Prostatitis is a disease associated with inflammation of the prostate. It can develop in men of any age and be chronic or acute in nature. There are problems with diagnosis, which is why patients often seek help from a doctor when prostatitis is in an advanced stage and traditional treatment does not help them. 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 will only need to follow the doctor's recommendations and periodically undergo follow-up examinations. In this case, there will be no complications after inflammation of the prostate - reproductive capabilities are fully preserved, even if prostatitis occurs with acute symptoms.
Prostatitis does not develop out of nowhere, the cause of the inflammatory process is E. coli, mycoplasma, streptococci, staphylococci, trichomonads and other pyogenic microorganisms. Their particularity is very rapid reproduction and rapid destruction of prostate tissue. The main causes of the disease are:
- any inflammatory diseases of the urinary system - cystitis, pyelonephritis, urethritis;
- chronic stool disorders – especially constipation, in which men need to push hard and prostatitis develops as an organic 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 glandular tissue;
- frequent hypothermia or, conversely, overheating - can be associated with the characteristics of professional activity;
- lack of regular sexual activity, physical inactivity - prostatitis causes stagnation of secretions in the prostate tissues, and is often the cause of prostatitis in a 40-year-old man;
- weakened immunity due to serious hormonal imbalances;
- sexually transmitted infections - gonorrhea, trichomoniasis, chlamydia;
- frequent urinary retention – an enlarged bladder puts great pressure on the prostate;
- injuries in the pelvic region.
Most often, prostatitis develops after the infection enters the prostate tissue through the urethra, and 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 occurs in the form of the body's response to stress, constant fatigue, nervous exhaustion, emotional outbursts.
Men should have a regular sex life and their lifestyle should be active. Otherwise, the secretion stagnates in the prostate tissues, which provide an ideal environment for the proliferation of pathogenic microorganisms - prostatitis develops rapidly. Inevitably, the prostate cells suffer from a lack of oxygen, which only increases the chances of prostatitis spreading beyond the organ - the inflammation will also affect neighboring organs.
Types of prostatitis in men, course features
Depending on the original cause, there are several types of prostatitis:
- bacterial prostatitis - begins against the background of an infection penetrating the prostate tissue; 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 sex life in men and pelvic injuries, often accompanied by infections, then prostatitis becomes a mixed type;
- calculous prostatitis - develops as a result of an untreated chronic form of the disease; Such prostatitis is more common in older men.
Depending on the form of its occurrence, prostatitis is divided into acute and chronic. Diagnosis of the acute form of the disease is rare, treatment should be carried out only in a hospital setting, since prostatitis manifests itself with severe symptoms. Chronic prostatitis is characterized by a "sluggish" clinical picture, periodic remissions, a complete absence of specific symptoms and a rapid transformation into serious problems - the degeneration of healthy prostate cells into malignant cells, cessation of the production ofsecretion and a decrease in secretion. of sperm.
Symptoms and diagnosis of prostate inflammation
The symptoms directly depend on the type of prostatitis that begins to develop in the prostate tissues:
- bacterial prostatitis - high body temperature, blood or pus in the urine, problems with urination (thin, weak stream, "drip" urine flow), sharp pain in the perineum, poor general health;
- calculous prostatitis - weak or complete absence erection, blood in the urine, these symptoms of prostatitis are more often present in men aged 50 and over;
- congestive prostatitis - discomfort in the perineum and testicles, partial or complete absence of erection, inappropriate urination.
Chronic prostatitis is distinguished by a "fuzzy" clinical picture, all symptoms are unexpressed and can periodically cause concern. But if men experience pain in the groin and testicles within 2-3 months, the general body temperature increases and libido decreases, this means that you need to consult a doctor, confirm the diagnosis of "chronic prostatitis» and undergo treatment. It is worth knowing the following nuances:
- symptoms of prostatitis in men aged 50 are weakened erections and a feeling of heaviness in the groin, but pain may be completely absent;
- the symptoms of prostatitis in men aged 30 always manifest themselves acutely and the first sign is impaired urination: an enlarged prostate puts pressure on the bladder and men simply cannot go to the toilet;
- Symptoms of prostatitis in men aged 60 may be absent. At this age, prostatitis is often chronic, but the total absence of erection can be worrying.
A doctor can prescribe effective treatment only after diagnosing the disease - prostatitis often has symptoms of other diseases of the genitourinary system. Therefore, patient complaints alone are not enough to make a diagnosis, the following are prescribed:
- rectal examination;
- laboratory examination of prostate secretion;
- analysis to identify/refute sexually transmitted infections;
- ultrasound examination of the prostate;
- CT scan of the organ.
As additional examinations, ultrasound scans of the pelvic organs and scrotum may be prescribed. It may be necessary to involve specialized specialists to exclude or confirm concomitant diseases.
Treatment - general principles, course duration
The symptoms of prostatitis in a man and its treatment are directly related, because when prescribing treatment, the doctor must, first of all, alleviate the general condition of the patient. Men often experience severe pain, which means treatment should begin with painkillers. How to treat prostatitis is determined by a urologist or andrologist, and most often the following medications will be prescribed:
- non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and diuretics - prostatitis is manifested by a violation of the urinary process;
- antispasmodics and muscle relaxants - prostatitis is accompanied by severe pain in the groin;
- support prostate functionality and alpha-blockers.
Is lack of erection due to prostatitis treated? Yes, for such complaints, the doctor prescribes specific drugs that improve blood supply to the genital organ and cleanse the prostate vessels of waste and toxins. If symptoms of prostatitis are detected in men aged 40, no additional medications will be needed to restore an erection - as soon as the inflammatory process is stopped, all sexual abilities will be restored. But if the cause of prostatitis in men 30 years old is a sexually transmitted disease (sexually transmitted infection), then to restore sexual activity, you will have to undergo additional treatment for the identified infection.
The best treatment is comprehensive and, therefore, in order to stop prostatitis as quickly as possible, you should follow certain doctor's recommendations:
- drink at least 2 liters of fluid per day - prostatitis is characterized by stagnation of secretions and will need to be quickly removed from the tissues in order to reduce the load on the organ and reduce its swelling;
- adhere to bed rest - treatment cannot be combined with physical activity, as it will irritate the organ, prostatitis will only progress, which will make treatment long and ineffective;
- exclude spicy, sour, fatty foods and alcohol from the diet - these are also irritants that will only aggravate prostatitis.
As soon as the signs of the disease subside, it will be necessary to restore sexual activity. Prostatitis will be cured much faster if you provide regular drainage of the prostate and do not allow even slight stagnation of secretions in its tissues.
If drug treatment does not give positive results, prostatitis occurs in a chronic form with frequent relapses, then this is a reason to undergo 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 danger to a man's life, therefore his prostate and seminal vesicles and adjacent tissues are completely removed.
Operations are not carried out at a young age, as this can lead to complete infertility - prostatitis is treated by therapeutic methods, physiotherapeutic procedures can be prescribed in addition to medications. The duration of treatment for prostatitis depends on the stage and form of the disease, as well as the degree of neglect. The treatment usually 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, traditional methods will not help stop prostatitis at all, but they can accelerate the onset of complications.