Prostatitis: causes, symptoms and treatment of the disease

Inflammation of the prostate tissue, unfortunately, is not unusual for modern men.Prostatitis most often occurs in patients over 40 years of age, but it is possible for this disease to develop at an earlier age.With careful attention to his health and timely contact with a urologist, a man can fully cope with the problem and avoid many complications.To detect the disease in time, you need to know which symptoms of prostatitis are characteristic.The diagnosis of this disease is well established in modern medicine and is not a problem.Every urologist knows how to cure prostatitis, what methods to use in each specific case.The greatest success comes from complex treatment, including various methods.

Causes and provoking factors of prostatitis

What is prostatitis?This is an inflammation of the prostate tissue, which can develop due to infection or congestion.The impetus for the appearance of prostatitis and the provoking factor can be some diseases or lifestyle features.Age-related changes after 40 years without adequate preventive measures quickly lead to stagnation in the pelvic organs and the development of prostate inflammation.It has been noticed that the disease of prostatitis is more often diagnosed in men belonging to certain groups.

Risk groups are elderly men who lead a sedentary lifestyle and abuse alcohol.The risk of developing prostatitis increases in those who have suffered from urological infections, have problems with the intestines, especially those who suffer from constipation.If a man belongs to one of these groups, then he should undergo diagnostic examinations more often, since prostatitis is diagnosed twice as often in members of the risk group.

Symptoms of prostatitis

Although the manifestations of prostatitis can be similar to other diseases of the genitourinary system, there are still signals from the body that should alert a man and cause him to go to the doctor.It is better to do this as soon as the slightest disruption in men's health occurs, then the treatment will be easier and more effective.To understand how to treat prostatitis in men, you need to have an idea about the manifestations of the disease.

The main signs of prostatitis

• Urinary disorders
• problems in the sexual sphere,
• Pain in the pelvic area.

Why do these symptoms occur?This is due to the changes that occur in the tissues of the prostate gland.Due to inflammation, it grows and begins to exert pressure on the urethra, narrowing its lumen.Such processes lead to problems with urination and deterioration of urine flow.With the development of inflammation, sexual disorders also increase, which also gradually worsen.

When should the alarm sound?The sooner, the better, that is, at the first signs of prostatitis:

• difficulty urinating,
• there is pain in the pelvic area.

Then there are other signs:

• discomfort during bowel movements,
• the appearance of streaks of blood in the urine,
• urethral discharge,
• worsening erection,
• weakening of orgasm.

Forms of prostatitis and their features

Prostatitis can be infectious and stagnant, as well as acute and chronic.The infectious form can be acute and chronic, and the congestive form, as a rule, is only chronic.Acute symptoms are always pronounced, they cause concern in men and are often a reason to consult a doctor.As for a chronic disease, it develops gradually, the symptoms of prostatitis increase slowly.For this reason, men in most cases come to the urologist when the disease is already in an advanced stage and some unpleasant complications may have appeared.

Infectious prostatitis is most often caused by bacteria, but viruses and fungi can also lead to inflammation of the prostate.Where does the infection come from?In most cases, from the patient's own urinary tract.Cystitis or urethritis often leads to the spread of infection to the prostate gland.Almost any source of infection in the body with impaired immunity and the presence of provoking factors can cause inflammation of the prostate.

Symptoms of acute prostatitis

• Difficulty and pain during urination,
• Frequent urge to urinate
• Hip pain
• Weakening of erection
• rise in temperature,
• General weakness
• Discharge from the urethra.

The general condition of the body suffers significantly, so acute infectious prostatitis is difficult to miss.If the cause is a bacterial infection, then there is a viscous yellow discharge from the urethra.They appear both during urination and during the act of defecation, i.e. during straining.

The disease begins acutely with visible symptoms and passes through the following stages:

1. catarrh,
2. follicular,
3. parenchymal,
4. abscess.

The catarrhal stage is an inflammation in which the individual lobules of the prostate are affected and the first urination disorders are observed.Due to tissue inflammation, their swelling develops, which leads to stagnation of secretions in the follicles of the gland and the progression of inflammation.

After that, the disease of prostatitis passes to the next stage, follicular, and is accompanied by focal suffocation of the prostate lobules.The main symptoms are pain in the perineum, groin, significant problems with urination, body temperature up to 38°C.

If the disease is not stopped at this stage, then the process spreads to a large number of prostate lobules and its parenchymal tissue.This is the parenchymal stage.Accompanied by fever, fever, the temperature rises to 39°C.The patient suffers from severe pain in the groin and perineum, urination is frequent and painful.At this stage, a dangerous complication can develop, such as acute urinary retention, which requires urgent care.

With the further development of the disease, prostatitis can become dangerous.When small abscesses merge, an abscess forms in the prostate gland.It can be opened, then the pus will flow into the bladder, urethra and rectum.This is accompanied by severe pain, dysfunction of the pelvic organs, suffocation of their tissues and the threat of sepsis.

Characteristics of chronic prostatitis

If acute prostatitis has not received normal treatment in time, then there is a high risk that it will become chronic.Then the disease proceeds slowly, without remembering itself for some time, but periods of deterioration will occur periodically.It is possible that the symptoms of prostatitis appear constantly, but not with such force as in the acute form of the disease.

The second and most common cause of chronic prostatitis is congestion in the prostate gland and pelvic organs.Venous stagnation, which disrupts blood flow and organ tissue nutrition, as well as stagnation of prostate secretion, which reduces its functionality, are dangerous.

Symptoms of the chronic form

• Painful pain that can be felt in the abdomen, epididymis, perineum, rectum,
• Painful erection
• Frequent trips to the bathroom
• painful urination,
• Decreased sexual desire
• Difficulty in ejaculation
• With bacterial causes of the disease, discharge from the urethra is present.

Prostatitis disease is called insidious.Seeing a urologist at an advanced stage is not always evidence of a man's inattention to his health.Prostate inflammation can continue for years without clinical manifestations or visible symptoms, and at some point, when exposed to a provocative factor, all manifestations develop very quickly.

Pain from prostatitis

The prostate gland itself does not hurt, but nerve endings come from it that react to the inflammatory process.The location of the prostate and nerve pathways is such that pain impulses vary throughout the pelvic organs, so pain can be felt in different places.

Localization of pain in the prostate

• Lower abdomen
• sacrum,
• scrotum,
• Crotch.

The nature of painful sensations depends on the intensity, prevalence of the process, as well as on the characteristics of the male body.In some cases, even a mild inflammation can cause severe pain in the patient, in others the man hardly feels it even with an intense inflammatory process.In any case, if no measures are taken to treat the inflammation, it will progress and the pain will gradually increase.The pain syndrome can be so strong that a man cannot live at his usual pace.In such cases, urgent measures are required.Various factors can contribute to increased pain:

• physical activity,
• excessive sexual activity,
• abstinence.

The nature of pain with prostate is similar to pain with urethritis, cystitis or osteochondrosis, so to make a diagnosis you should undergo an examination.Hormones play an important role in the body's response.A high level of testosterone acts as a kind of pain reliever, so men of active age may not feel the manifestations of diseases.

Problems with urination

Impaired urination always accompanies prostatitis.This symptom is present in both acute and chronic forms, both in infectious and congestive inflammation of the prostate gland.

How are urinary disorders of prostatitis manifested?

• The flow of urine becomes weaker
• To initiate the act of urination, you must strain,
• There is a frequent urge to urinate, which may be painful,
• Possible pain and stinging during urination,
• After visiting the toilet, annoying pains in the perineum are possible,
• Stagnation of urine with severe narrowing of the urethral lumen.

Causes of problems with urination due to inflammation of the prostate gland

• The relative position of the prostate and urethra,
• Tissue changes
• Violation of nerve conduction in the pelvic area,
• Deterioration of bladder function.

One of the reasons for urinary problems lies in the anatomical structure of the male genitourinary system.The prostate covers the urethra, so even a mild inflammatory process leads to a narrowing of the urethra, because the prostate gland swells and increases in volume.The manifestations of such disorders can be of different intensity, from a barely visible weakening of the flow of urine to pain that requires straining to urinate.

If the disease lasts for a long time, scar-sclerotic tissue changes occur.They disrupt the normal flow of urine, which leads to disorders.

Scar-sclerotic processes can provoke not only the formation of mechanical obstacles for urine output or the deterioration of peristalsis of the urinary tract, but also the breakdown of innervation.Nerve impulses transmitted from the bladder cannot pass completely through damaged tissue.This is why "confusion" occurs: either there is a false urge to urinate, or, on the contrary, the man does not feel that his bladder is full.It is possible to interrupt the act of urination even before emptying the bladder.

All the above changes lead to stagnation of urine, a worsening of its flow, a change in the sensitivity of this organ and a weakening or, conversely, strengthening of its muscle tone.A fairly common disorder with prostate is the so-called overactive bladder.What happens in such an organ?High pressure is created inside it, even when it is slightly full.Because of this, an impulse enters the brain, which turns into the desire to urinate.With an overactive bladder, these urges can be so strong that they can lead to urinary incontinence.Of course, such situations do not happen very often;they are caused by the gradual development of the disease and the lack of proper treatment.As a rule, incontinence occurs with old, advanced forms of chronic prostatitis.

Sexual disorders

The problems that arise in men in the sexual sphere are perceived by them more acutely than other manifestations of prostatitis.In the acute form of the disease, they pass quite quickly as soon as the patient recovers.With chronic inflammation of the prostate, sexual dysfunctions often become persistent and can be difficult to cope with.

Manifestations of sexual disorders

• Light discharge from the urethra,
• Blood in semen
• Decreased libido
• Decreased sperm quality, which can lead to infertility,
• Painful erection or ejaculation
• Decreased intensity of orgasm or its absence,
• Premature ejaculation
• Impotence up to complete absence of erection.

Why is this happening?How are prostatitis and male sexual functions related?The main causes of problems in the sexual sphere with prostatitis are disturbances in nerve conduction and hormonal balance that arise due to inflammation and damage to the tissues of the organs.

Nerve conduction disorder

Prostate receptors that send appropriate impulses are responsible for erection and ejaculation.Advanced male prostatitis leads to damage to the tissue of the gland, scars are formed on its surface, which prevent the receptors from conducting impulses as before.Due to this, the erection may decrease, problems with ejaculation may appear and the man no longer feels the pleasure of sexual intercourse so clearly.If there is significant swelling of the prostate due to blood flow to the pelvic organs during intercourse, there may be too much pressure on the nerve plexuses.This leads to pain during erection or ejaculation.

Hormonal imbalance

The prostate gland in men is an organ that regulates the hormonal balance and is responsible for the production of testosterone.In addition, it converts this hormone into a more active form - dihydrotestosterone.As you know, a normal concentration of testosterone ensures the level of libido and the possibility of sexual intercourse, that is, erection.If inflammation of the prostate gland occurs, its functions are also disrupted and the production of male sex hormones decreases accordingly, which is manifested by a decrease in a man's sexual abilities.

The severity of the disorder largely depends not on the degree of tissue damage, but on the man's sexual constitution, and the possibility of recovery depends on his attitude and cooperation with the attending physician.

How to make a diagnosis

The way to properly treat prostatitis, as well as the results of the treatment, depend on an accurate diagnosis.It is impossible to make a diagnosis of prostatitis without instrumental studies.The fact is that its symptoms and manifestations are similar to those of other diseases of the prostate gland and urinary tract.In some cases, it is necessary to carry out differential diagnosis even with diseases of the spine.

Diagnostic measures

• History taking in a consultation with a urologist,
• Digital rectal examination,
• laboratory tests,
• Transrectal ultrasound of the prostate,
• Urodynamic studies,
• Determination of PSA,
• urethroscopy,
• cystoscopy,
• Prostate biopsy.

The list of studies is quite large, but it is not always necessary to carry out a complete set.

How is the patient examined?

Typically, men who come to a urologist are more interested in how to quickly cure prostatitis.It depends on its reasons and the patient's own wishes.At the first meeting with a specialist, a detailed medical history is collected, and then it is necessary to perform a digital rectal examination.It will make it possible to determine the pain in the prostate area, its size and swelling.Then, TRUS (transrectal ultrasound) and laboratory tests are prescribed.Only after a series of procedures can a specialist understand how to cure prostatitis in a particular case.

What does TRUS provide?

• It reveals the exact dimensions of the prostate gland and its individual sections,
• It enables detailed examination and assessment of the condition of soft tissues and seminal vesicles.

What tests should be done

• General tests of urine and blood,
• Bacteriological culture of urine,
• Known urethral
• Prostatic secretion.

Other types of studies are described if necessary.Determination of urodynamics is required in case of marked urination disorders to evaluate bladder functions.If prostate adenoma or tumor development is suspected, a blood test for the tumor marker PSA (prostate-specific antigen) and a biopsy of the gland tissue for histological examination are performed.

Treatment of prostatitis

Modern medicine offers many options to cope with prostatitis.The most effective treatment of prostatitis in men is based on an integrated approach, which includes several methods.The specific methods of treating prostatitis depend on the stage, time of the disease, the degree of its spread and the severity of the symptoms, as well as on the individual characteristics of the body in each specific case.As a rule, all treatment is performed on an outpatient basis by a urologist.In rare cases, if there are dangerous complications, the patient is hospitalized.

Treatment methods

• medicine,
• massage,
• therapeutic gymnastics,
• surgery,
• Minimally invasive methods of destruction of inflamed tissue and expansion of the urethra.

Drug treatment

The first question that arises after the examination is how to treat prostatitis in men.First of all, they turn to drug therapy.It is prescribed according to the causes of prostatitis and existing symptoms.

Medicines for the treatment of prostatitis:

• Antibacterial agents (for bacterial prostatitis),
• Antiviral drugs (for the viral form),
• Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs,
• alpha blockers,
• pain relievers,
• decongestants,
• Antipyretic.

Many drugs for the treatment of prostate inflammation are prescribed in the form of suppositories.This form allows you to get a faster effect.Under no circumstances should you prescribe drugs yourself, because every drug has contraindications and side effects that only a specialist can fully take into account.

Massage

This method of treating prostatitis is used as an additional method when drug therapy is used.It offers faster treatment of prostatitis and much better results.Internal and external massage methods are used.

The main and most effective way to massage the prostate is digital rectal stimulation.The specialist performing the massage inserts his finger into the patient's rectum, feels the prostate gland and performs massage movements.

Benefits of massage:

• Improved blood supply,
• Gland stimulation,
• Removal of stagnant secretions.

Thanks to prostate massage, the effect of drugs increases and recovery occurs much faster.

External massage does not involve penetration into the body;massaging movements are performed through the skin of the perineum.This procedure is a good prevention of prostatitis in men, but its effectiveness is not enough to treat the disease.

Therapeutic gymnastics

How can prostatitis be treated with therapeutic exercises?When performing exercises, an arterial blood flow to the prostate gland and an improvement in venous blood flow are observed, that is, stagnation in the organ is eliminated.Of course, this happens gradually with regular exercise.The complex, aimed at maintaining men's health, is a set of simple exercises performed in lying, sitting or standing positions.One of the simplest and most effective exercises is the periodic tension and relaxation of the muscles in the anus.It can be performed at any time, almost anywhere, even at work, because it is completely invisible to others.This exercise is an excellent prevention of prostatitis in men;allows you to maintain good muscle tone of the perineum and active blood circulation.

Minimally invasive method for correcting prostate problems

Modern medicine offers minimally invasive methods for the treatment of prostatitis in men, which have been developed quite recently.They are used in cases where a set of conservative therapy measures does not solve the problem.Such methods are indicated in cases where it is necessary to ensure the flow of urine and reduce inflammation.

Suggested techniques:

• Transurethral microwave therapy helps reduce the size of the prostate by applying high temperature.
• Ultrasound treatment of the prostate gland helps to relieve inflammation.
• Laser methods make tissue coagulation possible, which leads to their renewal and strengthening of local immunity.
• Cryodestruction is a method of removing areas of inflamed tissue using low temperatures.
• Balloon dilation is a mechanical dilation of the urethra using a special inflatable balloon, which is inserted by catheterization.
• Urethral stenting can be used alone or in conjunction with balloon dilation.The urethra is dilated using a stent.

Surgical treatment

The radical method of prostatitis treatment is surgery.Today it is used quite rarely, only in difficult cases when other methods do not bring results.The essence of the operation is the removal of the prostate gland, which leads to a decrease in pressure in the urethra, improvement of urodynamics and relief from the symptoms of inflammation.

The operation can be performed open or transurethically, i.e. through the urethra.

Men suffering from this disease are interested in whether it is possible to cure prostatitis and forget about it forever.As long as there are no extensive gross scar changes in the glandular tissue, a complete cure is possible.The most important thing to achieve success in the treatment of prostatitis is a timely visit to a urologist.As soon as problems with urination appear, you should go to a medical institution, undergo an examination and, if necessary, receive the treatment prescribed by a doctor.To avoid the question of how to recover from prostatitis, it is worth engaging in its prevention: lead an active lifestyle, eat right, do not abuse alcohol and be attentive to everything related to maintaining men's health.