Prostatitis is a disease associated with inflammation of the prostate gland. It can develop in men of any age and be chronic or acute in nature. 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 danger lies in the high probability of developing prostate cancer and complete infertility.
If prostatitis is diagnosed in a timely manner, treatment lasts only 2 weeks, after which the man will only have to follow the doctor's recommendations and periodically undergo control examinations. In this case, there will be no complications after suffering from inflammation of the prostate: reproductive capabilities are maintained in full, even if prostatitis manifests itself with acute symptoms.
Prostatitis does not develop out of nowhere, the cause of the onset of the inflammatory process is E. coli, mycoplasma, streptococci, staphylococci, trichomonas and other pyogenic microorganisms. Their peculiarity is the very rapid reproduction and rapid destruction of prostatic 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 need to push hard, and prostatitis develops as the organ's 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 working activity;
- lack of regular sexual activity, physical inactivity - prostatitis causes stagnation of secretions in the tissues of the prostate gland and is often the cause of prostatitis in a 40-year-old man;
- weakened immunity due to severe hormonal imbalances;
- sexually transmitted infections - gonorrhea, trichomoniasis, chlamydia;
- frequent urinary retention – an enlarged bladder puts strong pressure on the prostate gland;
- lesions in the pelvic area.
Most often, prostatitis develops after the infection penetrates the prostate tissue through the urethra, much less often this occurs through the bloodstream or lymphatic system. Prostatitis has a very important provoking factor - a general weakening of the immune system, if this occurs as a response of the body to stress, constant fatigue, nervous exhaustion, emotional outbursts.
Men should have a regular sex life and their lifestyle should be made active. Otherwise, stagnation of secretion occurs in the tissues of the prostate gland, which is an ideal environment for the proliferation of pathogenic microorganisms - prostatitis develops rapidly. Inevitably, prostate cells suffer from a lack of oxygen, which only increases the chances that prostatitis will spread 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 different types of prostatitis:
- bacterial prostatitis - begins against the background of penetration of the infection into the prostatic tissue; the diagnosis of this type of prostatitis often occurs in young and elderly men;
- congestive prostatitis - caused by a sedentary lifestyle, lack of regular sexual life in men and pelvic lesions, often accompanied by infections and then prostatitis becomes mixed type;
- calculous prostatitis - develops as a consequence of a chronic untreated form of the disease; such prostatitis is found more often in older men.
According to the form in which it manifests itself, 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 serious symptoms. Chronic prostatitis is characterized by a "slow" clinical picture, periodic remissions, complete absence of specific symptoms and rapid transformation into serious problems: degeneration of healthy prostate cells into malignant cells, cessation of secretion production and decreased secretion. of sperm.
Symptoms and diagnosis of prostate inflammation
Symptoms directly depend on the type of prostatitis that begins to develop in the tissues of the prostate gland:
- bacterial prostatitis - high body temperature, presence of blood or pus in the urine, problems with urination (thin and weak stream, production of "drippy" urine), sharp pain in the perineum, poor general health;
- calculous prostatitis - weak erection or its complete absence, blood in the urine, such symptoms of prostatitis are most often present in men aged 50 years and older;
- congestive prostatitis - discomfort in the perineum and testicles, partial or total absence of erection, improper urination.
Chronic prostatitis is distinguished by a "blurred" clinical picture, all symptoms are unexpressed and can periodically disturb. But if men feel pain in the groin and testicles within 2-3 months, the general body temperature rises and libido decreases, it means that it is necessary 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 in their 50s are weakened erections and a feeling of heaviness in the groin, but the pain may be completely absent;
- symptoms of prostatitis in men in their 30s always manifest themselves acutely, and the first sign is a violation of urination: an enlarged prostate puts pressure on the bladder, and men simply cannot go to the toilet;
- Symptoms of prostatitis in men in their 60s may be absent: at this age prostatitis is often chronic, but the complete 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 sufficient to make a diagnosis; are prescribed:
- rectal exam;
- laboratory examination of prostate secretion;
- testing to identify/disprove sexually transmitted infections;
- ultrasound examination of the prostate;
- Computed tomography of the organ.
Ultrasound examinations of the pelvic organs and scrotum may be prescribed as additional tests. It may be necessary to involve specialized specialists to exclude or confirm concomitant pathologies.
Treatment - general principles, duration of the course
The symptoms of prostatitis in a man and the treatment of him are directly related, because when prescribing therapy, the doctor must first of all alleviate the general condition of the patient. Men often experience severe pain, which means treatment should start with painkillers. How to treat prostatitis is determined by a urologist or andrologist and most often the following drugs 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 function and alpha-blockers.
Is lack of erection due to prostatitis treated? Yes, for such disorders the doctor prescribes specific drugs that improve the blood supply to the genital organs and clean the vessels of the prostate from waste and toxins. If symptoms of prostatitis are detected in men in their 40s, additional drugs will not be needed to restore erection: as soon as the inflammatory process is stopped, all sexual abilities will be restored. But if the cause of prostatitis in men in their 30s is sexually transmitted diseases (sexually transmitted infections), to restore sexual activity it will be necessary to undergo additional treatment for the identified infection.
The best treatment is comprehensive and therefore, to stop prostatitis as quickly as possible, you need to follow some doctor's recommendations:
- drink at least 2 liters of fluids a day - prostatitis is characterized by stagnation of secretions and will need to be quickly removed from the tissues to reduce the load on the organ and reduce swelling;
- adhere to bed rest - treatment cannot be combined with physical activity, because it will irritate the organ, prostatitis will only progress, which will make the treatment long and ineffective;
- exclude spicy foods, acids, fats and alcohol from your diet: these are also irritants, which will only make prostatitis worse.
As soon as the signs of the disease subside, it will be necessary to restore sexual activity. Prostatitis will heal much faster if you ensure regular drainage of the prostate gland and do not allow even slight stagnation of secretions in its tissues.
If treatment with drugs does not give positive results, prostatitis occurs in a chronic form with frequent relapses, then this is a reason to undergo surgery. 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, so his prostate and seminal vesicles with adjacent tissues are completely removed.
Operations are not performed at a young age, because this can lead to complete infertility: prostatitis is treated with therapeutic methods, in addition to drugs, physiotherapeutic procedures can be prescribed. The duration of treatment of prostatitis depends on the stage and form of the disease, the degree of neglect. 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 must be prescribed individually; traditional methods do not help to stop prostatitis at all, but they can accelerate the onset of complications.