One of the most common diseases of the male urogenital system is chronic prostatitis.As medical practice shows, every twelfth sexually mature man suffers from this disease, while in about 40% of cases it is diagnosed in patients aged 20 to 40 years.Chronic prostatitis brings physical suffering to its owner and often leads to a deterioration in the patient's general condition and interferes with his normal sexual and social activities.What is the nature of this disease, how do you avoid an unpleasant diagnosis - and how good are the treatment prognosis if you are one of those affected?
Causes of chronic prostatitis
Chronic prostatitis is a prolonged inflammatory process in the prostate gland, which is accompanied by pain and discomfort in the pelvic area, urination disorders and pathologies of male sexual function.
Prerequisites for the occurrence of chronic prostatitis can be infections, congestion of the prostate, benign hyperplasia or a combination of these factors.There are several possible routes through which an infection can enter the prostate:
- with blood flow from foci of infection present in the body (pneumonia, caries, pustular skin lesions, sinusitis, etc.);
- with the influx of lymph from other organs (with dysbacteriosis, hemorrhoids, inflammatory bowel disease, etc.);
- through the urethra, sexual (one of the consequences of infectious urethritis).
Noninfectious or abacterial prostatitis is diagnosed eight times more often than bacterial;Its occurrence is due to congestion processes and circulatory disorders in the prostate and adjacent organs.
Urologists identify the following as the main reasons for the stagnation of secretions in the prostate:
- irregular sex life, prolonged abstinence;
- incorrect ejaculation, interrupted sexual intercourse;
- often unrecognized sexual arousal.
The risk of chronic prostatitis increases in men with limited physical activity, with severe or mild but regular hypothermia, prolonged exposure to stress, as well as in people suffering from alcoholism.
Main symptoms of the disease
Chronic prostatitis occurs 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.
Since the disease is asymptomatic in most cases, it is usually only detected in patients during a medical examination, which is why every man is recommended to regularly visit a specialist to determine the presence of urological diseases.However, the so-called “latent” stage of chronic prostatitis can pass into the acute phase after a man suffers from stress, an inflammatory disease, as a result of hypothermia, disruption of intimate life, etc.In this case, the following symptoms should serve as a signal of the need for an urgent visit to the doctor:
- increased sweating, especially in the perineal area;
- itching or discomfort in the groin area;
- frequent urge to urinate, pain when urinating, urinary retention;
- discharge of prostatic secretion through the external opening of the urethra after urination or bowel movements;
- slight increase (up to 37.5) in body temperature;weakness, sleep and performance problems;
- sexual dysfunction (unstable or weak erection, decreased libido, rapid ejaculation, orgasmic dysfunction, pelvic pain during ejaculation, etc.);
- Pain of varying strength and intensity in the perineum, lumbosacral area and external genitalia
Taken together, these symptoms of chronic prostatitis can lead to disorders of the nervous system, characterized by neurotic states in which the patient focuses on his well-being.
Possible consequences of chronic prostatitis if left untreated
In contrast to acute, chronic prostatitis is characterized by an alternation of wave-like, periodic exacerbations and relatively long remissions, during which a man can feel absolutely healthy.The patient's failure to contact a specialist leads to further development of the inflammatory process.
If the inflammation spreads through the genitourinary system, complications in the form of cystitis or pyelonephritis with possible transformation into urolithiasis are likely.However, the most common consequence of advanced chronic prostatitis is vesiculitis (inflammatory disease of the seminal vesicles) or epididymitis (inflammation of the testicles).Both diseases can cause intractable infertility and sometimes irreversible damage to male reproductive function.
One of the most serious consequences 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, causing persistent disruption of urine flow.
The situation is significantly aggravated by the combination of the disease with prostate adenoma, which most often occurs in men who have exceeded the 50-year mark.By disrupting the drainage from the prostate, the adenoma provokes the progression of chronic prostatitis.Therefore, if surgical removal of a benign tumor is indicated to the patient, this must be preceded by treatment for prostatitis.
Diagnosis, methods and prospects for treating the disease
The first appointment with the doctor is to collect information about the main symptoms of the disease, followed by a general examination, digital rectal examination and sampling of prostatic secretion from the patient.Another diagnostic measure to make a reliable diagnosis is a transrectal ultrasound examination.
Before starting therapy, a patient with chronic prostatitis must undergo a urine culture test and examine 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, 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 treatment directly depends on the correct selection of drugs, because if therapy does not kill all microorganisms, sooner or later the disease will make itself felt again.For this reason, the patient must complete the course of antibiotics in full, without interruptions 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 push out the inflammatory secretion accumulated in it into the ducts and then into the urethra.At the same time, the quality of blood flow in the prostate improves, which enhances the effect of the antibacterial drugs taken by the patient.In addition to prostate massage, a patient diagnosed with chronic prostatitis may be prescribed treatment using a laser, ultrasound waves or electromagnetic impact on the inflamed area.
- Immune correction.A long-term inflammatory process, such asB. chronic prostatitis, as well as independent or incorrectly prescribed antibiotics in the past, can contribute to a significant weakening of the patient's immunity.The aim of immune correction is to restore the body's protective functions as much as possible.This is facilitated by normalizing lifestyle and visiting an immunologist.
Although not every case of chronic prostatitis can lead to a complete recovery of the patient due to their varying complexity, strict adherence by the patient to medical recommendations guarantees long-term and possibly life-long remission of the disease.
How do I avoid an unpleasant diagnosis?
Prevention of chronic prostatitis consists in following some basic rules:
- Change your lifestyle to be more active.If it is not possible to exercise, do warm-up or gymnastics exercises every day.
- Avoid hypothermia.Do not sit on stone slabs, metal curbs, etc.
- Use laxatives for constipation and see a doctor if constipation becomes chronic.
- Try to normalize your sex life.Excessive sexual activity, as well as long-term abstinence, negatively affects the condition and functions of the prostate.
- Do not practice casual sex;Otherwise, prefer protected sex.
- At the first suspicion of a sexually transmitted disease, you should immediately consult a specialist.do not self-medicate.
- Visit your urologist at least once a year to rule out the possibility of illness.
Pay attention to your men's health, then the diagnosis of "chronic prostatitis" will never stand in your way!