Pain while urinating, a burning sensation in the urethra, erectile problems, and frequent toilet trips are all 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 lead to inflammation. In medical practice, pathology is classified according to course, pathogenesis, and other aspects. Let’s examine what causes the disease, what symptoms it causes, and how it is treated.
What is prostatitis?
To understand what prostatitis is in men, you need to know what the glandular organ is. The prostate is a male internal organ. It resembles "heart" or "chestnut" in appearance. Ancient physicians called this organ the "second male heart. "
The function of the gland is as follows:
- Making a secret that is a liquid with a specific odor;
- Protecting the prostate gland from infections;
- Maintain full erectile function;
- Synthesis of the hormone testosterone;
- Ensuring the normal process of urination.
Prostate secretion is constantly monitored. The stronger unhealthy representatives get into the urethra during sperm secretion. Prostate secretion increases sperm volume, helping to maintain vital sperm activity.
For information, prostatitis is a common disease diagnosed in 80% of men, 30% of whom are diagnosed between the ages of 20 and 40. According to static studies, the pathology can be observed in every tenth person.
If the ultrasound reveals swelling of the prostate, foci of inflammation, it is prostatitis. In most clinical images, the inflammatory process progresses with the formation of calculi. The male organ is surrounded by the urethral canal and the fallopian tubes, and edema leads to compression of the ureter. As a result, the dominant symptom of the disease is revealed - problems while urinating - pain, cramps, burns.
When an inflammatory process occurs, the qualitative and quantitative composition of prostate juice changes, resulting in decreased libido, impaired erection, decreased efficiency.
Causes and symptoms of prostatitis
When we talk about prostatitis, it is impossible to name the exact cause of the inflammatory process. Many physicians agree that etiology is based on a combination of certain factors.
The onset of prostatitis is due to the following reasons:
- Infectious pathologies that spread during sexual intercourse.
- Violation of the blood circulation in the pelvic organs. This leads to an inactive lifestyle, too tight underwear, jeans.
- Damage to the organs of the perineum, which causes 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 cause inflammation of the prostate.
- Chronic constipation.
- Decreased immune status. The primary sources are chronic stress, unhealthy eating habits, alcohol consumption, smoking, and an unbalanced diet.
- Urological infections such as gonorrhea.
In fact, there are several reasons for the onset of the pathological process. We can only talk about a favorable prognosis by establishing the provocative factor.
Prostatitis is acute and chronic. In the first case, a person’s body temperature rises significantly, with frequent toilets being observed, accompanied by severe pain syndrome and poor pressure of urine flow. It is often the case that such a clinic is associated with a burning sensation in the perineum, painful sensations in the rectum during bowel movements.
Worth to know:with glandular inflammation of the prostate and opening of the abscess, purulent masses are excreted from the urethral canal or rectum.
During the chronic course of the pathology, the symptoms are not very pronounced. Patients are diagnosed with the following clinic:
- Low-grade fever that 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 in the background of inflammation of the glandular organ. If not treated properly, it can lead to serious consequences - acute urinary retention.
Types of prostatitis
So to find out all about prostatitis in men, you need to consider the forms of the disease. First, there is an acute and chronic inflammatory process. The name "sharp" speaks for itself. This indicates that there is an inflammatory process triggered by infections. In most cases they are microbes, somewhat less commonly the simplest microorganisms or fungi.
In the absence of therapy for the acute form of the pathology, it becomes a chronic process, which can lead to complications in the form of benign hyperplasia of the glandular organ. The symptoms are not expressed sharply, which is a danger for this type of disease.
The etiology of chronic prostatitis is due to pathogenic microorganisms and other causes. For example, the phenomenon of pelvic organ stagnation, age-related changes.
Important:bacterial prostatitis is acute and chronic. Inflammation is provoked by bacteria - Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, enterococcus, Klebsiella. This type is most commonly diagnosed in men aged 20-40 years, occurring in 5-10% of clinical images compared to other types of prostatitis.
Other types of inflammation of the prostate:
- The calculus form of prostatitis is characterized by an inflammatory process that results from the formation of stones in the prostate. It is most commonly diagnosed in elderly patients who have neglected medication for the acute form. 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 not contagious. The main reason for this is stagnation of blood in the pelvic organs, such as damage to the pelvic circulation or stagnation of prostate secretions due to an irregular intimate life.
- Due to the activity of the pathogenic bacteria, an infectious disease develops, with tests showing E. coli in most images. There is an 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. Catarrhal develops in the background of a weak immune state along with the progression of sore throat and flu. Follicular prostatitis is already the second stage of purulent disease; pus is excreted into 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 of the prostate gland is due to a specific type of pathology or may differ significantly. You can combine medications with physiotherapy procedures and alternative therapies.
Diagnosis of prostatitis
To diagnose inflammation, the doctor collects the patient’s medical history and then prescribes laboratory and instrumental research methods. They allow an error-free diagnosis to be made based on certain indicators.
Fact:inflammation of the prostate may be suspected by rectal examination of the prostate gland. Characteristic signs of inflammation in the anterior rectal region and an increase in organ size.
After palpation of the rectum, the following diagnostic methods are prescribed:
- Ultrasound reveals organ size, symptoms of the inflammatory process, changes in soft tissue structure;
- Examination of prostate secretion makes it possible to identify its composition and abnormalities;
- Examination of urinary and urethral mucosal smears will help identify infectious diseases transmitted during sexual intercourse;
- Evaluation of hormonal status. Excessive amounts of hormonal substances can lead to pathological proliferation of tissues in the glandular organ, and a decrease in the concentration of hormones can lead to its malfunction.
The doctor's specialist's diagnosis is not interested in the inflammation itself, as it can be detected by palpation of the prostate gland, but in the causes of the disease. After all, determining the right provocative factor allows you to prescribe effective therapy.
Disease treatment methods
Treating prostatitis is always a complex process that involves taking a variety of medications. It is not forbidden to use conventional therapies with the permission of your doctor.
Therapeutic activities include:
- Antibacterial tablets, immunostimulatory drugs, anti-inflammatory drugs. The dosage, frequency and duration of administration are determined individually. You can buy medicines at the pharmacy, many of which require a prescription.
- Physiotherapy manipulations - use of magnetic field, leech therapy, ultrasound and laser treatment.
- Massage of the prostate gland. This allows the strengthening of the reproductive system, the normalization of blood circulation in the prostate and pelvic organs.
Traditional methods of therapy include herbal decoctions and infusions. A review of patients finds the high therapeutic efficacy of red root, licorice, and marshmallow rhizomes.
Important: you must strictly follow the prescribed treatment regimen to cure prostatitis. Self-administration of drugs, even the most effective ones, may not get the desired results. There is no single therapeutic tactic: what helps one patient harms the second patient.
Preventive measures
Prostatitis is one of the conditions that is easier to prevent. Doctors have long developed preventive measures to rule out the disease. Prevention is primary and secondary. In the second case, it is used to prevent the recurrence of a chronic disease.
Preventive measures:
- Physical activity;
- Regular sex;
- Exclusion of intense sexual intercourse;
- Timely treatment of all concomitant pathologies;
- Preventive examinations by a urologist;
- Rational nutrition, rejection of bad eating habits.
Preventing prostatitis does not require a lot of time and money, and the effectiveness of the measures is undeniable.
Prostatitis is a common disease. The self-healing rate is very low. Lack of proper therapy leads to a chronic course of the disease, which worsens from time to time and can provoke hyperplasia or oncology of the organ.