prostatitis

26 October 2023

Prostatitis is a disease associated with inflammation of the prostate gland. It can develop in men of any age and have a chronic or acute nature. There are problems with 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 time, then the 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 inflammation of the prostate - reproductive abilities are fully preserved, even if prostatitis proceeds with acute symptoms.

Prostatitis does not develop out of nowhere, the cause of the beginning of the inflammatory process is E. coli, mycoplasma, streptococci, staphylococci, trichomonads and other pyogenic microorganisms. Their feature is very rapid reproduction and rapid destruction of prostate tissue. The main causes of the disease are:

any inflammatory diseases of the excretory system - cystitis, pyelonephritis, urethritis;
chronic disorders of stool - in particular constipation, in which men need to press hard and prostatitis develops as a response of the organ 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 gland;
frequent hypothermia or, conversely, overheating - may be associated with the characteristics of work activity;
lack of regular sexual activity, lack of physical activity - 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 urinary retention - the enlarged bladder exerts strong pressure on the prostate gland;
pelvic injuries.

Most often, prostatitis develops after an infection penetrates the prostate tissue through the urethra, much less often this happens through the bloodstream or the lymphatic system. Prostatitis has one 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, secretion stagnation occurs in the tissues of the prostate gland, which is an ideal environment for the reproduction of pathogenic microorganisms - prostatitis develops quickly. Inevitably, prostate cells experience oxygen starvation, which only increases the chances 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 cause of occurrence, there are several types of prostatitis:

bacterial prostatitis - begins against the background of an infection penetrating the prostate tissue; the diagnosis of this type of prostatitis occurs more often in young and elderly 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 occurs more often in older men.

According to the form of occurrence, prostatitis is divided into acute and chronic. The diagnosis of the acute form of the disease is rare, treatment should be carried out only in hospital conditions, since prostatitis proceeds with severe symptoms. Chronic prostatitis is characterized by a "sluggish" clinical picture, periodic remissions, complete absence of specific symptoms and rapid transformation into serious problems - degeneration of healthy prostate cells into malignant ones, cessation of secretion production and reduction of sperm secretion.

Symptoms and diagnosis of inflammation of the prostate

Symptoms directly depend on what type of prostatitis 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, "drop" discharge of 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 more common in men aged 50 and over;
congestive prostatitis - discomfort in the perineum and testicles, partial or complete lack of erection, irregular urination.

Chronic prostatitis is characterized by a "blurred" clinical picture, all symptoms are unexpressed and can be periodically alarming. But if men experience pain in the groin and testicles within 2-3 months, the general body temperature rises and libido decreases, this means, that you should see a doctor, confirm the diagnosis of "chronic prostatitis" and undergo treatment. It is worth knowing the following nuances:

the symptoms of prostatitis in men aged 50 are a weakened erection and a feeling of heaviness in the groin, but the pain may be completely absent;
the symptoms of prostatitis in men in their 30s are always acute, 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 men in their 60s may be absent - at this age, prostatitis is often chronic, but the complete absence of an erection can be disturbing.

The 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 establish a diagnosis, are prescribed:

rectal examination;
laboratory examination of prostate secretion;
analysis to identify/refute sexually transmitted infections;
ultrasound examination of the prostate;
computed tomography of the organ.

As additional tests, ultrasound examinations of the pelvic organs and the scrotum may be prescribed. It may be necessary to bring in specialized specialists to exclude or confirm co-morbidities.

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 alleviate the general condition of the patient. Men often have severe pain, which means that treatment should begin with pain relievers. How to treat prostatitis is determined by a urologist or andrologist, and the following drugs are most often prescribed:

non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and diuretics - prostatitis is manifested by a violation of the urination process;
antispasmodics and muscle relaxants - prostatitis is accompanied by severe pain in the groin;
supporting the functionality of the prostate and alpha-blockers.

Is erectile dysfunction due to prostatitis treatable? Yes, for such complaints, the doctor prescribes specific drugs that improve the blood supply to the genitals and clean the vessels of the prostate gland of waste and toxins. If symptoms of prostatitis are detected in men aged 40, no additional drugs will be 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 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 quickly as possible, you should follow some recommendations of the doctor:

drink at least 2 liters of fluid per 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 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 from the diet spicy, sour, fatty foods, alcohol - these are also irritants that 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 be cured much faster if you ensure regular drainage of the prostate gland and do not allow even a slight stagnation of secretions in its tissues.

If drug treatment does not give positive results, prostatitis proceeds in a chronic form with frequent relapses, then this is a reason for surgical intervention. The operation 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 his prostate and seminal vesicles with adjacent tissues are completely removed.

At an early age, operations are not performed, as this can lead to complete infertility - prostatitis is treated with therapeutic methods, in addition to drugs, physical therapy procedures can be prescribed. How long prostatitis will be treated 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 will not help stop prostatitis at all, but can accelerate the onset of complications.