Prostatitis is a serious disease of the male genital area that often affects young men under the age of forty. Although the symptoms - decreased sexual desire, difficulty urinating, pain in the groin - are very painful, men are in no hurry to seek medical help.
And the reason for this is the insufficient amount of information about this disease, there are too many myths and prejudices about it.
However, the manifestations of prostatitis only worsen over time, therefore, at the first signs of prostatitis, it is urgent to contact a qualified urologist.
Causes of prostatitis
Prostatitis is inflammation of the prostate. Doctors classify the acute stage of the disease and chronic. If the former remains untreated, the inflammation quickly becomes chronic and is fraught with many complications, such as: B. an impairment of sexual function to the development of a malignant tumor of the prostate.
What are the reasons for its appearance?
Here are just a few of them:
- Sexually Transmitted Diseases. Often men are carriers of a specific infection without knowing it, since the disease is completely asymptomatic. However, this image is very misleading. As soon as the immune system fails, for example under the influence of a stressful situation, this gives a boost to the development of prostatitis. The most common causative agents of the disease are the herpes virus, the fungus of the genus Candida, Escherichia coli and so on.
- Untreated bladder infections. In this case, the infection easily spreads to the nearby prostate.
- Blood congestion in the pelvic area. This can lead to a sedentary lifestyle and an irregular sex life. In this case, there is a so-called non-bacterial prostatitis.
- Regular hypothermia, stress, the presence in the body of foci of infection, including decayed teeth.
- Prostatitis can develop as a complication after serious infectious diseases - flu, tonsillitis and others.
The main symptoms of prostatitis
The most common signs of this disease, regardless of the cause that caused it, are:
- decrease in potency;
- pain and difficulty urinating;
- Pain of varying intensity in the groin and genital area.
Symptoms of acute bacterial prostatitis
As mentioned above, the first stage of bacterial prostatitis is acute, lasts no more than 3-5 days, after which it slowly becomes chronic.
It is very important not to miss the first symptoms of the disease:
- pain in the groin and scrotum;
- Sharp pain when urinating;
- drawing pain after intercourse in the glans;
- Worsening of the erection, shortening of the duration of sexual intercourse.
A few days after the first symptoms appear, the pain subsides, and men have the deceptive impression that the danger is over. However, this only means that prostatitis is slowly but surely becoming chronic.
Such a course of the disease is characterized by:
- Alternating periods of remission and exacerbation of prostatitis;
- Difficulty urinating, frequent urges to urinate, a feeling of incomplete emptying of the bladder join the above signs of the disease.
During the period of exacerbation of chronic bacterial prostatitis, patients experience the same symptoms as in the acute form.
Even seemingly harmless factors can provoke it:
- hypothermia;
- Cold;
- An erection that had no realization;
- avitaminosis;
- stress and overwork;
- lack of exercise;
- Constipation;
- Irregular sex life;
- Abuse of smoking and alcohol.
Symptoms of nonbacterial prostatitis
This disease is also called congestive prostatitis. This is the most dangerous and common type of pathology. Its development is directly related to the way of life of modern man.
Doctors compare chronic congestive prostatitis in terms of severity and prevalence with such dangerous diseases as tuberculosis or cancer, because their neglected form is a direct route to prostate cancer.
This form of the disease can be discussed if the inflammation of the prostate was caused not by microorganisms, but by other factors - a long absence from sexual intercourse, a sedentary lifestyle, regular stressful situations.
Such a conclusion can be drawn from the results of a bacteriological study, which shows the absence of pathogenic microorganisms.
The symptoms of this form of the disease are somewhat different from the bacterial ones:
- Patients complain of periodic or constant dull pains in the pelvis, lower abdomen, groin and genitals;
- Sexual dysfunction and urinary problems;
- Depressed mental state of patients
Symptoms of chronic asymptomatic prostatitis
This is a latent form of the disease. As the name suggests, it is asymptomatic, that is, there is an inflammatory process in the prostate, but this does not affect the patient's condition.
Some medical researchers tend to consider this form of pathology only as normal age-related changes in the prostate gland that occur due to impaired blood supply to the organ.
This disease is often discovered in a patient quite accidentally, for example, during abdominal surgery, which is associated with a completely different diagnosis.
To avoid prostatitis, you need to know its causes.
So, the main measures to prevent inflammation of the prostate:
- Although regular sexual intercourse is one of the most important measures for prostatitis prophylaxis, as already mentioned several times, it is still worth avoiding occasional sexual contact or using barrier contraceptives at all costs. This measure is imperative as approximately 30% of prostate infections are associated with sexually transmitted diseases.sex alternative- Masturbation is also welcomed by urologists, since no less than full-fledged intercourse improves blood flow to the prostate.
- Physical activity, active lifestyle. Physical education and exercise are useful for general strengthening, but it's worth focusing on exercises that improve blood flow to the pelvic area. These include running, skating, skiing, etc.
- Regular check-ups by a urologist or andrologist, at least once a year.
- Timely treatment of foci of infection in the body, for example, sanitation of the oral cavity.
The diagnosis of prostatitis is complex and multifaceted
Diagnosis of prostatitis is primarily associated with identifying the cause of the disease and includes the following steps:
- Of great importance in clarifying the clinical picture is a survey of the patient, who must describe in detail his discomfort - the localization of certain sensations, their duration, what events are associated with the manifestations, after which they began. Also at the appointment, the doctor carefully examines the patient's medical record for previously transmitted diseases, tests, and examinations. The urologist clarifies the patient's information about sex life and the presence of sexually transmitted diseases.
- Examination of a smear and scraping from the urethra. An increased number of leukocytes in a smear and the presence of pathological microflora in a smear indicate the presence of infection.
- General urinalysis. Helps to detect the presence of an infection, its presence is indicated by an increased number of leukocytes (more than 5).
- ejaculate analysis. Performed to confirm the diagnosis of nonbacterial prostatitis.
- Ultrasound of the prostate. Allows you to see the picture of the disease in the most complete way. It is carried out to clarify the diagnosis of both acute and chronic inflammation of the prostate, suspicion of cancer.
Pain and decreased potency - as the first signs of prostatitis
Most often, doctors have to deal with an already advanced form of the disease, since most men either tend to ignore the first alarming bells - pain in the groin and decreased libido, or the disease itself is asymptomatic for a period of time.
These are the features of the male anatomy - in the prostate area, blood circulation is difficult, it is a "nutrient medium" for the reproduction of pathogenic microorganisms, a sedentary lifestyle significantly aggravates this problem. This explains the reason for the massive spread of prostatitis among truck drivers and office workers.
In one way or another, up to 50% of the entire male population in the world has experienced certain symptoms of prostatitis. Therefore, it is so important to recognize the first signs of the disease and seek medical help in a timely manner. Because the treatment of an advanced form of the disease is an expensive and lengthy undertaking.
A treatment that gives the patient back a full life
Of course, getting rid of prostatitis in the initial stages is much easier than from a neglected disease. Most often, however, doctors deal with the chronic form, which usually requires long-term and complex treatment.
But in any case, you must first identify the cause of the pathology - blood stasis and (or) inflammation in the prostate.
So, the complex treatment of prostatitis includes:
- Inflammatory processes are treated with broad-spectrum antibiotics. In addition, the drugs are prescribed both in the form of tablets and in the form of rectal suppositories. In the complex, infusions of medicinal herbs (chamomile, calendula), administered in the form of microclysters, help well.
- However, the treatment of prostatitis should not be limited to taking medication, but aimed at restoring blood flow to the prostate area, and this includes a set of physiotherapy and therapeutic exercises. Such actions contribute to better absorption of antibacterial drugs, as they improve blood flow to the prostate. Doctors often prescribe for prostatitis: electrophoresis, laser therapy, magnetotherapy;
- prostate massage. This procedure is useful and effective, but it should not be done at home without consulting a doctor, since it has many contraindications, including the acute phase of the disease.
Summing up, we can say that the issue of treatment and prevention of prostatitis largely depends on the desire and activity of the men themselves. Elementary morning gymnastics, regular check-ups at the urologist, a balanced diet - that is the key to male strength and longevity!