Prostatitis refers to a purely male pathology of the urinary and reproductive systems. The disease can be acute or chronic, manifesting itself differently in each patient. Today it is a common disease of the genitourinary system. Currently, the disease is much younger and already occurs in men over the age of 25. In this article we will look at the question: how does prostatitis manifest itself and its treatment.
Required information
The nature of prostate dysfunction depends on a certain stage of sexual development in men:
- Damage to the prostate gland is possible in underage men. However, such a disease is not considered a separate disease due to an underdeveloped gland;
- men who have a violent sex life are more likely to suffer from prostatitis in the form of an acute inflammatory process;
- prostate disease in adult men manifests itself in the form of one of three diseases: benign and malignant tumors, chronic prostatitis.
People who have suffered from any type of reproductive organ do not have prostate function.
The prostate is an auxiliary gland of the reproductive system in the strong half. It is located at the junction of the urinary tract and the ejaculation tunnel. The importance of the prostate gland in adolescent men before puberty has been opposed in research. In an adult, the prostate is responsible for:
- the formation of a secretion that makes the semen less viscous and allows the sperm to survive on the way to the egg;
- formation of prostaglandins in the body. This is a component that is responsible for the increased blood flow to the genitals before an erection is formed. It also promotes the production of the hormone testosterone;
- is responsible for the high rate of semen release during ejaculation, and also participates in the appearance of the last moment of sexual intercourse associated with the peak of intimate pleasure;
- with the help of reflexes does not allow the penetration of urine into the semen during intimate intercourse.
The prostate gland is a poorly protected organ for pathogenic microbes. This directly depends on the pathological conditions of the pelvic organs. A large flow of blood and lymph moving through the vessels of the damaged prostate leads to the phenomenon of stagnation and swelling, thus exacerbating the inflammation. The gland contains a large number of nerve fibers, so the pathology is manifested by pain.
Prostatitis is an inflammatory lesion of the prostate gland. The most common cause of this disease are pelvic infections. But the infection itself is not able to cause inflammation; this requires the presence of predisposing factors. This category includes:
- measured lifestyle (people with sedentary work are at risk);
- regular stool retention;
- numerous hypothermia;
- too active intimacy and long periods of abstinence;
The prostate is a small organ in size and weighs approximately 20-25 grams. But the secretion of the gland has the ability to have a detrimental effect on microbes, due to which inflammation in the prostate occurs during stagnation, after which the secretion loses its bactericidal properties.
Manifestations of prostatitis
There are two stages of the disease:
The acute form is manifested with the strongest inflammation in the prostate gland. The patient has a temperature of up to 39 degrees, there is pain in the groin and in the process of excretion of feces and urine from the body. These are the first characteristic symptoms of prostatitis.
In the chronic course, these symptoms are alleviated, which is why many men do not pay attention to the characteristic manifestations of the disease. The patient may have a rise in temperature to 37 degrees, painful sensations during deurination and defecation. However, the main symptom of chronic prostatitis is the release of a small amount of mucus or purulent contents from the urethra.
Predisposing factors
There are 6 first symptoms of prostatitis - this is a failure in the process of deurination due to complicated excretion of urine from the bladder, when the urethra is compressed by the enlarged prostate gland (dysuria syndrome):
- passing urine drop by drop;
- painful sensations;
- stream of urine without pressure and not larger than 20 cm;
- interruption of the jet;
- frequent disposal at night;
- feeling of incomplete emptying of the bladder.
Important! It is forbidden to diagnose prostatitis when these symptoms are detected without a thorough examination. This disease has a very complex process of origin and development, which involves various mechanisms.
Do not treat a disease based solely on clinical manifestations. You should immediately contact a specialist for an accurate diagnosis and prescription of therapeutic measures. Diagnosis and therapy are prescribed taking into account the organs and systems affected by the disease. In some cases you need to consult other specialists.
Signs of illness
Prostatitis can manifest itself as an acute and chronic form of the inflammatory process. The acute course is characterized by inflammation of the mucosa, follicle and parenchyma, but they should not be confused with symptoms of prostate adenoma. And chronic - manifested by concomitant diseases.
Symptoms of prostatitis in men revealed by clinical and functional studies:
- Frequent urination
A normal man may want to urinate up to 12 times a day, usually 5 times. The volume of urine in a healthy patient per day is from 1 to 2 liters. Desires for deurination in a healthy man arise when the bladder is filled with a volume of 120-170 ml. The accumulation of urine over 350 ml creates the strongest desire to urinate.
In the inflammatory process, the walls of the bladder are systematically irritated and deurination occurs:
- is not uncommon as long as the amount of urine is within normal limits;
- in small quantities: the products of the inflammatory process irritate the receptors of the bladder and there are false desires for deurination, a feeling of a full bladder, after emptying it remains a feeling of its fullness;
- painful due to narrowing of the urethra;
- difficult due to compression of the urethra by the gland, sometimes manifested by the inability to empty the bladder when it is overcrowded;
- often at night;
- temperature.
Usually the temperature rises from 37 to 38 degrees. In the initial stage of sepsis with purulent inflammation of the gland, the temperature rises above 39 degrees. In the last stage of septic shock, the temperature, on the contrary, drops to 35 degrees. Low temperature is a threat to human life due to platelet clotting disorders. The result in prostatitis with complications of sepsis is unfavorable.
- Blood in the urine
This is quite rare, but is a dangerous sign of the course of the disease. Constant bleeding is almost impossible to stop. There are several reasons for the development of hematuria:
- with perforation of the vessel in the urethra;
- trauma during the examination;
- malignant hyperplasia;
- soreness.
Inflammation of the prostate with an associated complication is accompanied by constant pain. It can rarely be intermittent. Most often the pain is dull or painful and manifests itself in the perineum and anus.
Laboratory methods
Intended to clarify the stage of the disease:
- Blood test. In the prostate there is an increased content of leukocytes, an increase in the rate of erythrocyte sedimentation and a shift in the formula of leukocytes to perforated cells;
- Urine analysis. Determines the purulent content in the urine and the presence of bacteria. A study of 3 jars is used: 3 portions of urine are taken at the beginning, middle and end of the deurination. Numerous urine tests with an interval of several days reveal a change in the flora of the bacteria;
- Bacteriological blood culture. It is prescribed for the development of blood poisoning with daily temperature fluctuations of 3-5 degrees.
Instrumental Research
- Ultrasound through the rectum. To clarify the diagnosis is the most informative method. This study has contraindications.
- x-ray method. A contrast agent is injected into the bladder before the test.
- Cutting a piece of tissue for microscopic examination is used for limited indications.
Causes of prostatitis
Experts have identified several classifications of the reasons why a man may have prostatitis:
- complication of the symptoms of any diseases that have affected a person before or a negative effect of gynecological diseases in a partner;
- urethral reflex. Prostate dysfunction is fraught with the inability to stop the flow of urine back. When this fluid reaches the genital tract, it is called the urethral reflex. Bacterial seeding of the gland is subsequently formed. Such a disease is a consequence of inflammatory processes in the urethra or improper insertion of the catheter. There is also dilation of the lumen of the urethral canal;
- unusual way of intimate life. If a man has a significant increase or decrease in the number of sexual intercourses, this may contribute to the development of prostatitis. Constant delays in ejaculation are also a cause for concern;
- venous blood plug in the genitals in the pelvic area. This happens in the absence of a sufficient number of active movements, sports;
- hormonal disorders caused by low production of hormones formed in the gonads. Due to this pathology there is a general malaise of skeletal and smooth muscles and other diseases.
Types of prostatitis
There are two divisions of this disease: bacterial and nonbacterial.
The first type is characterized by the fact that the disease arises from the presence of pathogenic microbes that enter the body from the external environment. Staphylococci, streptococci, Escherichia coli and many others fall into the category of harmful microorganisms. In addition, this classification of prostatitis includes cases where the disease is caused by a sexually transmitted disease.
For the second, non-bacterial species, there are also several divisions:
- Congestive prostatitis. In this case, the disease of the gland is caused by congestion in the pelvic area. This result is usually caused by incomplete ejaculation, excessive number of acts of intimacy, prolonged abstinence and incomplete sexual intercourse.
- Sclerotic prostatitis. It is characterized by a decrease in the size and function of the prostate. There is a thickening of the tissue membrane due to the death of prostate cells and their degeneration into hard connective tissue. The reasons for this type are frequent disorders of defecation in the form of obstruction, slow bowel movements, taking certain medications and many infections. This type of inflammation of the prostate is incurable.
- Calculous prostatitis. This type of inflammation reveals the presence of stones in the gland. Reaching a large size, they provoke severe pain in the urethra. Therapy consists of removing stones by surgical or therapeutic methods.
- prostatodynia. It is characterized by the presence of constant pain in the pelvic area, the causes of which have not been studied. It is thought to be caused by a reverse flow of secretions, bladder neck disease, damage to the muscle tissue between the anus and genitals, and is also a possible psychological factor.
- Atypical prostatitis. The patient may complain of pain in the lower extremities, lower back and sacrum, which is not present in typical forms of prostatitis. The outcome of therapy is directly related to the duration of the disease, the presence of complications and the severity of the inflammatory process.
If treatment is started at the wrong time or there is a repeated exacerbation of prostatitis, the inflammation becomes severe, which is fraught with serious complications: reduced potency, inability to conceive a child, depression, severe pain, prostate adenoma in men.
Complications
It will all depend directly on age, immunity, bad habits and timeliness of treatment. So in older people with a lowered immune system, complicated by excessive alcohol consumption, the consequences will be very severe.
Effect on potency. The damaged gland reduces the production of hormones that are responsible for the onset of an erection. Complications include lack of fullness of sensation during intimacy, poor ejaculation, signs of prostate adenoma in men and impotence.
Influence on conception of a child. An inflamed prostate significantly reduces the production of normal secretions needed for sperm activity in the female reproductive organs for fertilization. The secret, falling into the birth canal of the girl with intimacy, is exposed to immune rejection, which leads to the inability to fertilize the egg.
Other complications. Exacerbation of prostatitis increases the risk of accumulation of pus in the tissues of the gland. The pain of prostatitis increases. When a secondary infection attaches, the epithelium melts, followed by the appearance of a capsule near inflammation. Consequences also include a severe form of urinary retention, urolithiasis, the appearance of prostate adenoma in men and others.
Intimacy with inflammation
It has already been proven that the main causes of prostatitis are the lack of sexual intercourse with increased arousal or excessive sexual activity. Regular ejaculation with a normal frequency has a beneficial effect in the early stages of prostatitis. In some procedures and stages of the disease it is temporarily forbidden to engage in intimacy. You can find more detailed information in consultation with a specialist.
Important! You can make love during the treatment of prostatitis, but only in compliance with safety and moderation in the relationship, unless otherwise prescribed by your doctor.
Prostatitis is a purely male disease. But inflammation of the gland poses a risk to the health of the partner. This poses a threat to the conception and birth of an unborn child. A healthy lifestyle and reliable contraception are an effective way to protect partners from complications.
Prostatitis Treatment
It is possible to fully recover and stop the further development of the disease only with timely referral to a specialist. In this case, you will achieve a positive result. When irreversible changes occur, it is not possible to completely get rid of the disease. As a rule, recurrent inflammation occurs with the transition to a chronic type.
Along with drug treatment, an important point is whether the patient is willing to change their lifestyle (for example, irregular intimate relationships or sedentary lifestyle). If the patient does not want to change his usual way of life, then soon the disease will be felt again. It is precisely with the fact that the patient does not want to change these negative factors that the concept that prostatitis cannot be treated is related.
Treatment options, its period of time will be prescribed by a specialist after a complete examination and establishing the cause. Antibiotics are the main drug used during treatment. Vitamins, physiotherapy, analgesics and anti-inflammatory drugs are also recommended. Exacerbation of prostatitis takes a longer period of treatment.
Diet
With the right diet and the use of certain foods you can achieve:
- reduce pain;
- improving the movement of blood and lymph in the vessels of the prostate;
- strengthening the immune system;
- normalize bowel function;
- decrease in urine production at night.
The following foods should be excluded from the diet:
- Coffee and spicy foods - increase blood flow to the prostate, increase pain.
- Fats, fatty meats, eggs, flour - increase the formation of cholesterol plaques on the walls of blood vessels, reduce blood flow.
- Alcoholic products - lowers the body's immune system.
- Food with coarse fiber and salty - disrupts the wavy contractions of the intestinal wall.
- Excessive fluid intake (especially in the evening) - increases fluid content in the body, leading to puffiness.
Recommended foods: salads of fresh vegetables with olive oil, fruits, cooked lean meat, vegetables, juices and nuts.
Prevention
Recommended:
- walk with a wide step (physiological walking);
- rational nutrition;
- healthy lifestyle;
- use of male contraceptives;
- moderate intimacy, etc.
Conclusion
It is not necessary to wait for any diseases to appear, but it is necessary to visit a doctor once a year for preventive purposes. The treatment of secondary exacerbation of prostatitis is much more difficult and takes a longer period of time, and is also fraught with its own complications.
In this article we learned how the inflammation of the prostate gland manifests itself and what pains there are in prostatitis, how to treat this disease.