One of the most common diseases of the male urogenital area is chronic prostatitis. As medical practice shows, every twelve male puberty suffers from this disease, while in about 40% of cases it is diagnosed in patients 20-40 years old. Bringing physical suffering to its owner, chronic prostatitis often causes a deterioration of the patient's general condition, impeding his normal sexual and social activity. What is the nature of this disease, how to avoid an unpleasant diagnosis - and how favorable is the prognosis of treatment if you are among the sick?
Causes of chronic prostatitis
Chronic prostatitis is a prolonged inflammatory process in the prostate gland, accompanied by pain and discomfort in the pelvic area, urinary disorders and pathology of male sexual function.
Prerequisites for the onset of chronic prostatitis can 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 bleeding from foci of infection present in the body (pneumonia, caries, pustular skin lesions, sinusitis, etc. );
- with lymph flow from other organs (with dysbacteriosis, hemorrhoids, inflammatory bowel disease, etc. );
- through the urethra, sexually (one of the consequences of infectious urethritis).
Non-infectious or bacterial prostatitis is diagnosed 8 times more often than bacterial; its occurrence is based on stagnant processes and disorders of blood circulation in the prostate and adjacent organs.
Among the main causes of stagnation of secretion in the prostate gland, urologists distinguish the following:
- irregular sex life, prolonged abstinence;
- impaired ejaculation, practice of coitus interruptus;
- sexual arousal often unrealized.
The risk of chronic prostatitis increases in men with reduced physical activity, heavy or light but regular, hypothermia, prolonged exposure to stress, as well as in those suffering from alcoholism.
The main signs of the disease
Chronic prostatitis occurs as a result of lack of timely treatment, or ineffective treatment of acute prostatitis and is a slow inflammatory process in the prostate gland.
In most cases, asymptomatic, the disease is usually detected in patients only during a medical examination, so it is recommended that every man regularly visit a specialist in urological diseases. However, the so-called "hidden" stage of chronic prostatitis can pass into an acute stage after a man has suffered from stress, an inflammatory disease as a result of hypothermia, violation of the order of intimate life, etc. In this case such symptoms should serve as a signal of 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 desire to urinate, painful urination, urinary retention;
- secretion of prostate secretion through the external opening of the urethra after urination or defecation;
- a slight increase (up to 37. 5) in body temperature; weakness, sleep disturbances and work skills;
- sexual dysfunction (unstable or weak erection, decreased sexual desire, rapid ejaculation, orgasmic 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 neurotic condition with the patient focusing on his well-being.
Possible consequences of chronic prostatitis in the absence of its treatment
Unlike acute, chronic prostatitis is characterized by a change of wavy, periodic exacerbations with relatively long remissions, during which a man can feel completely healthy. It is not the patient's appeal to a specialist that causes the further development of the inflammatory process.
In the case of the spread of inflammation in the genitourinary system, complications are possible in the form of cystitis or pyelonephritis, with a possible conversion to urolithiasis. But more often the result of advanced chronic prostatitis is vesiculitis (inflammatory disease of the seminal vesicles) or epididymo-orchitis (inflammation of the testicles). Both of these diseases can lead to infertility that is difficult to treat, and sometimes irreversible impairment of male reproductive function.
One of the most serious consequences of chronic prostatitis is the indentation of the prostate gland tissue with wrinkling of the organ. This process often extends to the back of the urethra and bladder, leading to a persistent violation of urine flow.
The situation is significantly aggravated by the combination of the disease with prostate adenoma, which is more common in men over the age of 50. By violating the exit from the prostate gland, the adenoma provokes the progression of chronic prostatitis, so if the patient is shown surgical removal of a benign tumor, it should be preceded by treatment of the prostate.
Diagnosis, methods and perspectives for treating 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 obtaining a secretion from the patient's prostate gland. Another diagnostic measure for establishing an accurate diagnosis is transrectal ultrasound examination.
Before starting a course of therapy for a patient with chronic prostatitis, it is necessary to perform a culture urinalysis and perform a prostate secretion study on 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 foci of inflammation. The effectiveness of treatment depends directly on the correct selection of medicines, as if not all microorganisms are destroyed during therapy, the disease will sooner or later be felt again. For this reason, the course of antibiotics should be completed completely by the patient, without interruption in admission or other violations of medical recommendations.
- Physiotherapy. Prostate massage is one of the most effective components of treatment in the complex of such procedures. The essence of prostate massage is as follows: the effect on the gland contributes to the extraction of inflammatory secretion accumulated in it in the ducts and further into the urethra. This improves the quality of blood circulation in the prostate, which enhances the effect of antibacterial drugs taken by the patient. In addition to prostate massage, a patient diagnosed with "chronic prostate" may be prescribed laser treatment, ultrasonic waves, or through electromagnetic effects 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 reduction in the patient's immunity. The purpose of immunocorrection is to restore the body's protective functions. This is facilitated by normalizing your lifestyle and a visit to an immunologist.
Although not every case of chronic prostatitis, due to its various forms of complexity, can result in a complete recovery of the patient, strict adherence to the patient's medical recommendations guarantees him a long-term remission, and possibly throughoutlife.
How to avoid an unpleasant diagnosis?
Prevention of chronic prostatitis is to follow some basic rules:
- Change your lifestyle to a more active style. If there is no opportunity to play sports, do a daily warm-up or gymnastic exercises.
- Avoid hypothermia. Do not sit on stone slabs, metal edging, etc.
- Use laxatives for constipation and if constipation becomes chronic, see your doctor.
- Try to normalize your sex life. Excessive sexual activity, as well as prolonged abstinence, negatively affects the condition and functions of the prostate gland.
- Do not practice casual sex, otherwise you prefer protected sex.
- At the first suspicion of an STD, consult a specialist immediately, do not self-medicate.
- Visit a urologist at least once a year to rule out the possibility of developing a disease.
Be mindful of your male health and a diagnosis of "chronic prostatitis" will never stop you!