One of the most common diseases of the male genitourinary system is chronic prostatitis.As medical practice shows, every twelfth male of sexual maturity suffers from this disease, while in approximately 40% of cases it is diagnosed in patients aged 20-40.Bringing physical suffering to its owner, chronic prostatitis often causes a deterioration of the patient's general condition, interfering with his normal sexual and social activity.What is the nature of this disease, how to avoid an unpleasant diagnosis - and how favorable are the prognosis of treatment if you are among those affected?
Causes of chronic prostatitis
Chronic prostatitis is a prolonged inflammatory process in the prostate gland, accompanied by pain and discomfort in the pelvic area, urination disorders and pathology of male sexual function.
Prerequisites for the appearance of chronic prostatitis can be infections, congestion in the prostate, benign hyperplasia or a combination of these factors.There are several possible routes for the infection to enter the prostate gland:
- with blood flow from the focus of infection present in the body (pneumonia, caries, pustular lesions of the skin, sinus, etc.);
- with the flow of lymph from other organs (with dysbacteriosis, hemorrhoids, inflammatory bowel disease, etc.);
- through the urethra, sexually (one of the consequences of infectious urethritis).
Non-infectious or abacterial prostatitis is diagnosed 8 times more often than bacterial;Its appearance is based on congestive processes and blood circulation disorders in the prostate and adjacent organs.
Among the main reasons for stagnation of secretions in the prostate gland, urologists identify the following:
- irregular sex life, prolonged abstinence;
- impaired ejaculation, practicing interrupted sexual relations;
- often unrealized sexual arousal.
The risk of chronic prostatitis increases in men with reduced physical activity, with severe or small but regular hypothermia, prolonged exposure to stress, as well as in those who suffer from alcoholism.
The main signs of the disease
Chronic prostatitis occurs as a result of the lack of timely treatment, or ineffective treatment of acute prostatitis and is a slow-acting inflammatory process in the prostate gland.
In most cases, being asymptomatic, the disease is usually detected in patients only during a medical examination, therefore every man is recommended to visit a specialist regularly to check the presence of urological diseases.However, the so-called "latent" phase of chronic prostatitis can pass into the acute phase after a man has suffered from stress, an inflammatory disease, as a result of hypothermia, interruption of intimate life, etc.In this case, the following symptoms should serve as a signal for the need for an urgent visit to the doctor:
- increased sweating, especially manifested in the perineal area;
- itching or discomfort in the groin area;
- frequent urge to urinate, pain during urination, urinary retention;
- discharge of prostate secretions through the external opening of the urethra after urination or defecation;
- slight increase (up to 37.5) body temperature;weakness, sleep and performance disorders;
- sexual dysfunction (unstable or weak erection, decreased sexual desire, rapid ejaculation, orgasm disorders, pain in the pelvic area during ejaculation, etc.);
- pain of varying severity and intensity in the perineum, lumbosacral region, external genitalia
Taken together, these symptoms of chronic prostatitis can lead to disorders of the nervous system, characterized by a neurotic state with the patient focused on his well-being.
Possible consequences of chronic prostatitis if not treated
Unlike acute prostatitis, chronic prostatitis is characterized by an alternation of wavelike, periodic exacerbations and relatively long remissions, during which a man can feel absolutely healthy.It is the failure of the patient to contact a specialist that causes the further development of the inflammatory process.
If the inflammation spreads through the genitourinary system, complications in the form of cystitis or pyelonephritis are possible, with a possible transformation into urolithiasis.But more often, the result of advanced chronic prostatitis is vesiculitis (inflammatory disease of the seminal vesicles) or epididym-orchitis (inflammation of the testicles).Both of these diseases can lead to intractable infertility and sometimes irreversible damage to male reproductive function.
One of the most severe results of chronic prostatitis is scarring of the prostate tissue with shrinkage of the organ.This process often spreads to the back of the urethra and bladder, which leads to a continuous interruption of urine flow.
The situation is significantly aggravated by the combination of the disease with prostate adenoma, which is most often found in men who have crossed the 50-year mark.Disrupting the output from the prostate gland, the adenoma provokes the progression of chronic prostatitis, so if the patient is indicated for surgical removal of a benign tumor, it should be preceded by treatment of prostatitis.
Diagnosis, methods and perspectives for the treatment of the disease
The initial meeting with the doctor consists of gathering information about the main symptoms of the disease, followed by a general examination, digital rectal examination and taking prostate secretions from the patient.Another diagnostic measure for establishing an accurate diagnosis is the transrectal ultrasound examination.
Before starting the course of therapy, the patient with chronic prostatitis should undergo a urine culture test and study the prostate secretion for the sensitivity of the flora to antibacterial drugs, in order to optimize the treatment method.
Modern medicine practices the following methods, traditionally used in combination, for the treatment of chronic prostatitis:
- Antibiotic therapy.The use of antibacterial drugs is necessary to eliminate the pathogenic bacterial flora that causes inflammation.The effectiveness of treatment directly depends on the correct selection of drugs, since if not all microorganisms are destroyed during therapy, sooner or later the disease will be felt again.For this reason, the patient must complete the course of antibiotics completely, without interruption or other violations of medical recommendations.
- Physiotherapy.Prostate massage is one of the most effective treatment components in the complex of such procedures.The essence of prostate massage is as follows: the effect on the gland helps to squeeze the inflammatory secretion accumulated in it into the channels and then into the urethra.At the same time, the quality of blood flow to the prostate improves, which increases the effect of antibacterial drugs taken by the patient.In addition to prostate massage, a patient diagnosed with chronic prostate can be prescribed laser treatment, ultrasonic waves or through electromagnetic influence on the inflamed area.
- Immunocorrection.A long-term inflammatory process, such as chronic prostatitis, as well as independent or incorrectly prescribed antibiotics in the past, can contribute to a significant decrease in the patient's immunity.The goal of immunocorrection is to restore the protective functions of the body as much as possible.This is facilitated by normalizing the way of life and visiting an immunologist.
Although not every case of chronic prostatitis, due to various forms of complexity, can result in a complete recovery of the patient, strict adherence to medical recommendations by the patient guarantees long-term and possibly lifelong remission of the disease.
How to avoid an unpleasant diagnosis?
Prevention of chronic prostatitis consists in following some basic rules:
- Change your lifestyle to a more active one.If it is not possible to play sports, do warm-up exercises or gymnastics every day.
- Avoid hypothermia.Do not sit on stone slabs, metal curbs, etc.
- For constipation, use laxatives and if constipation becomes chronic, see a doctor.
- Try to normalize your sex life.Excessive sexual activity, as well as long-term abstinence, negatively affects the condition and functions of the prostate gland.
- Do not practice casual sex;otherwise, prioritize protected sex.
- At the first suspicion of an STD, consult a specialist immediately;do not self-medicate.
- Visit your urologist at least once a year to rule out the possibility of developing a disease.
Be attentive to the health of your men and the diagnosis of "chronic prostatitis" will never stop you!