Prostatitis is an inflammation of the prostate gland. It is one of the most common diseases in men. Most of the patients are men over 30 years old. If left untreated, the disease progresses rapidly and leads to serious complications – infertility, impotence and cancer.
Most often, prostatitis is manifested as painful urination, purulent and bloody discharge in the urine, and sexual dysfunction.
The prostate is an organ that produces sperm and regulates urination. It is located under the bladder. It consists of three departments. During ejaculation, the prostate begins to contract, pushing the seminal fluid through the urethra. The gland is involved in limiting urinary incontinence, in the formation of an erection and in the production of sperm.
Prostate juice contains a large amount of protein, fat, enzymes and even some vitamins. The juice dilutes the seminal fluid, thus promoting sperm viability. The prostate is an active organ. It depends on the level of hormones and participates in the creation of sex hormones.
Causes
It is difficult to identify the exact cause that triggered the development of prostatitis in a particular person. Most likely, it will be a complex of factors that, to one degree or another, led to the problem.
Let's consider the causes and factors that can contribute to the development of prostatitis:
- Hypothermia and stress. The body's defenses are reduced, which contributes to the appearance of inflammatory processes.
- Hormonal imbalances. The level of sex hormones affects the activity of the prostate.
- Sexually transmitted infections and urinary tract infections.
- Various disorders of mechanisms in the body: urination disorders, congestion in the pelvis. A hypodynamic lifestyle and tight underwear hinder blood circulation in the pelvis. And problems with urination contribute to irritation of the tissue of the gland and cause prostatitis. Constipation can also be considered a predisposing factor.
- Prolonged abstinence from sexual intercourse, interrupted sexual intercourse or artificial prolongation of sexual intercourse. This leads to an increase in the gland and its inflammation.
- Poor nutrition and alcohol abuse.
Prostate infection can occur in 4 ways:
- Descending - enters with the flow of urine.
- Ascending - rises along the urethra.
- Lymphogenic - together with the flow of lymph.
- Hematogenous - along with blood flow.
Symptoms and signs of prostatitis
Symptoms of prostatitis can be different. According to the nature of the course, acute and chronic prostatitis are distinguished.
Common signs of prostatitis include the following:
- problems with urination - it is frequent, sometimes difficult;
- deterioration of erection;
- burning sensation in the groin;
- urine is cloudy and contains fibers;
- the orgasm is not great;
- increased fatigue;
- reduced potency;
- depression, anxiety.
Acute prostatitis most often begins with an increase in body temperature to 39-40 degrees. The prostate gland swells, causing problems with urination. It is difficult and accompanied by pain.
During an exacerbation of prostatitis, the patient feels pain in the perineum, as well as in the rectum, groin and sacrum.
Acute prostatitis can be catarrhal, follicular and parenchymal. Characteristics of acute prostatitis:
- Follicular acute prostatitis is characterized by weak stream pressure during urination. It is accompanied by intense pain, which may radiate to the anal area, and is especially intensified during defecation. A slight increase in temperature is possible.
- Parenchymal acute prostatitis is characterized by unexpected throbbing pain in the perineal area. Body intoxication is observed, the temperature can reach 40 degrees. Often accompanied by urinary retention.
- Catarrhal acute prostatitis causes pain in the perineum, frequent urination and pain during urination.
Chronic prostatitis can develop from an acute form, but more often it immediately develops into a chronic form. Symptoms are erased, without clear signs and manifestations.
Symptoms and signs caused by chronic prostatitis:
- reduced erection and libido;
- decreased flow rate during urination;
- cramps and pain when urinating;
- aching pain in the perineum, anus, sacrum.
Since the signs of chronic prostatitis are not clearly expressed, the patient often does not pay attention to the symptoms for a long time, which makes its development difficult and can cause complications.
Diagnosis of prostatitis
Medicine does not stand still, and diagnosing prostatitis is not difficult. After collecting the medical history, the doctor can prescribe different diagnostic methods to confirm the diagnosis of prostatitis.
- Palpation of the prostate through the rectum to diagnose prostatitis. It will detect pain and increased size, which are characteristic signs of the inflammatory process in it, and during palpation, secretion of the prostate is released, which is sent for analysis.
- Ultrasound examination.
- Microscopic examination of prostate secretions.
- Bacteriological examination of urine.
- Mucous smear and glandular secretion for infection.
- Urethral smear analysis to determine sexually transmitted infections that can cause prostatitis.
- Blood test to determine sex hormones.
These diagnostic measures help not only in confirming the diagnosis, because in general the symptoms are quite pronounced, but also in discovering the cause of the disease.
Treatment of prostatitis
Currently, there are many treatment options for prostatitis. This includes traditional and folk medicine methods. Traditional medicine can serve as a supplement to basic therapy. It is dangerous to self-treat prostatitis, as it can lead to complications.
Doctors always resort to the traditional, medical method of treating prostatitis. This helps to relieve swelling, severe inflammation and normalize prostate function.
A complex of different methods is usually prescribed:
- rectal suppositories. They reduce pain and relieve inflammation;
- injections;
- non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs;
- instillation - the drug is injected directly into the prostate;
- microenema;
- medicine tablets. Most often, antibacterial drugs;
- alpha-blockers.
A set of therapeutic measures is selected individually, depending on the degree of the disease, the manifestation of symptoms and the expected therapeutic effect for the patient.
If the bacterial cause of prostatitis is determined, then broad-spectrum antibiotics are prescribed that can destroy several strains of bacteria. They can be in the form of suppositories, tablets and injections.
Painkillers are used to relieve pain.
Alpha-blockers - help to relax the muscles of the urethra, which is a consequence of prostatitis. Various muscle relaxants are used to relieve tension in the perineal area.
A necessary step would be to improve blood circulation to relieve congestion and take vitamins.
Various physiotherapeutic procedures and prostate massage are mandatory for the treatment of prostatitis. Prostate massage is used for all forms and stages of disease development, it improves circulation and pushes secretions with a pathogenic environment into the urethra.
Some scientists have become skeptical of this method of treating prostatitis, arguing that the pathogenic environment penetrates further into the genitourinary system and contributes to the inflammation of other organs. Experiments are currently being conducted, this point of view has not been clinically disproved or proven, therefore massage is an integral method of prostatitis treatment.
Traditional treatment at home
Traditional medicine is often used in the treatment of prostatitis at home. If chronic prostatitis is diagnosed, additional therapy with folk remedies will be of great help. It will not be superfluous in case of acute manifestation of prostatitis, however, treatment only at home is unacceptable.
Among the popular methods, the following can be called quite effective:
- Treatment of prostatitis with pumpkin seeds. Pumpkin seeds contain a large amount of zinc, which is necessary for men, regardless of whether they have prostatitis.
- Treatment of prostatitis with parsley - helps to relieve inflammation and normalize sexual function. It contains a large amount of vitamins.
- Treatment of prostatitis with infusions of hemlock and celandine. This method should be used with caution, as these plants are poisonous and strict adherence to dosage and dosing regimen is required.
- Treatment of prostatitis with wormwood. It is used to relieve inflammation and remove purulent infection.
- Treatment of prostatitis with garlic, dill, hazelnuts, chestnut, propolis, herbs, etc.
Most of these methods are aimed at alleviating inflammatory processes and normalizing sexual function. A large number of different vitamins saturate the body, which plays a role in the prevention of exacerbations of prostatitis.
Consequences of prostatitis
If you refuse and if the treatment of prostatitis is not started on time, there is a high probability of developing serious complications. Among the complications:
- infertility;
- impotence;
- BPH;
- prostate cancer and others.
If treatment is refused, the infection will penetrate further into nearby tissues. Other prostate diseases can develop, including stones and cysts.
With prostatitis, the level of sex hormones decreases, which leads to a decrease in sexual desire (libido). Erectile dysfunction begins and premature ejaculation may occur. Impotence is possible.
Prostatitis also leads to infertility. This problem is especially common in those patients who have chronic prostatitis. This complication occurs in half of these patients.
Sclerosis of the prostate may develop. In this case, the gland partially or completely stops functioning. This problem is accompanied by severe pain, sexual dysfunction and problems with urination.
Prostate adenoma and prostate cancer are the most dangerous complications of prostatitis.
The problems and complications that prostatitis leads to, in one way or another, affect a man's sexual life. This leads to psychological problems, stress and depression.
It is important to carefully monitor the signs in order to recognize chronic prostatitis in time.
Prevention of prostatitis
Prevention of exacerbations is focused on health monitoring and timely recognition of problems. Since prostatitis is in most cases the result of untreated diseases of the genitourinary system, great attention should be paid to the treatment of such diseases.
Prostatitis is considered a disease that is easier to prevent than to cure.
Among the preventive methods, the most important are:
- Sport activities. They serve to improve blood circulation in the pelvis, prevent congestion and strengthen the pelvic muscles.
- Regular sex life. Medicines for artificial prolongation of sexual intercourse, interrupted sexual intercourse and suppression of ejaculation are undesirable.
- Rejection of promiscuity. A violent sex life leads to sexually transmitted infections.
- Proper, healthy diet.
- Alcohol withdrawal.
- Strengthening the body's defenses, avoiding hypothermia.
- Minimizing stress.
Prostatitis has a low rate of self-healing or home treatment. Therefore, at the first signs, immediately consult a urologist in order to prescribe an adequate treatment. You must also carefully monitor the signs that indicate chronic prostatitis and consult a doctor in time.