Prostatitis Symptoms

The acute form of prostatitis is the least common but is also the most severe. Symptoms are often sudden, and the condition may require hospitalization. Symptoms of chronic prostatitis tend to develop more slowly and aren't as severe as those of acute prostatitis.

Symptoms of Acute Bacterial Prostatitis (ABP)

Symptoms of acute bacterial prostatitis (ABP) include the following:

• Fever
• Chills
• Frequent urination
• Painful urination (dysuria)
• Incomplete emptying of the bladder
• The sensation of having to urinate immediately, often accompanied by bladder pain or spasm (urgency)
• Pain in the penis, testicles, and area between the scrotum and the rectum (perineum)
• Painful ejaculation
• Lower back pain
• Joint pain (arthralgia)
• Muscle pain (myalgia)
• Tender, swollen prostate

Symptoms of Chronic Bacterial Prostatitis (CBP)

Symptoms of chronic bacterial prostatitis (CBP) and nonbacterial prostatitis are generally less severe than those of ABP and include the following:

• Blood in semen (hematospermia)
• Discomfort in genital area and perineum
• Dysuria: Pain or a burning sensation when urinating
• Fever
• Lower back pain
• Pain in lower abdomen
• Painful ejaculation
• Recurring urinary tract infection (UTI)
• A frequent and urgent need to urinate
• Pain in the prostate
• Excessive urination during the night (nocturia)

Symptoms of Chronic Nonbacterial Prostatitis

Chronic nonbacterial prostatitis is the most common form, yet it's also the least well understood. Researchers aren't even sure of the cause.

In general, the signs and symptoms of nonbacterial prostatitis are similar to those of chronic bacterial prostatitis, although fever is generally absent. The major difference, however, is that tests won't detect any bacteria in the urine or in fluid from the prostate gland. But there may be white blood cells in the urine and semen.

Patients with prostatodynia have symptoms of prostatitis but there is no evidence of infection or inflammation.