Pain when urinating, burning sensation in the urethra, erection problems and frequent going to the toilet - these are the symptoms of the inflammatory process in the prostate. What is prostatitis? The disease is multifactorial, the etiology is due to a combination of provocative factors that cause inflammation. In medical practice, pathology is classified according to course, pathogenesis, and other aspects. Consider what causes the disease, what its symptoms are, and how it is treated.
What is prostatitis?
To understand what prostatitis is in men, you need to know what a glandular organ is. The prostate is the male internal organ. Outwardly it looks like a "heart" or a "chestnut". Ancient physicians called this organ the "second man's heart. "
The functioning of the glandular organ is as follows:
- The production of secretions, which is a liquid with a specific odor;
- Protection of the prostate gland from infections;
- Maintain complete erectile function;
- Synthesis of the hormone testosterone;
- Ensure a normal urination process.
Prostate secretion is constantly observed. In healthy members of the stronger sex it enters the urethra in the process of sperm secretion. Prostate secretion increases sperm volume, helps maintain sperm vital activity.
For your information, prostatitis is a common disease diagnosed in 80% of men, 30% of whom are diagnosed between the ages of 20-40. According to static studies, pathology is observed in every tenth man.
If the ultrasound examination revealed swelling of the prostate gland, foci of inflammation in it, it is prostatitis. In most clinical pictures the inflammatory process is accompanied by the formation of stones. The male organ is surrounded by the urethral canal and testicular canals, and the swelling causes the urethra to constrict. As a result, the dominant symptom of the disease - problems with urination - pain, seizures, burning.
During the inflammatory process, the qualitative and quantitative composition of prostate juice changes, as a result, sexual desire decreases, erection worsens, potency decreases.
Causes and symptoms of prostatitis
When talking about 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 caused by the following reasons:
- Infectious pathologies that are transmitted during sexual intercourse.
- Disorders of blood circulation in the pelvic organs. This leads to an inactive lifestyle, overly tight underwear, jeans.
- Damage to the perineum organs, provoking poor circulation.
- Frequent hypothermia, the presence of chronic pathologies of the reproductive system.
- Hormonal imbalance, irregular sex life, prolonged abstinence.
- Inflammation of the rectum can provoke the development of prostatitis.
- Chronic constipation.
- Decreased immune status. Primary sources are chronic stress, unhealthy eating habits, alcohol consumption, smoking, unbalanced diet.
- Urological infections such as gonorrhea.
In fact, there are many reasons for the onset of the pathological process. Only by determining the provoking factor can we talk about a favorable prognosis.
Prostatitis is acute and chronic. In the first case, the male body temperature rises significantly, frequent going to the toilet, accompanied by severe pain syndrome and weak pressure in the urine stream. Often such a clinic is accompanied by a burning sensation in the perineum, painful sensations in the rectum during bowel movements.
Worth to know:With purulent inflammation of the prostate gland and the opening of an abscess, purulent masses drain from the urethral canal or rectum.
During the chronic course of the pathology the symptoms are not very pronounced. Patients are diagnosed at the following clinic:
- Low-grade fever that does not go away for a long time;
- Pain in the public sphere;
- Bowel movement problems;
- Constant fatigue, unexplained nervousness and irritability.
Difficulty urinating is a particular danger against the background of inflammation in the glandular organ. In the absence of adequate treatment, this can lead to serious consequences - acute urinary retention.
Types of prostatitis
So, in order to know everything about prostatitis in men, you need to consider the forms of the disease. First of all, acute and chronic inflammatory process. The name "sharp" speaks for itself. This indicates that there is an inflammatory process provoked by infectious processes. In most cases, microbes, somewhat less often simple microorganisms or fungi.
In the absence of therapy for the acute form of the pathology, it goes into a chronic course, it can lead to complications in the form of benign hyperplasia of the glandular organ. The symptoms are not severe, which poses a risk for 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.
ᲛImportant:Bacterial prostatitis is acute and chronic. Inflammation is caused by bacteria - Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, enterococci, Klebbsiella. Most often, this type is diagnosed in men between the ages of 20 and 40, compared to other types of prostatitis, it occurs in 5-10% of clinical pictures.
Other types of inflammation in the prostate gland:
- The calculated form of prostatitis is characterized by an inflammatory process that develops as a result of the formation of stones in the prostate. Most often it is diagnosed in patients of older age group who neglected the treatment of acute form of the drug. Neglected calculus disease leads to impaired reproductive function, infertility, impotence, adenoma and other complications.
- The stagnant form of the disease most often occurs in a chronic form, the etiology is non-infectious. The main cause is stagnation of blood in the pelvic organs, for example, in the case of pelvic circulatory disorders or stagnation of prostate secretion due to irregular intimate life.
- Infectious disease develops due to the activity of pathogenic bacteria, in most of the images the tests detect E. coli. Acute and chronic course, the clinic is similar to bacterial species.
- The purulent form is the most dangerous type of pathology. In medicine purulent prostatitis is classified into other types. Catarrh develops on the background of weak immune status with the progression of sore throat and flu. Follicular prostatitis is already the second stage of purulent disease; There is a discharge of pus from the prostate, accompanied by severe pain syndrome and high body temperature. The parenchymal form is a severe form that requires timely treatment. With abscesses of glandular organ tissues they speak of abscess disease; Therapy should be started immediately as there is a risk of sepsis.
The treatment regimen for inflammation in the prostate gland is due to a specific type of pathology, therefore, it can vary considerably. You can combine medications 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 make an error-free diagnosis based on certain indicators.
Fact:You can suspect prostatitis by examining the rectum of the prostate gland. Pain in the anterior region of the rectum and an increase in body size are characteristic signs of inflammation.
The following diagnostic methods are prescribed after palpation of the rectum:
- Ultrasound examination reveals the size of the body, the symptoms of the inflammatory process, changes in the structure of soft tissues;
- Study of prostate secretion allows you to determine its composition and deviations from the norm;
- Examination of the mucous membrane smear of the urethra and urethra will help to identify infectious diseases transmitted during sexual intercourse;
- Assessment of hormonal status. Excessive amounts of hormonal substances can lead to abnormal proliferation of glandular body tissues, while a decrease in the concentration of hormones can lead to its dysfunction.
According to the diagnosis of a medical specialist, it is not the inflammation itself that is interested, because palpation of the prostate gland can reveal it, but also the causes of the disease. After all, determining the right provoking factor allows you to schedule an effective course of therapy.
Methods of treatment of the disease
Treating prostatitis is always a complicated process that involves taking a variety of medications. It is not allowed to use traditional methods of therapy with the permission of the attending physician.
Therapeutic activities include the following:
- Antibacterial pills, immunostimulants, anti-inflammatory drugs. Dosage, frequency of use and duration are determined individually. Medications can be purchased at pharmacies, most of which require a doctor's prescription.
- Physiotherapy manipulations - use of magnetic field, leukotherapy, ultrasound and laser treatment.
- Prostate massage. This allows you to strengthen the reproductive system, normalize blood circulation in the prostate and pelvic organs.
Traditional methods of therapy include decorations and infusions based on medicinal plants. The patient review noted the high therapeutic efficacy of red root, licorice and marshmallow rhizomes.
ᲛImportant:For the treatment of prostatitis should strictly follow the prescribed treatment regimen. Self-medication, even the most effective, may not produce the desired results. There is no one therapy tactic: what helps one patient harms another patient.
Preventive actions
Prostatitis is one of the pathologies that is easier to prevent. Doctors have long developed prophylactic measures to rule out the disease. Prevention is primary and secondary. In the second case, it is to prevent the recurrence of a chronic disease.
Preventive actions:
- ზიPhysical activity;
- Regular sexual intercourse;
- Exclusion of forced sexual intercourse;
- Timely treatment of all concomitant pathologies;
- Prophylactic examinations by a urologist;
- Rational nutrition, rejection of bad eating habits.
Prevention of inflammation of the prostate does not require much time and investment of funds, and the effectiveness of the 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 may provoke organ hyperplasia or oncology.