Prostate Congestion and Prostatitis: What's the Difference?

For men, the prostate, a chestnut-sized gland, is usually silent and low-key. Once uncomfortable, it is easy to make people panic. Especially prostate congestion and prostatitis—the names are similar, and many people will be confused. 

In fact, the two are like the difference between "mood swings" and "illness and fever"; one is a temporary physical condition, and the other is a disease that needs to be taken seriously. 

Today, I will talk to you about the difference between prostate congestion and prostatitis and teach you how to distinguish them better. 

Essential Difference Between Prostate Congestion and Prostatitis 

Prostate congestion is a "phenomenon," while prostatitis is a "disease," which is the most essential difference between the two. 

Prostate congestion:

Prostate congestion is actually a physiological or pathological phenomenon, not an independent disease. Simply put, the blood flow of the prostate exceeds the normal range, resulting in temporary local congestion and swelling. Just as your legs will be numb after sitting for a long time and your face will turn red after exercising, this is just a natural reaction of the body. 

Congestion of the prostate may occur in adolescent boys because of sexual activity or in adults because of bad lifestyle habits. And in most cases, it is temporary. 

Prostatitis:

Prostatitis is a real disease, a common health problem in men, which refers to the inflammation of the prostate gland. It has many types; some are caused by bacterial infection, and some are caused by non-infectious factors. Prostatitis can cause frequent urination, discomfort in urination, perineal pain, and other symptoms, affecting the quality of life, which requires medical intervention to effectively alleviate. 

For example, prostate congestion is like a temporary swelling of the water pipe at home because of a sudden increase in water pressure; just regulate it. Prostatitis is like a rusty or broken water pipe, which will leak all the time if it is not repaired. 

Distinguish Prostate Congestion from Prostatitis with Five Aspects

Understanding the essence of the two, we can distinguish prostate congestion from prostatitis with five aspects: 

Causes:

The causes of prostate congestion are mostly related to external stimuli, which can be alleviated by removing the incentives: 

Irregular sexual activity, such as too many times or interrupted sexual intercourse, makes the prostate continue to be in a "working state" but unable to complete metabolism. 

Prolonged sitting and riding a bicycle for a long time will continue to oppress the prostate and affect blood circulation. Excessive drinking and eating spicy and greasy foods can dilate the blood vessels of the prostate, leading to congestion of the prostate. 

Catching a cold due to exposure to cold weather can make the prostate canal systole, bringing about prostate fluid excretion that is not free and hyperaemia; improper prostate massage that is too heavy or too frequent can also stimulate gland congestion. 

The causes of prostatitis are more complex: 

Infection factors: Bacteria and other pathogens invade the prostate through the urethra; not paying attention to personal hygiene and urinary tract infection spread can cause acute or chronic bacterial prostatitis. 

Non-infectious factors: Long-term repeated prostate congestion, coupled with immune dysfunction, pelvic floor muscle spasm, etc., can cause non-bacterial prostatitis, which is more common in young people. 

There is also asymptomatic prostatitis, which is not felt at ordinary times, and the only evidence of inflammation is found during examination. 

Symptoms: 

The symptoms of prostate congestion are mild and of short duration:

The main symptoms are slight soreness and swelling in the perineum or lower abdomen, and there may be a burning sensation or a feeling of incomplete urination when urinating. 

Generally, the symptoms will not exceed 1-2 days, and there will be no serious conditions such as fever or severe pain. 

The symptoms of prostatitis are obvious and last for a long time, and may affect many aspects:

Abnormal urination: frequent urination, urgent urination, painful urination, incomplete urination, dripping urine, and even dysuria in severe cases.

Pain and discomfort: persistent pain in the pelvis, perineum, and lumbosacral region, sometimes radiating to the lower abdomen or groin.

Other problems: Some patients will have loss of libido and erectile dysfunction. Chronic patients may also be accompanied by anxiety, insomnia, and other emotional problems.

Acute bacterial prostatitis is more serious, and systemic symptoms such as high fever and chills may occur, requiring emergency treatment. 

Inspection results:

Go to the hospital for examination; the results of the two are obviously different: 

Prostate congestion patients: blood routine and urine routine are basically normal; prostatic fluid examination will not have leukocytosis or other inflammatory indicators. 

Patients with prostatitis: For bacterial prostatitis, the blood routine will show elevated white blood cells; prostatic fluid or urine culture can find pathogenic bacteria. The prostatic fluid examination of non-bacterial prostatitis may have leukocytosis. Although no bacteria can be found, the inflammatory indicators will be abnormal. 

Simply put, prostate congestion is "looking a little swollen, but no internal inflammation," and prostatitis is "not only swollen, but also internal inflammation." 

Treatment:

Prostate congestion does not require "treatment," but mainly "removal of incentives and alleviation of the state." 

If you sit for a long time, just get up and move for half a day. Drinking and eating spicy food can be alleviated by a light diet and drinking more water. 

Generally, there is no need to take medicine, let alone antibiotics, but excessive treatment will bring a burden. 

Prostatitis requires targeted treatment and adherence to the course of treatment: 

Bacterial prostatitis: Antibiotics must be used under the guidance of a doctor and taken in a full course of treatment in order to completely eliminate pathogens. 

Non-bacterial prostatitis: Lifestyle adjustments are needed, and mild natural herbal remedies can be used to assist in conditioning. For example, the Diuretic and Anti-inflammatory Pill, developed by Dr. Li Xiaoping's clinic, is a Chinese patent medicine that has been granted a national patent. 

It can clear heat and toxic materials, promote urination and treat stranguria, and help relieve the discomfort caused by prostatitis, such as frequent urination, urgent urination, and perineal swelling. It is especially suitable for long-term conditioning of patients with chronic prostatitis. 

Note: The treatment cycle is usually longer; chronic prostatitis may require 1-3 months of comprehensive conditioning. Do not give up halfway. No matter what medicine you take, you need to follow the medical supervision. 

After conditioning:

As long as the prostate congestion is adjusted in time, it will not leave any sequelae, affect the function of the prostate, or develop into serious diseases such as cancer. 

If the treatment of prostatitis is not timely or standardized, it may recur: 

If acute prostatitis is not treated thoroughly, it may turn into chronic prostatitis, which is difficult to heal. 

If chronic prostatitis is not alleviated for a long time, it will affect the quality of life and may also lead to sexual dysfunction, fertility problems, and other problems. 

However, the vast majority of patients with prostatitis can alleviate symptoms and return to normal life by adhering to standardized treatment, improving lifestyle habits, and cooperating with TCM, such as the Diuretic and Anti-inflammatory Pill. 

Reminder: Don't treat congestion as inflammation, and don't treat inflammation as congestion

A lot of people make two errors easily: Regard temporary prostate congestion as prostatitis; excessive insecurity takes medicine in disorder. Regarding prostatitis as "pure congestion," and adjusting a habit to delay a cure only. 

Conclusion

The prostate is like a "barometer" of men's health, and its state reflects the quality of lifestyle habits. Prostate congestion and prostatitis: one is a "warning signal," and the other is a "disease alarm." Only by distinguishing between them can we neither panic nor ignore them.