It is generally accepted that after 30 years, 30% of men suffer from prostatitis, after 40 - 40%, after 50 - 50%, etc. At the same time, the actual morbidity is much higher than recorded, this is explained by the peculiarities of the diagnosis and the possibility of the course of the disease in a latent form.
The prostate is a small glandular-muscular organ located in the small pelvis below the bladder, covering the initial section of the urethra (urethra). The prostate produces a secret that, by mixing with seminal fluid, maintains the activity of sperm and its resistance to various adverse conditions.
With prostatitis, many problems with urination occur, libido decreases, and erectile function is impaired. The sad part is that without proper treatment, around 40% of patients face some form of infertility, because the prostate can no longer produce a sufficient amount of high-quality secretions to ensure sperm motility. It is important to remember that similar symptoms can occur not only with prostatitis, but also with prostate adenoma and cancer.
Causes of prostatitis
There are 4 main forms of prostatitis: acute bacterial prostatitis, chronic bacterial prostatitis, non-bacterial prostatitis and prostatodynia.
In people under 35, the disease usually manifests as acute bacterial prostatitis. Bacterial prostatitis is called when there is laboratory confirmation that an infection is present. Most often it is chlamydia, trichomoniasis, gardnerellosis or gonorrhea. The infection enters the prostate through the urethra, bladder, rectum, blood and lymph vessels in the pelvis.
However, recent studies show that in most cases the infection overlaps with already existing disturbances in the structure of prostate tissue and blood circulation. In non-bacterial prostatitis, bacteria cannot be isolated, although this does not exclude their presence.
In older patients, chronic forms of the disease are more often diagnosed. Prostatodynia is the presence of a clinical picture of prostatitis, compaction of prostate tissue without signs of inflammation.
Symptoms of prostatitis
Symptoms of prostatitis can be divided into 3 groups:
- urinary system disorders (frequent and painful urge to urinate, feeling of incomplete emptying of the bladder), pain in the lower abdomen;
- disorders of sexual function (pain along the urethra and rectum during ejaculation, weak erection, premature ejaculation, loss of orgasm, etc. );
- increased anxiety and nervousness in a man, due to the patient's focus on their condition.
Acute prostatitisUsually begins with an increase in body temperature to 39-40 ° C with fever and chills. Difficulty and painful urination. Edema of the prostate develops, which can cause acute urinary retention.
Chronic prostatitisproceeds more calmly, but at any time with unfavorable factors, an exacerbation may occur. Possibly asymptomatic.
Complications
In the absence of timely treatment, prostatitis can lead to the following complications:
- transition from acute to chronic prostatitis;
- bladder obstruction with acute urinary retention, which requires surgical treatment, the development of male infertility;
- narrowing and scarring of the urethra;
- recurrent cystitis;
- pyelonephritis and other kidney damage;
- abscess (suppuration) of the prostate, which requires surgery;
- sepsis is a life-threatening complication that often develops in people with reduced immunity (diabetic patients, kidney failure).
What can you do
If you experience the symptoms described above, try to see a urologist as soon as possible.
What a doctor can do
The modern arsenal of prostate disease diagnostics is very broad.
Your doctor will prescribe a bacteriological study of the urinary and prostatic secretions. To clarify the localization of the urinary tract infection, a study of different portions of urine is carried out. In addition, a mandatory diagnostic method is a digital examination of the prostate. This procedure is not very pleasant, but it is very informative.
Your doctor may refer you for ultrasound exams of the prostate and pelvic organs. If necessary, prescribe computed tomography or magneto-nuclear, cystoscopy, urography and study of prostate enzymes.
When making a diagnosis, your doctor should rule out the presence of benign prostatic hyperplasia and prostate cancer. For quick pain relief in acute prostatitis, pain relievers and hot baths may be recommended.
Bacterial prostatitisrequires the appointment of antibiotics, the selection of which is carried out based on the results of bacteriological sowing of secretions on nutrient media and the determination of the sensitivity of the pathogen to chemotherapy.
Non-bacterial prostatitisis being treated with anti-inflammatory drugs.
Prevention of prostatitis
Do not allow hypothermia of the body, do not sit on cold objects. Follow a light diet (excluding alcohol, spicy, fried and canned foods).
Regular sex life is also a way to prevent prostatitis (one of the provoking factors being semen stagnation and frequent erections without subsequent ejaculation). Equally important is the prevention of sexually transmitted diseases.
In adulthood, every man should have regular examinations (once a year) by a urologist. After suffering from prostatitis, courses of preventive outpatient treatment are carried out at least 2 times a year for a month and a spa treatment.