvic discomfort and depending on whether it is bacterial prostatitis, pain when urinating. There may also be discomfort in the lower back on the right side.

Both benign prostatic hyperplasia or enlarged prostate and prostatitis are problems with the prostate gland, a gland surrounding the neck of the bladder in males and as we know it is responsible for releasing prostatic fluid that helps make up part of the semen.

The normal prostate gland is about the size of a walnut. As it increases in size, for whatever reason, it can press on the urethra and cause urinary problems.

Both prostatitis and BPH can result in an enlarged prostate.

Most men over 50 years old have some enlarged prostate with no symptoms, while bacterial prostatitis usually occurs in men younger than 35 years old and non-infectious prostatitis occurs in older men.

You can have either enlarged prostate or prostatitis, and have no signs or symptoms. Nevertheless, both can cause pain (dysuria or pain with urination).

Prostatitis is caused by infections (usually bacterial) or other related health problems, while urologists don’t know exactly what causes an enlarged prostate, but they think it may be related to hormones.

An enlarged prostate can be treated and sometimes with the use of natural supplements such as beta-sitosterol it can be reduced in size. Prostatitis is curable in many patients. The large majority of men with prostatitis have an infection of the prostate gland, while those with enlarged prostate do not have an infection.