Prostatitis is a disease associated with inflammation of the prostate gland. It can develop in men of any age, have a chronic or acute course. There are problems in diagnosis, so patients often seek help from a doctor when prostatitis is in an advanced form and traditional treatment does not help. The risk lies in the high probability of developing prostate cancer and complete infertility.
If prostatitis is diagnosed at the right time, then the treatment lasts only 2 weeks, after which the man will only have to follow the doctor's recommendations and periodically undergo a follow-up examination. In this case, there will be no complications after inflammation of the prostate - reproductive abilities are fully preserved, even if prostatitis continues with acute symptoms.
Prostatitis does not develop "from scratch", the cause of the initiation of the inflammatory process is Escherichia coli, mycoplasmas, streptococci, staphylococci, Trichomonas and other pyogenic microorganisms. Their specialty lies in the very 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 - in particular, constipation, in which men have to push hard and prostatitis develops as a response of the organs to pressure;
- infections from distant foci - severe forms of tonsillitis, pneumonia, flu, when prostatitis is directly related to the penetration of infectious agents into the tissue of the gland;
- frequent hypothermia or, conversely, overheating - may be associated with the characteristics of work activity;
- lack of regular sexual activity, hypodynamia - prostatitis provokes stagnation of secretion in the tissues of the prostate gland, most often it is 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 retention of urine - an 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 it occurs through the bloodstream or lymphatic system. Prostatitis has a very important provoking factor - a general weakening of the immune system, if it happened as a reaction of the body to stress, constant fatigue, nervous exhaustion, emotional "outbursts".
Men should have a regular sex life and their lifestyle should become 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. Inevitably, prostate cells experience oxygen starvation, which only increases the chances that prostatitis will go beyond the organ - the inflammation will also affect nearby organs.
Types of prostatitis in men, features of the course
Depending on the cause of origin, there are several types of prostatitis:
- bacterial prostatitis - 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 elderly men;
- congestive prostatitis - caused by a sedentary lifestyle, lack of regular sexual activity in men and pelvic injuries, often accompanied by infection, and then the prostatitis becomes a mixed type;
- calculous prostatitis - develops as a result of an untreated chronic form of the course of the disease, most often such prostatitis occurs in elderly men.
According to the form of the course, prostatitis is divided into acute and chronic. The diagnosis of the acute form of the disease is rare, the treatment should be carried out only in the hospital, because prostatitis appears with severe symptoms. Chronic prostatitis is characterized by a "slow" clinical picture, periodic remissions, a complete absence of specific symptoms and a rapid transformation into serious problems - degeneration of healthy prostate cells into malignant ones, cessation of secretion production and a declineof sperm. secretion.
Symptoms and diagnosis of inflammation of the prostate gland
The symptoms directly depend on the type of prostatitis that begins to develop in the tissues of the prostate gland:
- bacterial prostatitis - high body temperature, the presence of blood or pus in the urine, problems with urination (thin and weak stream, "dripping" production of urine), acute pain in the perineum, poor general health;
- calculous prostatitis - a weak erection or its complete absence, blood in the urine, such symptoms of prostatitis are more often present in men 50 years and older;
- congestive prostatitis - discomfort in the perineum and testicles, partial or complete lack of erection, improper urination.
Prostatitis of the chronic form of the course is characterized by a "vague" clinical picture, all symptoms are unexpressed and may be disturbed periodically. 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 you should go to the doctor, confirm the diagnosis of "chronic prostatitis" and undergotreatment. It is worth knowing the following nuances:
- the symptoms of prostatitis in men at the age of 50 are the weakening of the erection and the feeling of heaviness in the groin, but the pain syndrome may be completely absent;
- symptoms of prostatitis in men at the age of 30 are always acute and the first sign is a violation of urination: an enlarged prostate compresses the bladder and men simply cannot go to the toilet;
- symptoms of prostatitis in men at the age of 60 may be absent - at this age, prostatitis is often chronic, but the complete absence of an erection can be worrying.
The doctor will be able to prescribe effective treatment only after diagnosing the disease - prostatitis often has symptoms of other diseases of the genitourinary system. Therefore, only the patient's complaints are not enough to make a diagnosis, they are described:
- rectal examination;
- laboratory study of prostate secretion;
- analysis for the detection/refutation of sexually transmitted infections;
- ultrasound examination of the prostate;
- computed tomography of organs.
As additional examinations, ultrasound examinations of the pelvic organs and scrotum may be prescribed. It may be necessary to involve close specialists to exclude or confirm concomitant diseases.
Treatment - general principles, duration of the course
The symptoms of prostatitis in a man and its treatment are directly related, because when prescribing therapy, the doctor must first of all relieve the general condition of the patient. In men, severe pain is often present, which means that treatment should begin with sedatives. The method of treatment of prostatitis is determined by a urologist or andrologist, and most often the following medications will be prescribed:
- anti-inflammatory and non-steroidal diuretics - prostatitis is manifested by a violation of the urinary process;
- antispasmodics and muscle relaxants - prostatitis is accompanied by severe pain in the groin;
- supporting prostate function and alpha-blockers.
Is the lack of erection on the background of prostatitis treated? Yes, with such complaints, the doctor prescribes specific drugs that improve the blood supply to the penis and clean the vessels of the prostate gland from toxins and toxins. If the symptoms of prostatitis are detected in men aged 40, then no additional drugs will be needed to restore the erection - as soon as the inflammatory process stops, all sexual abilities will be 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 necessary to restore sexual activity.
The best treatment is complex and therefore, to stop prostatitis as soon as possible, you should follow some recommendations of the doctor:
- consume at least 2 liters of fluid per day - prostatitis is characterized by stagnation of the secretion, and it will be necessary to quickly remove it 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 will irritate the organ, the prostatitis will only progress, which will make the treatment long and ineffective;
- exclude from the diet spicy, sour, fatty foods, alcohol - these are also irritants, in which prostatitis will only worsen.
As soon as the signs of the disease become less pronounced, it will be necessary to restore sexual activity. Prostatitis will heal much faster if regular drainage of the prostate gland is ensured and even a slight stagnation of secretion in its tissues is not allowed.
If drug treatment does not give positive results, prostatitis appears 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 prostate tissue affected by prostatitis;
- prostatectomy - prostatitis poses a real danger to a man's life, so he is completely removed both the prostate and the seminal vesicles with adjacent tissues.
Operations are not performed at a young age, because this can lead to complete infertility - prostatitis is treated with therapeutic methods, physiotherapy procedures can be prescribed in addition to medications. How much prostatitis will be treated depends on the stage and form of the disease, the degree of neglect. Usually the treatment lasts 2 weeks, but this figure is very average.
It is possible to completely cure prostatitis, it is only important to consult a doctor in time. Treatment should be prescribed individually, alternative methods absolutely will not help to stop prostatitis, but they can bring the moment of the beginning of the development of complications closer.