Prostatitis is a disease associated with inflammation of the prostate. It can develop in men of any age, with a chronic or acute course. Problems arise during diagnosis, so patients often turn to a doctor if prostatitis is in an advanced form and conventional treatment does not help. The danger lies in the high probability of developing prostate cancer and complete infertility.
If prostatitis is diagnosed in time, the treatment lasts only 2 weeks, after which the man only needs to follow the doctor's recommendations and have regular check-ups. In this case, there will be no complications after prostatitis - reproductive abilities are fully preserved, even if the prostatitis progressed with acute symptoms.
Prostatitis does not develop "out of nowhere", the inflammatory process is caused by Escherichia coli, mycoplasmas, streptococci, staphylococci, Trichomonas and other pyogenic microorganisms. Their peculiarity lies in the very rapid reproduction and rapid destruction of the tissues of the prostate. The main causes of the disease are:
- any inflammatory disease of the urinary system - cystitis, pyelonephritis, urethritis;
- chronic stool disorders - especially constipation, in which men have to press hard, and prostatitis develops as an organ response to pressure;
- infections from distant foci - severe forms of tonsillitis, pneumonia, influenza, when prostatitis is directly related to the penetration of infectious agents into the tissues of the gland;
- frequent hypothermia or, on the contrary, overheating - can be associated with the characteristics of labor activity;
- lack of regular sexual activity, hypodynamia - prostatitis causes stagnation of secretion in the tissues of the prostate gland, this is more often the cause of prostatitis in a 40-year-old man;
- weakened immunity against the background of serious hormonal disorders;
- sexually transmitted infections - gonorrhea, trichomoniasis, chlamydia;
- frequent urinary retention - the enlarged bladder exerts strong pressure on the prostate gland;
- trauma in the pelvic area.
Most often, prostatitis develops after the infection enters the prostate tissue through the urethra, much less often through the bloodstream or lymphatic system. Prostatitis has a very important provoking factor - a general weakening of the immune system, if this happened as a response to stress in the body, constant fatigue, nervous exhaustion, emotional "outbursts".
Men should have a regular sex life and make their lifestyle active. Otherwise, stagnation of secretion occurs in the tissues of the prostate gland, which is an ideal environment for the reproduction of pathogenic microorganisms - prostatitis develops rapidly. Prostate cells inevitably experience oxygen starvation, which only increases the chance that prostatitis will spread beyond the organ - the inflammation will also affect nearby organs.
Types of prostatitis in men, characteristics of the course
Depending on the cause of origin, there are several types of prostatitis:
- bacterial prostatitis - it begins against the background of penetration into the tissues of the prostate infection, the diagnosis of this type of prostatitis occurs more often in young and older men;
- congestive prostatitis - a sedentary lifestyle, in men it is caused by a lack of regular sexual activity and injuries to the pelvis, often accompanied by an infection, then the prostatitis will be of a mixed type;
- calculous prostatitis - develops as a result of an untreated chronic form of the disease, such prostatitis occurs more often in elderly men.
Depending on the form of the course, prostatitis is divided into acute and chronic. Diagnosing the acute form of the disease is rare, and treatment should only be carried out in a hospital, as prostatitis is associated with serious symptoms. Chronic prostatitis is characterized by a "sluggish" clinical picture, periodic remissions, the complete absence of specific symptoms and rapid transformation into serious problems - the degeneration of healthy prostate cells into malignancy, the cessation of secretion production and the reduction of sperm. selection.
Symptoms and diagnosis of prostatitis
The symptoms depend directly on the type of prostatitis that begins to develop in the tissues of the prostate:
- bacterial prostatitis - high body temperature, presence of blood or pus in the urine, urination problems (thin and weak urine flow, "dripping" urine), acute pain in the perineum, poor general health;
- calculous prostatitis - weak erection or its complete absence, blood in the urine, such symptoms of prostatitis occur more often in men aged 50 and older;
- congestive prostatitis - discomfort in the perineum and testicles, partial or complete absence of erection, improper urination.
Prostatitis of the chronic form of the course is characterized by a "blurry" clinical picture, all symptoms are not pronounced and may disturb you from time to time. But if men develop pain in the groin and testicles within 2-3 months, the general body temperature rises, and sexual desire decreases, this means that a doctor should be consulted, the diagnosis of "chronic prostatitis" should be confirmed and treatment should be carried out. . It is worth knowing the following nuances:
- symptoms of prostatitis in 50-year-old men include weakening of the erection and a feeling of heaviness in the lower back, but the pain syndrome may be completely absent;
- in 30-year-old men, the symptoms of prostatitis are always acute, and the first sign is a violation of urination: the enlarged prostate compresses the bladder, and men simply cannot go to the toilet;
- in 60-year-old men, the symptoms of prostatitis may be absent - at this age, prostatitis is often chronic, but the complete absence of an erection can be disturbing.
The doctor can prescribe effective treatment only after diagnosing the disease - prostatitis often shows symptoms of other diseases of the urogenital system. Therefore, the patient's complaints alone are not sufficient to establish a diagnosis, the following are prescribed:
- rectal examination;
- laboratory examination of prostate secretion;
- analysis to detect/disprove sexually transmitted infections;
- ultrasound examination of the prostate;
- organ computed tomography.
An ultrasound examination of the pelvic organs and the scrotum may also be prescribed as an additional examination. It may be necessary to involve narrow specialists to exclude or confirm concurrent diseases.
Treatment - general principles, course duration
Symptoms and treatment of prostatitis in men are directly related, because when prescribing therapy, the doctor must first of all relieve the general condition of the patient. Men often experience severe pain, which means that treatment should be started with painkillers. The treatment of prostatitis is determined by a urologist or andrologist, and the following drugs are most often prescribed:
- non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and diuretics - prostatitis is manifested by a violation of the urination process;
- antispasmodics and muscle relaxants - prostatitis is accompanied by severe pain in the groin;
- prostate function support and alpha-blockers.
Is the lack of erection treated due to prostatitis? Yes, with such complaints, the doctor prescribes specific drugs that improve the blood supply to the penis and clean the veins of the prostate from poisons and toxins. If the symptoms of prostatitis are detected in 40-year-old men, no additional drugs are needed to restore the erection - as soon as the inflammatory process stops, all sexual abilities are restored. But if venereal diseases (sexually transmitted infections) became the cause of prostatitis in 30-year-old men, then additional treatment and the identified infection will be required to restore sexual activity.
The best treatment is complex, so in order to stop prostatitis as soon as possible, you should follow some medical recommendations:
- drink at least 2 liters of fluid per day - prostatitis is characterized by stagnation of the secretion, and it must be quickly removed from the tissues in order to reduce the load on the organ and reduce its swelling;
- observe bed rest - the treatment cannot be combined with physical activity, because they irritate the organ, prostatitis only progresses, which makes the treatment long and ineffective;
- exclude from the diet spicy, sour, fatty foods, alcohol - these are also irritants, in which prostatitis only worsens.
As soon as the signs of the disease are less pronounced, sexual activity should be restored. Prostatitis heals much faster if regular drainage of the prostate is ensured and even a slight stagnation of exudate in the tissues is not allowed.
If drug treatment does not give positive results, prostatitis occurs in a chronic form with frequent relapses, then this is a reason to perform surgical intervention. The operation can be of two types:
- transurethral resection - the surgeon removes the prostate tissue affected by prostatitis;
- prostatectomy - prostatitis poses a real threat to a man's life, so both the prostate and the seminal vesicles are completely removed with the adjacent tissues.
Surgeries are not performed at a young age, because this can lead to complete infertility - prostatitis is treated with therapeutic methods, in addition to drugs, physiotherapy procedures can also be prescribed. The degree of treatment of prostatitis depends on the stage and form of the disease, as well as the degree of neglect. Usually the treatment lasts 2 weeks, but this number is very average.
Prostatitis can be completely cured, but it is important to see a doctor in time. The treatment must be prescribed individually, alternative methods do not help to stop prostatitis at all, but they can bring the moment of the development of complications closer.