Prostatitis in men is the most common urological disease in men. According to statistics, the number of men with this diagnosis reaches up to 8% of the male population around the world, of which 1/3 are the owners of the chronic form of the disease. In 40% of cases, chronic prostatitis is diagnosed in men before the age of 40.
A distinctive feature of prostatitis is that its acute form is almost completely absent. As soon as it appears, it immediately takes on a chronic form.
Cases of full recovery (spontaneous or as a result of treatment) after the initial acute stage are few. The course of the disease is very slow and the symptoms of prostatitis are often smoothed out. Prostatitis manifests itself in three main syndromes: painful, sexual, and dysuric.
Causes of prostatitis in men
The causes of prostatitis are infection, stagnation in the prostate, and a combination of these two factors. Also, one of the predisposing factors for the development of chronic prostatitis is the presence of benign hyperplasia in the patient.
Infection can get into the prostate in the following ways:
- through the urethra through sexual contact as a complication of infectious urethritis;
- through the blood from existing infections in the body (carious teeth, sinusitis, pneumonia and others);
- through the lymph from the internal inflamed organs (intestinal dysbiosis, hemorrhoids, inflammation of the rectum).
The most common prostatitis in men is non-infectious (bacterial prostatitis). The main reason is a violation of blood supply to the prostate and surrounding organs as a result of stagnation of secretions.
Secretion stagnation in the prostate can occur due to the following factors:
- prolonged sexual abstinence;
- unrealized sexual contact after sexual arousal;
- interrupted traffic;
- faulty ejaculation.
Factors predisposing to the development of prostatitis:
- irregular sex life;
- Hypothermia;
- Hypodynamia;
- chronic stress;
- chronic alcoholism and others.
Symptoms of prostatitis in men
- Pain in the genital area;
- Pain in the groin, perineum, suprapubic region;
- frequent need to urinate;
- painful sensations when urinating;
- Pain when ejaculating;
- faulty erection or its absence.
Very often, chronic prostatitis is predisposed to neurasthenia caused by the disorders mentioned above.
Pain in prostatitis is usually radiative in nature, that is, it radiates to the sacrum, the perineum or the scrotum. From the prostate there are nerve endings to all organs of the small pelvis, so lower back pain is common. Their intensity is different - from subtle to pronounced, which even disturbs sleep. Pain may increase, decrease with abstinence or, conversely, occur with excessive sexual activity or ejaculation. It should be noted that pain in the sacrum does not always indicate prostatitis - it can also indicate osteochondrosis.
How prostatitis manifests itself in men of chronic form is very different here. Its course is wavy, periodic exacerbations are replaced by more or less prolonged remissions, during which the disease does not manifest itself in any way. In this case, men rarely go to the doctor and prefer to sit at home. However, this is not a way out of the situation, since prostatitis in men, its aggravation, will progress over time. And if it spreads through the genitourinary system, then the appearance of cystitis and pyelonephritis occurs.
Prostatitis in men: consequences
Patients with acute prostatitis usually seek timely medical help. But if you do not contact a urologist in a timely manner, there is a high chance of focal purulent inflammation - an abscess of the prostate. In this case, the body temperature can rise to 39-40 ° C, it becomes hectic (the drop in body temperature exceeds 1 ° C), and the intense fever is regularly replaced by chills. The pain in the perineum is so pronounced that it is extremely impossible to urinate and defecate. Gradually, the prostate swells, and as a result, urinary retention occurs. Fortunately for the men themselves, they seldom put themselves in such a state.
Vesiculitis is one of the most common complications of prostatitis when the seminal vesicles become inflamed. And also epididymal orchitis, characterized by inflammation of the testicles and their limbs. Treating chronic prostatitis in men caused by these diseases will be extremely difficult and time consuming.
Both diseases can lead to infertility. Everything that is described is more related to chronic prostatitis, which has a specific etiology and developed as a result of sexually transmitted diseases. How to treat prostatitis in men and treat any kind of medication is prescribed by a urologist.
Treatment of prostatitis in men
How to treat prostatitis in men depends on the form of the disease and its occurrence. In the treatment of acute prostatitis, antibiotics are used, which penetrate well into the tissues of the prostate. The prescribing specialist must take into account all the individual characteristics of the disease, the state of the body's immune system and the presence of infectious agents. If nothing complicates the course of the disease, then patients with acute prostatitis are treated only on an outpatient basis. Only patients with signs of severe and severe intoxication are hospitalized. Such physiotherapeutic methods are widely used: magnetic laser inductive therapy, reflexology, ultrasound, treatment of prostatitis with leeches. A good effect can be achieved through the use of herbal preparations (herbal medicine), enzymes, cytomediators and immunomodulators. Surgery for prostatitis is indicated in the following cases:
- an abscess of the prostate (transurethral or transrectal drainage of the abscess);
- acute urinary retention (puncture epikystostomy).
The treatment of chronic prostatitis in men is outpatient, but over a longer period of time. In addition to the use of antibiotics, suppositories, and heat treatments, prostate massage and reflexology are also performed. In addition, an active lifestyle and the exclusion of alcoholic beverages and spicy foods from their use are recommended for patients with prostatitis.
Prevention of prostatitis in men
Timely treatment of prostatitis in men, as well as its prevention, will contribute to a speedy recovery. As a preventive measure to prevent the development of chronic prostatitis, it is recommended:
- regular sex life;
- properly selected diet (varied and nutritious food, with the exception of spicy and irritating food);
- no alcohol abuse;
- moderate physical activity to improve blood flow to the organs of the genitourinary system and strengthen muscles, Kegel exercises (tension of the muscles of the perineum with retraction of the anus);
- adequate and timely treatment of infectious diseases of other organs;
- Prevention of stagnation in the small pelvis using physiotherapy methods.
Exclusion of recurrence of the disease - secondary prevention of prostatitis, including primary prevention and:
- regular checkups with a urologist;
- preventive courses of treatment with fortification methods, multivitamins;
- physiotherapeutic methods (especially in spring and autumn).