Prostatitis: causes, symptoms and treatment of the disease.

Unfortunately, inflammation of the prostate tissue is not uncommon in modern men.Prostatitis occurs most often in patients over 40 years of age, but it is possible to develop this disease at an earlier age.With careful attention to his health and timely contact with a urologist, a man can fully cope with the problem and avoid many complications.To detect the disease in time, it is necessary to know what symptoms of prostatitis are characteristic.The diagnosis of this disease is well established in modern medicine and does not pose any problems.Any urologist knows how to cure prostatitis, what methods to use in each specific case.The greatest success comes from complex treatment, which includes several methods.

Causes and provoking factors of prostatitis.

What is prostatitis?This is an inflammation of the prostate tissue, which can develop due to infection or congestion.The impetus for the appearance of prostatitis and the provoking factor can be certain diseases or lifestyle characteristics.Age-related changes after 40 years without adequate preventive measures quite quickly lead to stagnation of the pelvic organs and the development of inflammation of the prostate.It has been noted that prostatitis disease is diagnosed more often in men belonging to certain groups.

Risk groups are older men who lead a sedentary lifestyle and abuse alcohol.There is also an increased risk of developing prostatitis in those who have suffered urological infections, have intestinal problems and, in particular, suffer from constipation.If a man belongs to one of these groups, then he should undergo diagnostic examinations more often, since in members of the risk group prostatitis is diagnosed twice as often.

Prostatitis symptoms

Although the manifestations of prostatitis may be similar to other diseases of the genitourinary system, there are still signs from the body that should alert a man and become a reason to go to the doctor.It is better to do this as soon as the slightest disturbance occurs in men's health, then the treatment will be easier and more effective.To understand how to treat prostatitis in men, it is necessary to have an idea of the manifestations of the disease.

Main signs of prostatitis.

• Urinary disorders
• Problems in the sexual sphere,
• Pain in the pelvic area.

Why do these symptoms appear?This is due to changes that occur in the tissues of the prostate.Due to inflammation, it increases and begins to put pressure on the urethra, narrowing its lumen.These processes cause problems with urination and worsen urine flow.As the inflammation develops, sexual disorders also increase, which also gradually worsen.

When should you sound the alarm?The sooner the better, that is, at the first signs of prostatitis:

• difficulty urinating,
• there is pain in the pelvic area.

Then there are other signs:

• discomfort during bowel movements,
• the appearance of streaks of blood in the urine,
• discharge from the urethra,
• deterioration of erection,
• weakening of orgasm.

Forms of prostatitis and their characteristics.

Prostatitis can be infectious and stagnant, as well as acute and chronic.The infectious form can be acute and chronic, and the congestive form, as a rule, only chronic.Acute symptoms are always pronounced, cause concern in men and often become a reason to consult a doctor.As for a chronic disease, it develops gradually, the symptoms of prostatitis increase slowly.For this reason, men in most cases go to the urologist when the disease is already in an advanced stage and perhaps some unpleasant complications have appeared.

Infectious prostatitis is usually caused by bacteria, but viruses and fungi can also cause inflammation of the prostate.Where does the infection come from?In most cases, from the patient's own urinary tract.Cystitis or urethritis often leads to the spread of infection to the prostate.Almost any source of infection in the body with impaired immunity and the presence of provoking factors can cause inflammation of the prostate.

Symptoms of acute prostatitis.

• Difficulty and pain when urinating.
• Frequent need to urinate,
• groin pain
• Weakening of the erection
• temperature increase,
• General weakness
• Discharge from the urethra.

The general condition of the body is noticeably affected, so acute infectious prostatitis is difficult to miss.If the cause is a bacterial infection, a slimy yellowish discharge occurs from the urethra.They appear both during urination and during the act of defecating, that is, during effort.

The disease begins acutely with obvious symptoms and goes through the following stages:

1. catarrhal,
2. follicular,
3. parenchymatous,
4. abscesses.

The catarrhal stage is an inflammation in which individual lobes of the prostate are affected and the first urination disorders are observed.Due to inflammation of the tissues, their swelling develops, which leads to stagnation of secretions in the follicles of the gland and the progression of inflammation.

After this, the disease of prostatitis goes to the next stage, follicular, and is accompanied by focal suppuration of the prostate lobes.The main symptoms are pain in the perineum, groin, significant problems urinating and body temperature up to 38°C.

If the disease is not stopped at this stage, the process spreads to a large number of lobes of the prostate and its parenchymal tissue.This is the parenchymal stage.It is accompanied by fever, fever, the temperature rises to 39°C.The patient suffers from severe pain in the groin and perineum, urination is frequent and painful.At this stage, a dangerous complication such as acute urinary retention may develop, requiring emergency care.

With further development of the disease, prostatitis can become dangerous.When small abscesses merge, an abscess forms in the prostate gland.It may open and then pus will flow into the bladder, urethra and rectum.This is accompanied by severe pain, dysfunction of the pelvic organs, suppuration of their tissues and the threat of sepsis.

Characteristics of chronic prostatitis.

If acute prostatitis has not received normal treatment in time, there is a high risk of it becoming chronic.Then the disease progresses slowly, not being remembered for some time, but periods of exacerbation will periodically occur.It is possible that the symptoms of prostatitis appear constantly, but not as strongly as in the acute form of the disease.

The second and most common cause of chronic prostatitis is congestion in the prostate and pelvic organs.Both venous stagnation, which impairs blood outflow and nutrition of organ tissue, and stagnation of prostate secretion, which reduces its functionality, are dangerous.

Symptoms of the chronic form

• Aching pain that can be felt in the abdomen, epididymis, perineum, rectum,
• painful erection
• Frequent trips to the bathroom.
• pain when urinating,
• Decreased sexual desire
• difficulty ejaculating
• With bacterial causes of the disease, there is discharge from the urethra.

The disease of prostatitis is called insidious.Seeing a urologist at an advanced stage is not always evidence of a man's lack of attention to his health.Inflammation of the prostate can last for years without clinical manifestations or noticeable symptoms, and at some point, when exposed to a provoking factor, all manifestations develop very quickly.

prostatitis pain

The prostate itself does not hurt, but nerve endings arise from it that react to the inflammatory process.The location of the prostate and nerve pathways is such that pain impulses diverge along the pelvic organs, so pain can be felt in different places.

Location of pain in prostatitis.

• lower abdomen
• sacrum,
• scrotum,
• Crotch.

The nature of painful sensations depends on the intensity, the prevalence of the process, as well as the characteristics of the man's body.In some cases, even mild inflammation can cause quite intense pain in the patient, in others the man barely feels it even with an intense inflammatory process.In any case, if measures are not taken to treat the inflammation, it will progress and the pain will gradually increase.The pain syndrome can be so intense that the man cannot live at his usual pace.In such cases, urgent measures are required.Several factors can contribute to increased pain:

• physical activity,
• excessive sexual activity,
• abstinence.

The nature of pain with prostatitis is similar to pain with urethritis, cystitis or osteochondrosis, therefore, to make a diagnosis, it is necessary to undergo an examination.Hormones play an important role in the body's response.A high level of testosterone acts as a kind of pain reliever, so men of active age may not feel the manifestations of diseases.

Problems urinating

Difficulty urinating always accompanies prostatitis.This symptom is present in both acute and chronic forms, both in infectious and congestive inflammation of the prostate gland.

How do urinary disorders manifest in prostatitis?

• The urine stream becomes weaker.
• To start the act of urinating you have to make an effort,
• There is a frequent urge to urinate, which may be painful,
• Possible pain and burning when urinating.
• After going to the bathroom, you may feel persistent pain in your perineum.
• Stagnation of urine with severe narrowing of the lumen of the urethra.

Causes of problems urinating due to inflammation of the prostate.

• The relative position of the prostate and urethra,
• Changes in tissues.
• Interruption of nerve conduction in the pelvic area.
• Impaired bladder function.

One of the reasons for urinary problems lies in the anatomical structure of the male genitourinary system.The prostate covers the urethra, so even a mild inflammatory process causes a narrowing of the urethra, because the prostate swells and increases in volume.The manifestations of such disorders can be of different intensity - from a barely noticeable weakening of the urine stream to pain that requires effort to urinate.

If the disease lasts a long time, changes occur in the scar-sclerotic tissue.They interrupt the normal flow of urine, which causes disorders.

Cicatricial and sclerotic processes can cause not only the formation of mechanical obstacles to the outflow of urine or deterioration of peristalsis of the urinary tract, but also a disturbance of innervation.Nerve impulses transmitted from the bladder cannot completely pass through the damaged tissue.That is why “confusion” occurs: either there is a false urge to urinate or, on the contrary, the man does not feel that his bladder is full.It is possible to stop urinating even before the bladder has emptied.

All of the above changes cause stagnation of urine, a deterioration in its outflow, a change in the sensitivity of this organ and a weakening or, on the contrary, a strengthening of its muscle tone.A fairly common disorder of prostatitis is the so-called overactive bladder.What happens in such an organ?A high pressure is created inside, even when it is slightly filled.Due to this, an impulse enters the brain that becomes the urge to urinate.With an overactive bladder, these urges can be so strong that they can cause urinary incontinence.Of course, these situations don't happen too often;They are caused by the gradual development of the disease and the lack of adequate treatment.As a rule, incontinence appears in old and advanced forms of chronic prostatitis.

Sexual disorders

The problems that arise in men in the sexual sphere are perceived by them more acutely than other manifestations of prostatitis.In the acute form of the disease, they disappear quite quickly as soon as the patient recovers.With chronic inflammation of the prostate, sexual dysfunctions often become persistent and can be difficult to cope with.

Manifestations of sexual disorders.

• Light discharge from the urethra.
• blood in semen
• Decreased libido
• Decreased sperm quality, which can cause infertility.
• Painful erection or ejaculation
• Decreased intensity of orgasm or its absence.
• premature ejaculation
• Potency disorder up to the total absence of erection.

Why is this happening?How are prostatitis and male sexual functions related?The main causes of problems in the sexual sphere with prostatitis are disturbances in nerve conduction and hormonal balance that arise due to inflammation and damage to organ tissue.

Nerve conduction disorder

Receptors in the prostate that send the appropriate impulses are responsible for erection and ejaculation.Advanced male prostatitis damages the tissue of the gland and scars form on its surface, preventing the receptors from conducting impulses as well as before.Because of this, the erection may decrease, problems with ejaculation may arise, and the man no longer feels the pleasure of sexual intercourse so clearly.If there is significant inflammation of the prostate due to the overflow of blood into the pelvic organs during sexual intercourse, there may be too much pressure on the nerve plexuses.This causes pain during erection or ejaculation.

hormonal imbalance

The prostate in men is an organ that regulates hormonal balance and is responsible for the production of testosterone.In addition, it converts this hormone into a more active form: dihydrotestosterone.As you know, a normal concentration of testosterone ensures the level of libido and the possibility of having sexual relations, that is, an erection.If inflammation of the prostate occurs, its functions are also altered and, consequently, the production of male sex hormones is reduced, which is manifested by a decrease in the man's sexual capabilities.

The severity of the disorder largely depends not on the degree of tissue damage, but on the sexual constitution of the man, and the possibility of recovery depends on his attitude and cooperation with the treating doctor.

How to make a diagnosis

How to properly treat prostatitis, as well as the results of treatment, depend on an accurate diagnosis.It is impossible to make a diagnosis of prostatitis without instrumental studies.The fact is that its symptoms and manifestations are similar to those of other diseases of the prostate and urinary tract.In some cases, it is necessary to carry out a differential diagnosis even with diseases of the spine.

Diagnostic measures

• Take anamnesis at a consultation with a urologist,
• digital rectal exam,
• laboratory tests,
• Transrectal ultrasound of the prostate,
• urodynamic studies,
• determination of PSA,
• urethroscopy,
• cystoscopy,
• Prostate biopsy.

The list of studies is quite extensive, but it is not always necessary to carry out a complete set.

How is the patient examined?

Usually, men who go to a urologist are more interested in how to quickly cure prostatitis.It depends on your reasons and the patient's own wishes.At the first appointment with a specialist, a detailed medical history is collected and then a digital rectal examination is necessary.It will allow you to determine the pain in the prostate area, its size and swelling.TRUS (transrectal ultrasound) and laboratory tests are then prescribed.Only after a series of procedures can a specialist understand how to cure prostatitis in a particular case.

What does TRUS provide?

• Reveals the exact dimensions of the prostate gland and its individual sections,
• It allows the condition of soft tissues and seminal vesicles to be examined and evaluated in detail.

What tests should be performed?

• General urine and blood tests.
• Bacteriological urine culture,
• urethral smear
• Prostate discharge.

Other types of studies are prescribed if necessary.Determination of urodynamics is required in case of pronounced urinary disorders to assess bladder functions.If a prostate adenoma or the development of a tumor is suspected, a blood test is performed to detect the tumor marker PSA (prostate-specific antigen) and a biopsy of glandular tissue is performed for histological examination.

Prostatitis treatment

Modern medicine offers many opportunities to deal with prostatitis.The most effective treatment of prostatitis in men is based on an integrated approach that includes several methods.Specific methods of treating prostatitis depend on the stage, timing of the disease, the degree of prevalence and severity of symptoms, as well as the individual characteristics of the organism in each specific case.As a rule, all treatment is carried out by a urologist on an outpatient basis.In rare cases, if dangerous complications arise, the patient is hospitalized.

Treatment methods

• medication,
• massage,
• therapeutic gymnastics,
• surgery,
• Minimally invasive methods of destruction of inflamed tissues and dilation of the urethra.

Pharmacological treatment

The first question that arises after the examination is how to treat prostatitis in men.First of all, they turn to drug therapy.It is prescribed depending on the causes of prostatitis and the existing symptoms.

Medications for the treatment of prostatitis:

• Antibacterial agents (for bacterial prostatitis),
• Antiviral medications (for the viral form),
• Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs,
• alpha blockers,
• pain relievers,
• decongestants,
• Antipyretic.

Many medications for the treatment of prostate inflammation are prescribed in the form of suppositories.This way allows you to get a faster effect.Under no circumstances should you prescribe medications yourself, because each drug has contraindications and side effects that only a specialist can take into account.

massage

This method of treating prostatitis is used as an additional method when using drug therapy.It provides faster treatment of prostatitis and much better results.Internal and external massage methods are used.

The main and most effective way to massage the prostate is digital rectal stimulation.The specialist performing the massage inserts a finger into the patient's rectum, palpates the prostate and performs massage movements.

Benefits of massage:

• Improved blood supply,
• gland stimulation,
• Elimination of stagnant secretions.

Thanks to prostate massage, the effect of medications increases and recovery occurs much faster.

External massage does not involve penetration into the body;Massage movements are performed through the skin of the perineum.This procedure is a good prevention of prostatitis in men, but its effectiveness is not enough to treat the disease.

therapeutic gymnastics

How can prostatitis be treated with therapeutic exercises?When performing exercises, arterial blood flow to the prostate occurs and venous blood outflow is improved, that is, stagnation in the organ is eliminated.Of course, this happens gradually with regular exercise.The complex, aimed at maintaining men's health, consists of a set of simple exercises that are performed in a lying, sitting or standing position.One of the simplest and most effective exercises is periodic tension and relaxation of the muscles of the anus.It can be done at any time, almost anywhere, even at work, because it is completely invisible to others.This exercise is an excellent prevention of prostatitis in men;allows you to maintain good muscle tone of the perineum and active blood circulation.

Minimally invasive methods to correct prostate problems.

Modern medicine offers minimally invasive methods of treating prostatitis in men, which have been developed quite recently.They are used in cases where a set of conservative therapy measures does not solve the problem.Such methods are indicated in cases where it is necessary to ensure the outflow of urine and reduce inflammation.

Suggested techniques:

• Transuretal microwave therapy helps reduce the size of the prostate by applying high temperature.
• Ultrasound treatment of the prostate helps relieve inflammation.
• Laser methods allow tissues to coagulate, which leads to their renewal and strengthening of local immunity.
• Cryodestruction is a method of removing areas of inflamed tissue using low temperatures.
• Urethral balloon dilation is a mechanical dilation of the urethra using a special inflator balloon that is inserted by catheterization.
• Urethral stenting can be used alone or in conjunction with balloon dilation.The urethra is dilated with a stent.

Surgical treatment

The radical method of treating prostatitis is surgery.Today it is used very rarely, only in difficult cases when other methods do not give results.The essence of the operation is resection of the prostate, which reduces pressure on the urethra, improves urodynamics and relieves symptoms of inflammation.

The operation can be performed openly or transuretically, that is, through the urethra.

Men suffering from this disease are interested in knowing if it is possible to cure prostatitis and forget about it forever.As long as there are no major scar changes in the glandular tissue, a complete cure is possible.The most important thing to achieve success in the treatment of prostatitis is a timely visit to the urologist.As soon as problems with urination appear, you should go to a medical facility, undergo an examination and, if necessary, receive treatment prescribed by a doctor.To avoid the question of how to recover from prostatitis, it is worth engaging in its prevention: leading an active lifestyle, eating right, not abusing alcohol and being attentive to everything related to the preservation of men's health.