Prostatitis

26 October 2023

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 risk lies in the high probability of developing prostate cancer and complete infertility.

If prostatitis is diagnosed at the right time, then the treatment lasts only 2 weeks, after which the man will only have to follow the doctor's recommendations and undergo periodic follow-up examinations. In this case, there will be no complications after suffering from prostate inflammation - reproductive abilities are fully preserved, even if prostatitis appears with acute symptoms.

Prostatitis does not develop out of nowhere, the cause of the beginning of the inflammatory process is E. coli, mycoplasma, streptococcus, staphylococcus, trichomonas and other pyogenic microorganisms. Their specialty is very fast reproduction and rapid destruction of prostate 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 a response of the organs to pressure;
infections from distant foci - severe forms of tonsillitis, pneumonia, flu, when prostatitis is directly related to the penetration of infectious agents into the tissue of the glands;
frequent hypothermia or, conversely, overheating - may be associated with the characteristics of work activity;
lack of regular sexual activity, physical inactivity - prostatitis provokes 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 serious hormonal imbalances;
sexually transmitted infections - gonorrhea, trichomoniasis, chlamydia;
Frequent retention of urine - an enlarged bladder exerts 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, much less often this happens through the bloodstream or the lymphatic system. Prostatitis has a very important provoking factor - a general weakening of the immune system, if this happens as a reaction of the body to stress, constant fatigue, nervous exhaustion, emotional outbursts.

Men should have a regular sex life and their lifestyle should be active. Otherwise, stagnation of secretion occurs in the tissues of the prostate gland, which is an ideal environment for the spread of pathogenic microorganisms - prostatitis develops rapidly. Inevitably, prostate cells experience oxygen starvation, 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 several types of prostatitis:

bacterial prostatitis - begins against the background of penetration of the infection into the prostate tissue; the diagnosis of this type of prostatitis often occurs in young and old men;
congestive prostatitis - caused by a sedentary lifestyle, lack of regular 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 its manifestation, 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, because prostatitis appears with severe symptoms. Chronic prostatitis is characterized by a "slow" clinical picture, periodic remissions, a complete absence of specific symptoms and rapid transformation into serious problems - degeneration of healthy prostate cells into malignant ones, cessation of secretion production and a decrease insecretion. of sperm.

Symptoms and diagnosis of inflammation of the prostate

The symptoms directly depend on the type of prostatitis that begins to develop in the tissues of the prostate gland:

bacterial prostatitis - high body temperature, the presence of blood or pus in the urine, problems with urination (thin and weak stream, "drip" urine production), acute pain in the perineum, poor general health;
calculous prostatitis - weak erection or its complete absence, blood in the urine, such symptoms of prostatitis are more often present in men 50 years and older;
congestive prostatitis - discomfort in the perineum and testicles, partial or complete lack of erection, improper urination.

Chronic prostatitis is distinguished by a "vague" clinical picture, all symptoms are unexpressed and may be periodically disturbing. 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" andundergo 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;
symptoms of prostatitis in 30-year-old men always appear acutely, and the first sign is a violation of urination: the enlarged prostate puts pressure on the bladder, and men simply cannot go to the toilet;
Symptoms of prostatitis in 60-year-old men may be absent - at this age prostatitis is often chronic, but the complete absence of an 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, only the patient's complaints are not enough to establish a diagnosis; are described:

rectal examination;
laboratory examination of prostate secretion;
analysis for the identification/refutation of sexually transmitted infections;
ultrasound examination of the prostate;
computerized tomography of the organ.

As additional examinations, ultrasound examinations of the pelvic organs and scrotum may be prescribed. It may be necessary to involve specialized specialists to exclude or confirm comorbidities.

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 of all relieve the general condition of the patient. Men often have severe pain, which means that treatment should begin with painkillers. The method of treatment of prostatitis is determined by a urologist or andrologist, and the following medications will most often 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;
supporting prostate function and alpha-blockers.

Is erectile dysfunction due to prostatitis treatable? Yes, for such complaints, the doctor prescribes specific medications that improve the blood supply to the genital organ and clean the vessels of the prostate gland from debris and toxins. If the symptoms of prostatitis are detected in 40-year-old men, then no additional drugs will be needed to restore the erection - as soon as the inflammatory process is stopped, all sexual abilities will be restored. But if the cause of prostatitis in 30-year-old men is sexually transmitted diseases (sexually transmitted infections), then to restore sexual activity you will need to undergo additional treatment for the identified infection.

The best treatment is comprehensive and therefore, to stop prostatitis as soon as possible, you should follow some recommendations of the doctor:

drink at least 2 liters of liquid 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;
observe bed rest - the treatment cannot be combined with physical activity, because it will irritate the organ, the prostatitis will only progress, which will make the treatment long and ineffective;
exclude spicy, sour, fatty foods, alcohol from the diet - these are also irritants, which will only worsen prostatitis.

As soon as the signs of the disease become less pronounced, 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 even allow a slight stagnation of secretions in its tissues.

If drug treatment does not give positive results, prostatitis appears 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 prostate tissue affected by prostatitis;
prostatectomy - prostatitis poses a real danger to a man's life, so the prostate and its 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 medications, physiotherapeutic procedures can be prescribed. How long prostatitis will be treated depends on the stage and form of the disease, the degree of neglect. Usually the treatment lasts 2 weeks, but this figure is very average.

Prostatitis can be completely cured, 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 appearance of complications.