Write down the onset
Was the change sudden or gradual? How long have symptoms been present? Did fever, chills, urinary blockage, a recent urinary infection, procedure, injury or new medicine occur around the same time?
Describe symptoms by category
- Urinary: burning, urgency, frequency, night-time urination, weak/interrupted flow, trouble starting, retention.
- Pain: perineum, penis, scrotum, lower abdomen, lower back, during or after urination/ejaculation.
- Systemic: fever, chills, nausea, vomiting, body aches.
- History: recurrent UTIs, previous prostatitis, procedures, medications and allergies.
What assessment may involve
Depending on the history, a health professional may use medical history, physical examination and tests involving urine, blood or the lower urinary tract. The purpose is not simply to “confirm prostatitis” but to identify the likely category and rule out other causes.
Questions worth bringing
- Which diagnoses could explain this combination of symptoms?
- Do any features suggest a bacterial infection or another urgent problem?
- Which tests are appropriate, and what would each result change?
- Which treatment options fit the suspected cause?
- What symptoms should make me seek urgent care?
- When should I follow up if symptoms persist?
Do not self-prescribe antibiotics
Bacterial prostatitis is treated differently from chronic pelvic pain syndromes. Using prescription antibiotics without medical evaluation can be inappropriate and can contribute to antimicrobial resistance or side effects.