One of the most common diseases of the male urinary system is chronic prostatitis.According to medical practice, every twelfth sexually mature man suffers from this disease, while about 40% of cases are diagnosed in patients aged 20-40.Causing physical suffering to its owner, chronic prostatitis often causes the patient's general condition to deteriorate, disrupting their normal sexual and social activities.What is the nature of this disease, how can you avoid an unpleasant diagnosis - and how favorable are the treatment prognoses if you are among those affected?
Causes of chronic prostatitis
Chronic prostatitis is a protracted inflammatory process in the prostate gland, which is accompanied by pain and discomfort in the pelvic area, urinary disorders and pathologies of male sexual functions.
Prerequisites for the development of chronic prostatitis may be infections, prostate congestion, benign hyperplasia or a combination of these factors.There are several possible ways for the infection to enter the prostate gland:
- with blood flow from the foci of infection present in the body (pneumonia, tooth decay, pustular skin lesions, sinusitis, etc.);
- inflow of lymph from other organs (dysbacteriosis, hemorrhoids, inflammatory bowel diseases, etc.);
- through the urethra, sexually (a consequence of infectious urethritis).
Non-infectious or abacterial prostatitis is diagnosed 8 times more often than bacterial;Its occurrence is based on stagnant processes and circulatory disorders in the prostate and adjacent organs.
Among the main causes of stagnation of prostate secretion, urologists identify the following:
- irregular sex life, prolonged abstinence;
- faulty ejaculation, practicing interrupted sexual intercourse;
- often unrealized sexual excitement.
The risk of chronic prostatitis increases in people with reduced physical activity, severe or mild but regular hypothermia, long-term stress, and people suffering from alcoholism.
The main signs of the disease
Chronic prostatitis develops as a result of lack of timely treatment or ineffective treatment of acute prostatitis, and is a slow-acting inflammatory process in the prostate gland.
In most cases, the disease is asymptomatic and is usually only discovered in patients during a medical examination, so it is recommended that every man regularly visit a specialist to check for the presence of urological diseases.However, the so-called "latent" stage of chronic prostatitis can turn into an acute stage after a man is exposed to stress, inflammatory disease, hypothermia, interruption of intimate life, etc.cause.In this case, the following symptoms indicate that you need to see a doctor urgently:
- increased sweating, especially in the perineal area;
- itching or discomfort in the groin area;
- frequent urge to urinate, pain during urination, urinary retention;
- discharge of prostatic secretions through the external opening of the urethra after urination or defecation;
- slight increase in body temperature (up to 37.5);weakness, sleep and performance disturbances;
- sexual dysfunction (unstable or weak erection, decreased libido, 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
Together, these symptoms of chronic prostatitis can lead to nervous disorders characterized by neurotic states when the patient is focused on his well-being.
Possible consequences of chronic prostatitis if left untreated
Unlike acute prostatitis, chronic prostatitis is characterized by alternating periods of intermittent exacerbations and relatively long remissions, during which a person may feel completely healthy.The further development of the inflammatory process is caused by the fact that the patient does not contact a specialist.
If the inflammation spreads through the urogenital system, complications in the form of cystitis or pyelonephritis are likely, which can turn into urolithiasis.But most often the result of advanced chronic prostatitis is vesiculitis (inflammatory disease of the seminal vesicles) or epididymo-orchitis (inflammation of the testicles).Both diseases can lead to untreatable infertility and sometimes irreversible damage to male reproductive function.
One of the most serious consequences of chronic prostatitis is the scarring of the prostate tissue along with the shrinkage of the organ.This process often spreads to the back of the urethra and bladder, which leads to permanent obstruction of the outflow of urine.
The situation is significantly aggravated by the combination of the disease and prostate adenoma, which most often occurs in men who have crossed the 50-year mark.By disrupting the outflow of the prostate, the adenoma triggers the progression of chronic prostatitis, therefore, if surgical removal of the benign tumor is recommended for the patient, it must be preceded by treatment of the prostatitis.
Diagnosis, treatment methods and prospects of the disease
The initial appointment with the doctor consists of gathering information about the main symptoms of the disease, followed by a general examination, a digital rectal examination and taking a prostate secretion.Another diagnostic measure to establish an accurate diagnosis is transrectal ultrasound.
Before starting therapy, a patient with chronic prostatitis should undergo a urine culture test and examine the prostate secretion for the sensitivity of the flora to antibacterial drugs in order to optimize the treatment method.
Modern medicine uses the following traditional combined methods to treat chronic prostatitis:
- Antibiotic therapy.The use of antibacterial drugs is necessary to eliminate the pathogenic bacterial flora that causes inflammation.The effectiveness of the treatment directly depends on the correct selection of drugs, because if not all microorganisms are destroyed during the therapy, sooner or later the disease will make itself felt again.For this reason, the patient must completely complete the course of antibiotics, without interruptions or other violations of medical recommendations.
- Physiotherapy.Prostate massage is one of the most effective components of the treatment in the complex of such procedures.The essence of the prostate massage is as follows: the effect on the gland promotes the squeezing out of the accumulated inflammatory secretions 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 the antibacterial drugs taken by the patient.In addition to prostate massage, a patient diagnosed with chronic prostatitis may also be prescribed laser, ultrasound or electromagnetic treatment of the inflamed area.
- Immune correction.Long-term inflammatory processes, such as chronic prostatitis, as well as independent or improperly prescribed antibiotics in the past can contribute to a significant decrease in the patient's immunity.The goal of immune correction is to restore the body's defense functions to the greatest extent possible.This is facilitated by normalizing your lifestyle and visiting an immunologist.
Although due to the different forms of chronic prostatitis, it may not result in a complete recovery of the patient in all cases, strict adherence to medical recommendations guarantees a long-term, possibly lifelong, remission of the disease.
How to avoid an unpleasant diagnosis?
Prevention of chronic prostatitis consists of following several basic rules:
- Change your lifestyle to a more active one.If it is not possible to do sports, do warm-up or gymnastic exercises daily.
- Avoid hypothermia.Do not sit on stone slabs, metal borders, etc.
- If you are constipated, use a laxative, and if constipation becomes chronic, consult a doctor.
- Try to normalize your sex life.Excessive sexual activity and long-term abstinence negatively affect the state and functions of the prostate.
- Do not have casual sex;otherwise, prefer protected sex.
- At the first suspicion of an STD, consult a professional immediately;do not self-medicate.
- Visit your urologist at least once a year to rule out the possibility of developing disease.
Pay attention to your men's health, and a diagnosis of "chronic prostatitis" will never stand in your way!