The prostate is a male gland that helps produce semen and is located just below your bladder. The prostate is roughly the size of a walnut and grows with age. Sometimes as men age, the prostate can become too large and cause problems. Your prostate can experience irritation due to caffeine and other elements of your diet. If you suffer from prostate irritation, let you doctor know right away.
Prostate Irritation
Prostatitis is the medical term used to describe irritation and swelling of the prostate gland. Prostatitis tends to develop rapidly and can be caused by inflammation or infection. A bacterial infection can cause an acute, or sudden, infection of the prostate gland. An acute case of prostatitis can also occur without the presence of bacteria. Chronic, or long-term, prostatitis can occur as a result of a bacterial or non-bacterial infection that typically involves the prostate gland and parts of a man's urinary tract or genital area.
Caffeine
Since your urinary tract can affect the health of your prostate, avoid caffeine whenever possible. Caffeine can cause irritation of the urinary tract and bladder. Caffeine is a stimulant and a diuretic. This means that caffeine can over-stimulate your bladder by making you urinate more often than you ordinarily would. The increased urination, or diuretic affect, can put great strain on your bladder, which can push against your prostate gland.
Symptoms
The symptoms of chronic and acute prostatitis are similar, so it's difficult for most men to guess which type of condition they have. Visit your doctor for a proper diagnosis. Symptoms include pain in the area from your lower back down to your pubic bone and pain that is in the tip of your penis, scrotum and urethra. When your prostate gland experiences irritation, it may make it more difficult for you to urinate and you may feel pain or burning while urinating. You may have a weak urine stream and experience difficulty completely emptying your bladder.
Treatment
If you experience prostate irritation, your doctor may advise you to change your dietary habits. This can include eliminating or reducing the amount of caffeine that you consume. Your physician will likely recommend nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications, or NSAIDs, such as over-the-counter ibuprofen. If the irritation is caused by a bacterial infection, your doctor will prescribe a course of antibiotics that will be taken anywhere from six to 12 weeks, depending on the severity of infection and inflammation.
