Prostatitis is a disease related to prostate inflammation. It can develop in men of any age, with a chronic or acute course. Diagnosis is problematic, so when prostatitis is advanced and conventional treatments don't help, patients often seek help from their doctor. The danger is a high probability of prostate cancer and complete infertility.
If prostatitis is diagnosed in time, the treatment will only take 2 weeks. After that, the man only needs to follow the doctor's advice and review it regularly. In this case, there are no complications following the inflammation of the prostate - even with acute symptoms of prostatitis, reproductive capacity is fully preserved.
Prostatitis does not develop "from scratch", the inflammatory process occurs because of Escherichia coli, Mycoplasma, Streptococcus, Staphylococcus, Trichomonas and other purulent microorganisms. They are characterized by rapid reproduction and rapid destruction of prostate tissue. The main causes of the disease are:
- Any inflammatory disease of the urinary system - cystitis, pyelonephritis, urethritis;
- Chronic stool disorders - especially constipation, males need to push hard, prostatitis is the organ's response to stress;
- Infection from distant lesions - severe forms of tonsillitis, pneumonia, influenza, when prostatitis is directly associated with the infiltration of infectious agents into the glandular tissue;
- Frequent hypothermia or conversely hyperthermia - possibly related to the characteristics of labor activity;
- Lack of regular sexual activity, lack of motivation - Prostatitis can lead to stagnation of prostate tissue secretion, which is usually the cause of prostatitis in men in their 40s;
- Decreased immunity on the background of severe hormonal disorders;
- Sexually transmitted infections - gonorrhea, trichomoniasis, chlamydia;
- Frequent urinary retention - an enlarged bladder puts strong pressure on the prostate;
- Trauma in the pelvic area.
Most of the time, prostatitis occurs after the infection enters the prostate tissue through the urethra, and rarely through the blood or lymphatic system. Prostatitis has a very important predisposing factor - a general weakening of the immune system, if it occurs in the body's response to stress, persistent fatigue, nervous exhaustion, emotional "bursts".
Men should have regular sex and their lifestyle should be active. Otherwise, secretion stagnation occurs in the prostate tissue, which is an ideal environment for the reproduction of pathogenic microorganisms - prostatitis develops rapidly. Inevitably, prostate cells experience a lack of oxygen, which only increases the chance of prostatitis beyond the organ—inflammation can also affect nearby organs.
Types of Prostatitis in Men, Course Features
Depending on the cause of origin, there are several types of prostatitis:
- bacterial prostatitis - begins on the background of penetration into the infected tissue of the prostate, the diagnosis of this type of prostatitis is more common in young and older men;
- Congestive prostatitis - caused by a sedentary lifestyle, lack of regular sexual activity in men, and small pelvic injuries, usually with infection, then prostatitis becomes mixed;
- Stoney prostatitis - developed due to an untreated chronic course, this type of prostatitis is more common in older men.
According to the form of the course of the disease, prostatitis is divided into acute and chronic. Diagnosis of the acute form of the disease is rare and can only be treated in hospital because the symptoms of prostatitis are severe. Chronic prostatitis is characterized by a clinical "slow", cyclical remission, no specific symptoms at all, and rapid transformation into serious problems - degeneration of healthy prostate cells into malignant cells, cessation of secretions and reduced sperm production.
Symptoms and Diagnosis of Prostate Inflammation
Symptoms depend directly on the type of prostatitis that begins to develop in the prostate tissue:
- bacterial prostatitis - high body temperature, presence of blood or pus in the urine, urination problems (thin and weak urine, "dribbling" urine), acute pain in the perineum, poor general health;
- calculous prostatitis - weak or non-existent erections and blood in the urine, this prostatitis symptom is more common in men 50 years of age and older;
- Congestive prostatitis - discomfort in the perineum and testicles, partial or complete inability to get an erection, inappropriate urination.
The chronic form of prostatitis of this process is characterized by a "fuzzy" clinical presentation, all symptoms are not expressed and may periodically interfere. But if a man experiences groin and testicular pain, a rise in overall body temperature, and a decrease in libido within 2-3 months, it means you need to see a doctor to confirm the diagnosis of "chronic prostatitis" and receive treatment. It's worth knowing the following nuances:
- Symptoms of prostatitis in a 50-year-old man are a weakened erection and a heaviness in the groin, but the pain syndrome may be completely absent;
- Symptoms of prostatitis in a 30-year-old man are always acute, and the first sign is a urination disorder: the enlarged prostate presses on the bladder, and the man cannot go to the toilet at all;
- Prostatitis symptoms may not be present in a 60-year-old man - at this age, prostatitis is often chronic, but the complete absence of an erection can be disturbing.
Only after the disease has been diagnosed can doctors prescribe an effective treatment – prostatitis often has symptoms of other genitourinary disorders. Therefore, a patient's complaint alone is not sufficient to make a diagnosis, the following prescribes:
- rectal examination;
- Laboratory studies of prostate secretion;
- Assays to detect/refute sexually transmitted infections;
- Ultrasound of the prostate;
- Organ computed tomography.
As an additional examination, ultrasonography of the pelvic organs and scrotum may be prescribed. It may be necessary to involve narrow specialists to rule out or confirm concomitant diseases.
Treatment - General Principles, Course Duration
The symptoms of male prostatitis are directly related to its treatment, because when doctors prescribe medicine, the general condition of the patient must be relieved first. In men, severe pain is usually present, which means that treatment should begin with pain relievers. How to treat prostatitis is determined by a urologist or andrologist, who most often prescribes the following medications:
- NSAIDs and diuretics - prostatitis manifests as a violation of the urinary process;
- Antispasmodics and muscle relaxants - prostatitis with severe pain in the groin;
- Supports prostate and alpha blocker function.
Is it possible to treat insufficiency of erection in the context of prostatitis? Yes, with such complaints, doctors prescribe specific drugs to improve the blood supply to the penis and remove toxins and toxins from the blood vessels of the prostate. If symptoms of prostatitis are detected in a 40-year-old man, no additional medication is needed to restore an erection - once the inflammatory process stops, all sexual performance is restored. However, if an STD (sexually transmitted infection) is the cause of prostatitis in a 30-year-old man, additional treatment and an established infection are required to resume sexual activity.
The best treatments are complex, so in order to stop prostatitis as quickly as possible, you need to follow some of your doctor's recommendations:
- Consume at least 2 liters of fluids per day - prostatitis is characterized by a secret stagnation, it is necessary to quickly remove it from the tissues to reduce the load on the organs and reduce their swelling;
- Adhere to bed rest - treatment cannot be combined with physical exercise, because it will stimulate the organs, prostatitis will only progress, the treatment time is long, and the effect is not good;
- Exclude from the diet spicy, sour, fatty foods, alcohol - these are also irritants, of which prostatitis will only worsen.
Once the signs of the disease become less obvious, it is necessary to resume sexual activity. Prostatitis heals faster if regular drainage of the prostate is guaranteed and a slight stagnation of secretions in its tissues is not allowed.
If medical treatment does not produce positive results, prostatitis develops in a chronic form and recurs frequently, then this is justification for surgical intervention. Operations can be of two types:
- Transurethral resection - the surgeon removes the prostate tissue affected by prostatitis;
- Prostatectomy - Prostatitis poses a real danger to a man's life, so he completely removes the prostate and the seminal vesicles of adjacent tissue.
Surgery is not performed at a young age as this can lead to complete infertility - prostatitis is treated with treatments, in addition to medication, physiotherapy procedures can be prescribed. How much prostatitis is treated depends on the stage and form of the disease, and the degree of neglect. Treatment usually lasts 2 weeks, but this number is pretty average.
It is possible to completely cure prostatitis, and it is important to consult a doctor promptly. Treatment should be prescribed separately, and alternatives definitely do nothing to stop prostatitis, but they can bring complications closer.