Pain when urinating, a burning sensation in the urethra, erection problems, and frequent trips to the toilet are all symptoms of an inflammatory process in the prostate. What is prostatitis? The disease is multifactorial, the etiology is due to a combination of provoking factors that lead to inflammation. In medical practice, pathology is classified according to the course, pathogenesis and other aspects. Let's consider what causes the disease, what symptoms it manifests itself and how it is treated.
What is prostatitis?
To understand what prostatitis in men is, you need to know what the glandular organ is. The prostate is a male internal organ. In appearance, it resembles a "heart" or a "chestnut". The ancient doctors called this organ "the second male heart".
The functionality of the glandular organ is as follows:
- Production of a secret, which is a liquid with a specific smell;
- Protect the prostate gland from infections;
- Maintaining full erectile function;
- Synthesis of the testosterone hormone;
- Ensure the normal urination process.
The production of secretions in the prostate is constantly observed. In healthy representatives of the stronger sex, it enters the urethra in the process of sperm secretion. Prostatic secretion increases the volume of sperm, contributes to the maintenance of vital sperm activity.
For your information, prostatitis is a common disease diagnosed in 80% of men, of which 30% are diagnosed at the age of 20-40. According to static studies, pathology is observed in every tenth man.
If an ultrasound examination reveals swelling of the prostate gland, foci of inflammation in it, then this is prostatitis. In most clinical pictures, the inflammatory process proceeds together with the formation of stones. The male organ is surrounded by the urethral canal and seminal ducts, and edema leads to compression of the ureter. As a result, the dominant symptom of the disease is revealed - problems when urinating - pain, cramps, burning.
When an inflammatory process occurs, the qualitative and quantitative composition of the prostate juice changes, as a result, sexual desire decreases, erection worsens, potency decreases.
Causes and symptoms of prostatitis
Speaking of prostatitis, it is impossible to name the exact cause of the inflammatory process. Many doctors agree that the etiology is based on a combination of certain factors.
The appearance of prostatitis is due to the following reasons:
- Infectious diseases that are transmitted during intercourse.
- Violation of blood circulation in the pelvic organs. This leads to an inactive lifestyle, too tight underwear, jeans.
- Injury to the organs of the perineum, which cause poor circulation.
- Frequent hypothermia, the presence of chronic pathologies of the reproductive system.
- Hormonal imbalance, irregular sex life, prolonged abstinence.
- Inflammation in the rectum can provoke the development of prostatitis.
- Constipation of a chronic nature.
- Decreased immune status. Primary sources include chronic stress, unhealthy eating habits, alcohol consumption, smoking, unbalanced diet.
- Urological infections such as gonorrhea.
Indeed, there are many reasons for the onset of the pathological process. Only by establishing the provoking factor can one speak of a favorable prognosis.
Prostatitis is acute and chronic. In the first case, a man's body temperature rises significantly, frequent trips to the toilet are observed, accompanied by severe pain syndrome and weak pressure of the urine stream. Often, such a clinic is accompanied by a burning sensation in the perineum, painful sensations in the rectum during bowel movement.
It is worth knowing:with purulent inflammation of the prostate gland and the opening of the abscess, there is a discharge of purulent masses from the urethral canal or rectum.
In the chronic course of the pathology, the symptoms are not very pronounced. Patients are diagnosed with the following clinic:
- Low-grade fever, which does not subside for a long time
- Pain in the pubic area
- Problems with bowel movements
- Constant fatigue, unreasonable nervousness and irritability.
Difficulty urinating is a particular danger against the background of inflammation in the glandular organ. In the absence of proper treatment, it can lead to serious consequences: acute urinary retention.
Types of prostatitis
So, to learn everything about prostatitis in men, you need to consider the forms of the disease. First of all, there is an acute and chronic inflammatory process. The name "cutting edge" speaks for itself. This indicates that there is an inflammatory process caused by infections. In most cases, microbes, a little less often the simpler microorganisms or fungi.
In the absence of therapy for an acute form of pathology, it turns into a chronic course, can give a complication in the form of benign hyperplasia of the glandular organ. Symptoms are not sharply expressed, which is the danger of this type of disease.
The etiology of chronic prostatitis is due to pathogenic microorganisms and other causes. For example, the phenomenon of stagnation in the pelvic organs, age-related changes.
Important:bacterial prostatitis is acute and chronic. Inflammation is provoked by bacteria - Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, enterococci, Klebsiella. Most often, this type is diagnosed in men from 20 to 40 years old, in relation to other types of prostatitis, it occurs in 5-10% of clinical pictures.
Other types of inflammation in the prostate gland:
- The stone form of prostatitis is characterized by an inflammatory process that develops due to the formation of stones in the prostate. Most often it is diagnosed in patients of the elderly age group who have neglected the drug treatment of the acute form. A neglected stone disease leads to impaired reproductive function, infertility, impotence, adenoma and other complications.
- The stagnant form of the disease most often proceeds in a chronic form, the etiology is not infectious. The main reason is the stagnation of blood in the pelvic organs, for example in case of impaired blood circulation in the pelvis or stagnation of prostatic secretions due to an irregular intimate life.
- An infectious disease develops due to the activity of pathogenic bacteria, in most pictures, tests detect E. coli. There is an acute and chronic course, the clinic is similar to the bacterial species.
- A purulent form is the most dangerous type of pathology. In medicine, purulent prostatitis is classified into other types. Phlegm develops against the background of a weak immune state along with the progression of sore throat and flu. Follicular prostatitis is already the second stage of a purulent disease; there is a discharge of pus in the prostate, which is accompanied by a strong pain syndrome and a high body temperature. The parenchymal form is a severe form that requires prompt treatment. With an abscess of the tissues of the glandular organ, they speak of an abscess disease; therapy must be started immediately, as there is a threat of sepsis.
The treatment regimen for inflammation in the prostate gland is due to a specific type of pathology, respectively, it can differ significantly. It is possible to combine drugs with physiotherapy procedures and alternative therapies.
Diagnosis of prostatitis
To diagnose inflammation, the doctor collects the patient's medical history, then prescribes laboratory and instrumental research methods. They allow, on the basis of certain indicators, to make an error-free diagnosis.
Done:you can suspect prostatitis with a rectal examination of the prostate gland. Pain in the anterior rectal region and an increase in the size of the organs are characteristic signs of inflammation.
After rectal palpation, the following diagnostic methods are prescribed:
- Ultrasound examination reveals the size of the organ, symptoms of the inflammatory process, changes in the structure of soft tissues;
- The study of prostatic secretion allows you to identify its composition and deviations from the norm;
- The study of urine and a smear from the mucous membrane of the urethra will help determine the infectious diseases transmitted during sexual intercourse;
- Evaluation of the hormonal status. An overabundance of hormonal substances can lead to the pathological proliferation of the tissues of the glandular organ, and a decrease in the concentration of hormones can lead to its malfunction.
In the diagnosis of a specialist doctor, it is not the inflammation itself that is affected, as it can be detected by palpation of the prostate gland, but the causes of the disease. After all, determining the correct provoking factor allows you to prescribe an effective course of therapy.
Methods of treatment of the disease
Treatment of prostatitis is always a complex process that includes taking various medications. It is not forbidden to use traditional methods of therapy with the permission of the attending physician.
Therapeutic activities include the following:
- Antibacterial pills, immunostimulating drugs, anti-inflammatory drugs. Dosage, frequency and duration of use are determined individually. Medicines can be purchased at a pharmacy, many of which require a doctor's prescription.
- Physiotherapeutic manipulations: the use of a magnetic field, leech therapy, ultrasound and laser treatment.
- Massage the prostate gland. It allows you to strengthen the reproductive system, normalize blood circulation in the prostate and pelvic organs.
Traditional therapeutic methods include decoctions and infusions based on medicinal herbs. Patient reviews note the high therapeutic efficacy of red root, licorice and marshmallow rhizomes.
Important:to cure prostatitis, it is necessary to strictly adhere to the prescribed treatment regimen. Self-administration of drugs, even the most effective, may not give the desired result. There is no single therapeutic tactic: what helps one patient harms the second patient.
Preventive actions
Prostatitis is one of the easiest diseases to prevent. Doctors have long developed preventive measures to rule out the disease. Prevention is primary and secondary. In the second case, it is aimed at preventing the recurrence of a chronic disease.
Preventive actions:
- Physical activity;
- Regular sexual intercourse;
- Exclusion of promiscuous sexual relations;
- Timely treatment of all concomitant pathologies;
- Preventive examinations by a urologist;
- Rational nutrition, rejection of bad eating habits.
Prevention of inflammation of the prostate gland does not require a lot of time and investment of funds, and the effectiveness of measures is undeniable.
Prostatitis is a common disease. The self-healing rate is very low. Lack of adequate therapy leads to a chronic course of the disease, which periodically worsens and can provoke organ hyperplasia or oncology.