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 registered, this is explained by the peculiarity of the diagnosis and the possibility of the course of the disease in a latent form.
The prostate gland is a small muscular glandular organ located in the small pelvis below the bladder, covering the early part of the urethra (urethra). The prostate gland produces a secretion that, mixed with semen, maintains sperm activity and their resistance to various adverse conditions.
With prostatitis, many problems with urination occur, libido decreases and erectile function is impaired. The saddest thing is that if not treated properly, about 40% of patients face some form of infertility, as the prostate gland is no longer able to produce large amounts of high-quality secretions to ensure sperm movement. 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 the age of 35, the disease usually occurs in the form of acute bacterial prostatitis. Bacterial prostatitis is called when there is laboratory confirmation of the presence of an infection. Often it turns out chlamydia, trichomoniasis, gardnerellosis or gonorrhea. The infection enters the prostate gland from the urethra, bladder, rectum, through the blood vessels and lymph from the pelvis.
However, recent studies have shown that in most cases the infection is superimposed on disorders of the pre-existing structure of the prostate and the blood circulation in it. In non -bacterial prostatitis, bacteria cannot be isolated, although this does not exclude its presence.
In elderly patients, chronic forms of the disease are more frequently 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;
- sexual dysfunction (pain along the urethra and in the rectum during ejaculation, weak erections, premature ejaculation, loss of orgasm, etc. );
- an increase in a man’s restlessness and restlessness, due to the patient’s attention to their condition.
Acute prostatitisusually begins with an increase in body temperature to 39-40 ° C with fever and chills. Difficulty urinating and painful. Prostate gland edema develops, which can lead to acute urinary retention.
Chronic prostatitiswalk more calmly, but at any time with a bad factor, emergence can occur. Probably without symptoms.
Complications
If there is no timely therapy, prostatitis can cause the following complications:
- transition of acute to chronic prostatitis;
- bladder obstruction with acute urinary retention, requiring surgical treatment, 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 occurs in people with reduced immunity (patients with diabetes mellitus, kidney failure).
What can you do
If you experience the symptoms mentioned above, try to see a urologist as soon as possible.
What a doctor can do
The modern diagnostic weapon of prostate disease is very wide.
Your doctor will order a bacteriological study of urine and prostate secretions. To elucidate the localization of urinary tract infections, studies on different parts of the urethra were conducted. In addition, a mandatory diagnostic method is digital examination of the prostate gland. The procedure is not very pleasant, but very informative.
Your doctor may refer you for an ultrasound examination of the prostate and pelvic organs. If necessary, prescribe computed or magnetic-nuclear tomography, cystoscopy, urography and studies of prostate enzymes.
When making a diagnosis, your doctor must rule out the presence of benign prostate hyperplasia and prostate cancer. For rapid pain relief in acute prostatitis, analgesics and hot baths may be recommended.
Bacterial prostatitisrequires the appointment of antibiotics, the selection of which is made in accordance with the results of bacteriological spread of secretions on nutrient media and the determination of pathogen sensitivity to chemotherapy.
Prostatitis is not bacterialtreated with anti-inflammatory drugs.
Prevention of prostatitis
Do not let the body hypothermia, do not sit on cold objects. Follow a light diet (excluding alcohol, spicy, fried and canned foods).
A regular sex life is also a way to prevent prostatitis (because one of the provoking factors is sperm stagnation and frequent erections without subsequent ejaculation). Prevention of sexually transmitted diseases is just as important.
In adulthood, every man should undergo regular checkups (once a year) by a urologist. After suffering from prostatitis, a course of preventive outpatient treatment is performed at least 2 times a year for a month and one course of spa treatment.