Prostatitis is an infection of the prostate. It can proceed as an inflammatory process without indications and symptoms of infection. Only about 5% to 10% of reported cases result from a bacterial infection. One thing is certain – having prostatitis does not make you more susceptible to developing prostate cancer. In fact, chronic prostatitis is the leading reason for visiting a urologist in men under the age of 50. It is chronic prostatitis if it lasts more than 3 months. Types of prostatitis include: Acute bacterial prostatitis. A sudden onset bacterial infection marked by inflammation of the prostate. This is the most common form of prostatitis and the symptoms are usually severe. Characteristic for patients with acute prostatitis are: frequent urges to urinate (especially at night), pain in the pelvis and genital area. Patients often complain of nausea, vomiting, high fever, chills and burning when urinating. Acute bacterial prostatitis requires immediate treatment, as it is possible to cause complications of a diverse nature, such as: bladder infections, an abscess in the prostate or completely block the flow of urine. NEWS_MORE_BOX Chronic bacterial prostatitis. A condition of recurrent infections of the urinary tract, which at some stage also affects the prostate gland. The infectious process is believed to be present several years before symptoms appear. The latter are similar to those in acute bacterial prostatitis, but are milder. Treatment usually involves antibiotic therapy for an extended period of time (4-12 weeks) as well as pain medication. Chronic non-bacterial prostatitis – chronic pelvic pain syndrome. This is the most common form of the disease and accounts for about 90% of cases. The condition is characterized by pain in the genital area for a period of at least 3 of the past 6 months. No bacteria are found in the urine, but they may have other signs of inflammation. The condition can be confused with interstitial cystitis (chronic inflammation of the bladder). The most common symptoms of an ongoing process of prostatitis are: frequent urge to urinate, difficulty urinating, burning and pain, high temperature and fever.