Prostatitis refers to a purely male pathology of the urinary and reproductive system. The disease can be acute or chronic, manifesting itself differently in each patient. Today it is a common disorder of the genitourinary system. At the moment, the disease has become much younger and already occurs in men over the age of 25. In this article we will consider the question: how prostatitis manifests itself and its treatment.
Required information
The nature of prostate dysfunction depends on a certain stage of sexual development in males:
- Damage to the prostate gland is possible in young males. However, such ailment is not considered a separate disease due to the undeveloped 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 disorders: benign and malignant tumors, chronic prostatitis.
People who have undergone any type of removal of reproductive organs have no prostate function.
The prostate is an accessory gland of the reproductive system in the strong half. It is located at the intersection of the urinary tract and the ejaculatory tunnel. The importance of the prostate gland in male adolescents before puberty has challenged research. In an adult, the prostate is responsible for:
- the formation of a secretion that makes the seminal fluid less viscous and allows the sperm to survive on the way to the egg;
- formation of prostaglandins in the body. It is a component responsible for increasing blood flow to the genitals before the formation of an erection. It also promotes the production of the testosterone hormone;
- is responsible for the high rate of sperm release during ejaculation and also participates in the appearance of the final 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 sperm during intimate relationships.
The prostate gland is a poorly protected organ from pathogenic microbes. It directly depends on the pathological condition of the pelvic organs. A large flow of blood and lymph, which passes through the vessels of the damaged prostate, leads to the phenomenon of stagnation and edema, thus aggravating the inflammation. The gland contains a large number of nerve fibers, so the pathology is manifested by pain.
Prostatitis is inflammatory damage to the prostate gland. The most common cause of this disorder is pelvic infections. But the trapped infection itself is not capable of causing inflammation; this requires the presence of predisposing factors. This category includes:
- measured lifestyle (people with a sedentary job are at risk);
- regular stool retention;
- numerous hypothermia;
- excessively active intimacy and long periods of abstinence;
The prostate is a small organ in size and weighs around 20-25 grams. But the secret of the gland has the ability to have a harmful effect on microbes, therefore, inflammation in the prostate occurs during stagnation, so the secret loses its bactericidal property.
Manifestations of prostatitis
There are two stages of the disease:
The acute form is manifested by the strongest inflammation in the prostate gland. The patient has a fever of up to 39 degrees, there is pain in the groin area and in the process of excretion of feces and urine from the body. These are the first characteristic symptoms of prostatitis.
In a chronic course, these symptoms are alleviated, so many males do not pay attention to the characteristic manifestations of the disease. The patient may have an increase in temperature up to 37 degrees, painful sensations during deurination and defecation. However, the main symptom of chronic prostatitis is the discharge of a small amount of mucous or purulent contents from the urethra.
Predisposing factors
There are 6 first symptoms of prostatitis: it is a failure in the deurination process due to the complicated emission of urine from the bladder when the urethra is compressed by the enlarged prostate gland (dysuria syndrome):
- urine excretion drop by drop;
- painful sensations;
- urine flow without pressure and no more than 20 cm;
- discontinuity of the jet;
- frequent deurination 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 disorder has a very complex process of origin and development, which includes various mechanisms.
Do not treat a disease based solely on clinical manifestations. It is necessary to immediately contact a specialist for an accurate diagnosis and the prescription of therapeutic measures. Diagnostics and therapy are prescribed taking into account the organs and systems affected by the disease. In some cases it is necessary to consult other specialists.
Signs of disease
Prostatitis can manifest itself as an acute form of the inflammatory process and chronic. The acute course is characterized by inflammation of the mucosa, follicle and parenchyma, however, they should not be confused with the symptoms of prostate adenoma. And chronic - manifests itself with concomitant ailments.
Symptoms of prostatitis in men, identified by clinical and functional examinations:
- Frequent urination
A normal man may need deurine 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. An accumulation of urine greater than 350ml creates the strongest urge to urinate.
In the inflammatory process, the walls of the bladder are systematically irritated and deurination becomes:
- not uncommon, while the amount of urine is within normal limits;
- in a small amount: the products of the inflammatory process irritate the receptors of the bladder and there are false desires for deurination, a feeling of full bladder, after its emptying, a feeling of fullness remains;
- 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;
- frequent at night;
- temperature.
Typically, the temperature rises from 37 to 38 degrees. In the initial stage of sepsis with purulent inflammation of the gland, the temperature exceeds 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 outcome in prostatitis with complications of sepsis is unfavorable.
- Blood in the urine
This is quite rare, but it 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 research;
- malignant hyperplasia;
- pain.
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 aching in nature and occurs in the perineum and anus.
Laboratory methods
Appointed to clarify the stage of the disease:
- Blood test. With the prostate, an increase in the content of leukocytes, an increase in the sedimentation rate of erythrocytes and a shift of the leukocyte formula towards the stabbed cells are detected;
- Urinalysis. Determines the purulent content in the urine and the presence of bacteria. A 3-jar study is used: 3 portions of urine are taken at the beginning, middle and end of deurination. Numerous urine studies at intervals of several days reveal changes in the bacterial flora;
- Bacteriological blood culture. It is prescribed for the development of blood poisoning with a daily temperature fluctuation of 3-5 degrees.
Instrumental research
- Ultrasound through the rectum. Clarifying the diagnosis is the most informative method. This study has contraindications.
- X-ray method. Before the examination, a contrast agent is injected into the bladder.
- Excision of a piece of tissue for microscopic examination is used for limited indications.
Reasons for prostatitis
Experts identify several classifications of why a man might have prostatitis:
- complication of symptoms of any disease that has struck a person before or a negative effect of gynecological disorders in a partner;
- urethral reflex. Failure of the prostate to function is fraught with the inability to stop the back flow of urine. When this fluid reaches the genital tract, it is called the urethral reflex. Bacterial seeding of the gland is subsequently formed. This ailment is a consequence of inflammation in the urethra or improper insertion of the catheter. There is also an expansion of the lumen of the urethral canal;
- an unusual way of intimate life. If a man has a significant increase or decrease in the number of sexual intercourse, this can contribute to the development of prostatitis. Constant delays in ejaculation are also a cause for concern;
- plug of venous blood 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 the skeletal and smooth muscles and other ailments.
Types of prostatitis
There are two divisions of this disease: bacterial and non-bacterial.
The first type is characterized by the fact that the disease arises from the presence of pathogenic microbes that have entered the body from the external environment. Staphylococci, streptococci, Escherichia coli and many others fall into the category of harmful microorganisms. Also, 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 gland disease is caused by congestion in the pelvic area. This outcome is usually caused by incomplete ejaculation, an excessive number of acts of intimacy, long abstinence, 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 a hard connective tissue. The reasons for this type are frequent disturbances of defecation in the form of obstructed and slow intestinal action, the intake of certain drugs and numerous infections. This type of prostate inflammation is incurable.
- Calcareous prostatitis. With this type of inflammation, the presence of stones in the gland is revealed. Having reached a large size, they cause severe pain in the urethra. The therapy consists of removing the stones by surgical or therapeutic methods.
- Prostadynia. It is characterized by the presence of constant pain in the pelvic area, the causes of which have not been studied. Presumably it can be caused by backflow of secretions, a bladder neck disease, damage to the muscle tissue between the anus and genitals, and even a psychological factor.
- Atypical prostatitis. The patient may complain of pain in the lower limbs, lumbar and sacrum, which is not present in the typical forms of prostatitis. The result of therapy is directly related to the duration of the course of the disease, the presence of complications and the severity of the inflammatory process.
If the treatment is started at the wrong time or a repeated exacerbation of prostatitis occurs, the inflammation becomes severe, which is fraught with serious complications: decreased potency, inability to conceive a child, depressive conditions, strongpain, prostate adenoma in men.
Complications
Everything will directly depend on age, immunity, bad habits and the timeliness of treatment. So, in older people with a lowered immune system, complicated by excessive consumption of alcohol-containing products, the consequences will be very serious.
Action on power. The damaged gland reduces the production of hormones responsible for starting an erection. Complications are a lack of fullness of sensations during intimacy, a weak ejection of seminal fluid, signs of prostate adenoma in men and impotence.
Influence on the conception of a child. An inflamed prostate greatly reduces the production of the normal secretions necessary for sperm activity in the female reproductive organs for fertilization. The secret, entering the girl's birth canal with intimacy, is exposed to immune rejection, which leads to the impossibility of fertilization of the egg.
Other complications. With an exacerbation of prostatitis, the risk of accumulation of pus in the tissues of the gland increases. Pain with prostatitis increases. When a secondary infection is attached, the epithelium dissolves, followed by the appearance of a capsule near the inflammation. In addition, the consequences include an acute form of urinary retention, urolithiasis, the appearance of prostate adenoma in men and others.
Intimacy with inflammation
It has already been shown that the main causes of prostatitis are lack of sexual intercourse with increased excitability or excessive sexual activity. Regular ejaculation with 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. More detailed information can be found in consultation with a specialist.
Important! During the treatment of prostatitis, you can make love, but only with safety and moderation in the relationship, unless otherwise prescribed by the doctor.
Prostatitis is an exclusively male disease. But the inflammation of the gland poses a risk to the health of the partner. It poses a threat to the conception and bearing of an unborn child. A healthy lifestyle and reliable contraception are an effective way to protect partners from complications.
Treatment of prostatitis
It is possible to fully recover and stop the further development of the disease only with a timely referral to a specialist. In this case, you will get a positive result. When irreversible changes appear, it is not possible to completely get rid of the disease. As a rule, repeated inflammation occurs with a transition to a chronic type.
Along with drug treatment, an important point is whether the patient is ready to change his lifestyle (for example, irregular intimate relationships or a sedentary lifestyle). If the patient does not want to change his usual way of life, the disease will soon make itself felt again. It is precisely with the fact that the patient does not want to change these negative factors and the concept that prostatitis cannot be cured is connected.
Treatment options, its time period will be prescribed by a specialist after a comprehensive examination and determination of the cause of the event. The main drug used during treatment is antibiotics. Vitamins, physiotherapy, analgesics and anti-inflammatory drugs are also recommended. Exacerbation of prostatitis requires a longer treatment period.
Diet
With the right diet and the use of certain foods, you can get:
- reduces pain;
- improve the movement of blood and lymph in the vessels of the prostate;
- strengthen the immune system;
- normalization of intestinal function;
- decreased urine output at night.
The following foods should be excluded from the diet:
- Coffee and spicy foods: increases blood flow to the prostate, increases pain.
- Fats, fatty meats, eggs, flour products: increase the formation of cholesterol plaques on the walls of blood vessels, reduce the movement of blood flow.
- Alcohol products - lowers the body's immune system.
- Food with coarse and salty fiber - violates the swaying contractions of the intestinal walls.
- Excessive fluid intake (especially in the evening) - increases the fluid content in the body, which leads to swelling.
Recommended foods: fresh vegetable salads with olive oil, fruit, boiled lean meats, vegetables, juices and nuts.
Prevention
Recommended:
- walking with a wide step (physiological walking);
- rational nutrition;
- healthy lifestyle;
- use of male contraceptives;
- moderate intimacy and more.
Conclusion
It is not necessary to wait for ailments to appear, but you need to visit a doctor once a year for preventive purposes. Treatment for a secondary exacerbation of prostatitis is much more difficult and takes a longer period of time and is also fraught with complications.
In this article we learned how inflammation of the prostate gland manifests itself and what pains there are with prostatitis, how to treat this ailment.