Prostatitis is a disease associated with inflammation of the prostate gland. It can develop in men at any age and is chronic or acute. There are problems in diagnosis, so patients often seek help from doctors when prostatitis is in an advanced form and traditional treatment does not help. The danger lies in the high probability of getting prostate cancer and complete infertility.
If prostatitis is diagnosed on time, then the treatment only lasts for 2 weeks, after which the man only needs to follow the doctor's recommendations and periodically undergo follow-up examinations. In this case, there will be no complications after experiencing prostate inflammation - reproductive abilities are fully preserved, even if prostatitis occurs with acute symptoms.
Prostatitis does not develop out of nowhere; the initial cause of the inflammatory process is E. coli, mycoplasma, streptococci, staphylococci, trichomonas and other pyogenic microorganisms. Their peculiarity is very fast reproduction and rapid destruction of prostate tissue. The main causes of this disease are:
- any inflammatory diseases of the urinary system - cystitis, pyelonephritis, urethritis;
- chronic stool disorders - in particular, constipation, where men have a need to push hard and prostatitis develops as an organ response to stress;
- infection from a distant focus - severe forms of tonsillitis, pneumonia, influenza, when prostatitis is directly related to the penetration of infectious agents into the tissue of the gland;
- frequent hypothermia or, on the contrary, overheating - may be associated with the characteristics of work activity;
- lack of frequent sexual activity, physical inactivity - prostatitis causes stagnation of secretions in the tissue of the prostate gland, and is often the cause of prostatitis in men over 40 years old;
- weak immunity due to serious hormonal imbalance;
- sexually transmitted infections - gonorrhea, trichomoniasis, chlamydia;
- frequent urinary retention - an enlarged bladder puts strong pressure on the prostate gland;
- injuries in the pelvic area.
Most often, prostatitis develops after the infection penetrates the prostate tissue through the urethra, more rarely through the bloodstream or lymphatic system. Prostatitis has one very important provoking factor - a general weakness of the immune system, if this occurs as a body response to stress, constant fatigue, nervous exhaustion, emotional outbursts.
Men should have a regular sex life and their lifestyle should be active. Otherwise, stagnation of secretions occurs in the tissue of the prostate gland, which is an ideal environment for the proliferation of pathogenic microorganisms - prostatitis develops rapidly. Inevitably, prostate cells are starved of oxygen, which only increases the likelihood that prostatitis will spread outside the organ - the inflammation will also affect nearby organs.
Types of prostatitis in men, features of the course
Depending on the original cause, there are several types of prostatitis:
- bacterial prostatitis - begins against the background of an infection that penetrates the prostate tissue; diagnosis of this type of prostatitis occurs more often in young and old men;
- congestive prostatitis - caused by an inactive lifestyle, lack of normal sex life in men and pelvic injuries, often accompanied by infection and then prostatitis becomes a mixed type;
- calculous prostatitis - develops as a result of an untreated chronic form of the disease; Such prostatitis is more often found in older men.
According to the form of 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 hospital conditions, because prostatitis occurs with severe symptoms. Chronic prostatitis is characterized by a "damp" clinical picture, periodic remissions, a complete absence of specific symptoms and a rapid change to a serious problem - degeneration of healthy prostate cells into malignant, cessation of secretion production, and reduction of secretion. from sperm.
Symptoms and diagnosis of prostate inflammation
Symptoms directly depend on the type of prostatitis that begins to develop in the tissue of the prostate gland:
- bacterial prostatitis - high body temperature, the presence of blood or pus in the urine, problems with urination (thin and weak flow, "dripping" urine output, acute pain in the perineum, poor general health;
- calculus prostatitis - weak erection or its complete absence, blood in the urine, such symptoms of prostatitis are more common in men over 50 years old;
- congestive prostatitis - discomfort in the perineum and testicles, partial or complete absence of erection, improper urination.
Chronic prostatitis is distinguished by a "vague" clinical picture; all symptoms are unspecified and can be bothersome periodically. But if men experience pain in the groin and testicles within 2-3 months, the general body temperature rises, and libido decreases, then this means that you need to see a doctor, confirm the diagnosis of "chronic prostatitis" and undergo treatment. Need to know the following nuances:
- symptoms of prostatitis in a 50-year-old man are a weak erection and a feeling of heaviness in the groin, but the pain may be completely absent;
- symptoms of prostatitis in 30-year-old men always present themselves acutely and the first sign is a violation of urination: an enlarged prostate puts pressure on the bladder and the man cannot go to the toilet;
- Symptoms of prostatitis in 60-year-old men may not be present - at this age prostatitis is often chronic, but complete absence of erection may be disturbing.
A doctor can prescribe effective treatment only after diagnosing the disease - prostatitis often has symptoms of other diseases of the genitourinary system. Therefore, the patient's complaints alone are not enough to make a diagnosis; the following is set:
- rectal examination;
- laboratory examination of prostate secretion;
- analysis to identify/deny sexually transmitted infections;
- ultrasound examination of the prostate;
- organ computed tomography.
As an additional examination, an ultrasound examination of the pelvic organs and scrotum can be prescribed. It may be necessary to involve a specialist 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 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 often the following drugs will be prescribed:
- non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and diuretics - prostatitis is indicated by a violation of the urinary process;
- antispasmodic and muscle relaxant - prostatitis accompanied by severe pain in the groin;
- supports prostate function and alpha blockers.
Can erectile dysfunction due to prostatitis be treated? Yes, for such complaints, doctors prescribe special drugs that increase blood supply to the genital organs and clean the ducts of the prostate gland from waste and toxins. If prostatitis symptoms are detected in a 40-year-old man, then additional medication is not 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 a 30-year-old man is a venereal disease (sexual infection), then to restore sexual activity you need to undergo additional treatment for the identified infection.
The best treatment is comprehensive, and therefore, to stop prostatitis as soon as possible, you need to follow some doctor's recommendations:
- drink at least 2 liters of fluid per day - prostatitis is characterized by stagnation of secretions and needs to be immediately removed from the tissue to reduce the load on the organ and reduce its swelling;
- adhere to bed rest - treatment should not be combined with physical activity, because it will irritate the organ, prostatitis will only develop, which will make the treatment long and ineffective;
- exclude spicy, sour, fatty foods, alcohol from the diet - these are also irritating, which will only worsen prostatitis.
As soon as the signs of the disease become less obvious, it is necessary to restore sexual activity. Prostatitis will heal faster if you ensure regular drainage of the prostate gland and do not allow even a little secretion to stagnate in its tissue.
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 surgical intervention. Operations can be of two types:
- transurethral resection - the surgeon removes prostate tissue that has been affected by prostatitis;
- prostatectomy - prostatitis poses a real danger to a man's life, so the prostate and seminal vesicles with adjacent tissue are completely removed.
Operations are not performed at a young age, as this can cause complete sterility - prostatitis is treated with therapeutic methods, physiotherapeutic procedures can be prescribed in addition to medications. How long prostatitis will be treated depends on the stage and form of the disease, the degree of neglect. Treatment usually lasts for 2 weeks, but this figure is very average.
It is possible to cure prostatitis completely, it is only important to consult a doctor in time. Treatment must be prescribed individually; Traditional methods will not help stop prostatitis at all, but they can accelerate the onset of complications.