Making the Diagnosis
Your doctor will consider the symptoms and do a urinalysis. You'll
be asked to give a sample of your urine which will be sent to the lab to check
for a bacterial infection. You shouldn't collect the first bit of urine that
comes out: it already contains bacteria that are normally found on your skin.
Wait until mid-stream to start collecting the sample.
Prostatitis is identified by examining the rectum to see if the prostate
gland is swollen and painful. Samples of urine and of discharge from the
urethra are sent to the lab to check for infection.
Recurring UTIs might have an underlying cause, and your urinary tract will
need to be checked. Ultrasound or intravenous pyelogram are tests that
provide a visual image of the urinary tract, revealing any structural abnormalities.