There are four types of prostatitis:

Acute Bacterial Prostatitis
This infection comes on suddenly (acute) and is caused by bacteria. Symptoms include severe chills and fever. There is often blood in the urine. You must go to the doctor's office or emergency room for treatment. It's the least common of the four types, yet it's the easiest to diagnose and treat. Treatment: Most cases can be cured with a high dose of antibiotics, taken for seven to 14 days, and then lower doses for several weeks. You also may need drugs to help with pain or discomfort.  

Chronic Bacterial Prostatitis
Also caused by bacteria, this condition doesn't come on suddenly, but it can be bothersome. The only symptom you may have is bladder infections that keep coming back. The cause may be a defect in the prostate that lets bacteria collect in the urinary tract.
Treatment: Antibiotic treatment over a longer period of time is best for this type. Treatment lasts from 4 to 12 weeks. This type of treatment clears up about 60 percent of cases. Long-term, low-dose antibiotics may help relieve symptoms in cases that won't clear up.

Chronic Prostatitis or Chronic Pelvic Pain Syndrome
This disorder is the most common but least understood form of the disease. Found in men of any age from late teens to elderly, its symptoms go away and then return without warning. There can be pain or discomfort in the groin or bladder area.
Treatment: There are several different treatments for this problem, based on your symptoms. These include antibiotics and other medicines, such as alpha-blockers. Alpha-blockers relax muscle tissue in the prostate to make passing urine easier.

Asymptomatic Inflammatory Prostatitis
You usually don't have symptoms with this condition. It is often found when your doctor is looking for other conditions like infertility or prostate cancer. If you have this problem, often your PSA test will show a higher number than normal. It does not necessarily mean that you have cancer.
Treatment: Men with this condition are usually given antibiotics for four to six weeks, and then have another PSA test.

What Is Enlarged Prostate or BPH?
BPH stands for benign prostatic hyperplasia. Benign means "not cancer," and hyperplasia means too much growth. The result is that the prostate becomes enlarged. BPH is not linked to cancer and does not raise your chances of getting prostate cancer — yet the symptoms for BPH and prostate cancer can be similar.

BPH Symptoms
BPH symptoms usually start after the age of 50. They can include:

Trouble starting a urine stream or making more than a dribble Passing urine often, especially at night Feeling that the bladder has not fully emptied A strong or sudden urge to pass urine Weak or slow urine stream Stopping and starting again several times while passing urine Pushing or straining to begin passing urine

At its worst, BPH can lead to:

A weak bladder Backflow of urine causing bladder or kidney infections Complete block in the flow of urine Kidney failure

BPH affects most men as they get older. It can lead to urinary problems like those with prostatitis. By age 60, many men have signs of BPH. By age 70, almost all men have some prostate enlargement. The prostate starts out about the size of a walnut. By the time a man is 40, it may have grown slightly larger, to the size of an apricot. By age 60, it may be the size of a lemon.

As a normal part of aging, the prostate enlarges and can press against the bladder and the urethra. This can slow down or block urine flow. Some men might find it hard to start a urine stream, even though they feel the need to go. Once the urine stream has started, it may be hard to stop. Other men may feel like they need to pass urine all the time or are awakened during sleep with the sudden need to pass urine. Early BPH symptoms take many years to turn into bothersome problems. These early symptoms are a cue to see your doctor.

Urine flow of normal (left) and enlarged prostate (right). In diagram on the left, urine flows freely. On the right, urine flow is affected because of the prostate pressing on the bladder and urethra.

How Can BPH Be Treated?
About half the men with BPH eventually have symptoms that are bothersome enough to need treatment. BPH cannot be cured, but drugs or surgery can often relieve its symptoms. BPH symptoms do not always grow worse.

There are three ways to manage BPH:
  - Watchful waiting (regular follow-up with your doctor)
  - Drug therapy
  - Surgery

Talk with your doctor about the best choice for you. Your symptoms may change over time, so be sure to tell your doctor about any new changes.

Watchful Waiting
Men with mild symptoms of BPH who do not find them bothersome often choose this approach. Watchful waiting means getting annual checkups. The checkups can include DREs and other tests. Treatment is started only if symptoms become too much of a problem.

If you choose to live with symptoms, these simple steps can help:

Limit drinking in the evening, especially drinks with alcohol or caffeine. Empty the bladder all the way when you pass urine. Use the restroom often. Don't wait for long periods without passing urine.

Some medications can make BPH symptoms worse, so talk with your doctor or pharmacist about any medicines you are taking such as:

Over-the-counter cold and cough medicines (especially antihistamines) Tranquilizers Antidepressants Blood pressure medicine Drug therapy

Millions of American men with mild-to-moderate BPH symptoms have chosen prescription drugs over surgery since the early 1990s.

There are two main types of drugs used. One type relaxes muscles near the prostate while the other type shrinks the prostate gland. There is evidence that shows that taking both drugs together may work best to keep BPH symptoms from getting worse.

Alpha-blockers
These drugs help relax muscles near the prostate to relieve pressure and let urine flow more freely, but they don't shrink the size of the prostate. For many men, the drug can improve urine flow and reduce symptoms within days. Possible side effects include dizziness, headache and fatigue.

5 Alpha-reductase Inhibitor
This drug, known as finasteride, shrinks the prostate. It relieves symptoms by blocking an enzyme that acts on the male hormone, testosterone, to boost organ growth. When the enzyme is blocked, growth slows down. This helps shrink the prostate, reduce blockage and limit the need for surgery.

Taking this drug for at least six months to one year can increase urine flow and reduce your symptoms. It seems to work best for men with very large prostates. You must continue to take the drug to prevent symptoms from coming back. This drug also is used to treat baldness in men. It can cause these side effects in a small percentage of men:

  - Decreased interest in sex
  - Trouble getting or keeping an erection
  - Smaller amount of semen with ejaculation

It's important to note that taking this drug can lower your PSA test levels. There also is evidence that finasteride