Can Spicy Foods Affect the Prostate?

The prostate is part of the male reproductive system. It's responsible for producing semen, which carries sperm during ejaculation. The prostate surrounds the urethra, which is the tube that allows urine to pass out of the body. Since the bladder and prostate are so close together, bladder health is imperative during times when the prostate may become inflamed. Ask your doctor if you should follow a special diet if your prostate becomes inflamed.

Spicy foods do not directly affect your prostate, but they can irritate your bladder. The exact reason why spicy foods irritate your bladder is unknown, according to MayoClinic.com. Your bladder is close to your prostate, and when you experience prostatitis, or inflammation of the prostate, it can affect the way you urinate. While spicy foods do not affect the prostate, additional bladder irritation can further complicate your prostate condition.

When you have an inflamed prostate, you can experience burning during urination, pain with urination and inability to completely empty your bladder. You may also experience lower back pain, painful bowl movements, pain with ejaculation and pain in the area between your genitals and anus, also known as the perineal area. Prostate inflammation can even cause you to have fever and chills and cause your skin to become flush. In extreme cases of prostate inflammation, you may experience blood in urine or semen, testicle pain, decreased force of urinary stream, difficulty urinating and foul-smelling urine, according to National Institutes of Health online encyclopedia Medline Plus.

If prostatitis is due to a bacterial infection, your doctor may prescribe antibiotics that you will need to take for several weeks. In extreme rare cases, it may be necessary to be hospitalized and receive intravenous, or IV, antibiotics. Your physician may also recommend a stool softener and an over-the-counter pain reliever until the inflammation in your prostate decreases. Avoid spicy foods as they can irritate your bladder and make it more difficult and painful to urinate. Drinking plenty of water and avoiding alcohol and caffeine can also decrease the severity of symptoms.

If you begin to experience pain during urination or during a bowel movement, let your health-care provider know right away. In addition to feeling pain while relieving yourself, you may experience regular pain in your testicles and penis. Certain sexually transmitted diseases can affect your prostate or have side effects similar to prostatitis, which makes it necessary that you receive medical attention right away.