Inflammation of the prostate is one of the most common urological problems in men of all ages. Bacteria and viruses predominate in the causes of inflammation in the prostate.
What is bacterial prostatitis?
Currently, several forms of bacterial prostatitis are distinguished in the classification:
- Acute inflammation of the prostate.The main feature of the disease is the severity of clinical manifestations and patient complaints, as well as deviations in laboratory tests. But, despite the acute form, the prognosis is favorable. Full recovery is possible in most cases. Of course, only with the right diagnosis and treatment. And with prevention, the disease may no longer resemble itself.
- Subacute form.It occurs when the patient resorts to self-medication against the background of manifestations of an acute illness or at first does not fully complete the prescribed course of medication. In certain situations, this can initially be a wrong treatment tactic. As a result, a significant part of the symptoms gradually disappears, but some manifestations (problems with urination, deterioration in sexual function, discomfort in the genital area) may remain and cause discomfort. If not taken on time, the disease becomes chronic with frequent exacerbations. Depending on the severity of the infection, the initial development of a subacute form of the disease is also possible.
- Chronic nature of the disease.Chronic prostatitis is almost always a neglected, untreated, or mistreated disease. Most symptoms bring with them constant discomfort. Adverse conditions quickly lead to an aggravation with a worsening of the condition.
Acute bacterial prostatitis
The disease always begins acutely and develops rapidly. First, there is a general temperature reaction, which often reaches values above 38. 5 degrees. Almost immediately there are dysuric disorders (frequent, difficult urination in small portions, compelling (sudden) urge to urinate, weakening of the urinary stream, and sometimes up to complete retention of urination).
A very important symptom is pain in the perineum, groin, scrotum, lower abdomen. If at first the pain only accompanies the process of urination, after a while it can become annoying constantly, even at rest. In addition to the symptoms of pain, the patient has a decrease in sexual desire and a worsening of the erection.
With these signs of bacterial prostatitis, the patient comes to a specialized urologist. The doctor will order blood and urine tests, which may be sufficient in most cases. If there is no severe pain, the prostate secretion can be removed for microscopic examination.
In the acute form of the disease, a characteristic manifestation is severe pain during a digital examination. At the same time, prostate massage is not performed, since there is a risk of provoking an infection.
The urologist makes a diagnosis based on laboratory tests and patient complaints. Then he prescribes a treatment that usually includes:
- Antibiotic therapy with broad spectrum drugs. If data on the susceptibility of microorganisms are available, then more effective antibiotics can be selected for the patient.
- Pain relievers can be prescribed in tablet form and in rectal suppository form for topical use. With a strong pain syndrome, they are often combined.
- Antispasmodics and drugs that improve urinary outflow.
- Topical preparations to activate resistance mechanisms. One of the most commonly prescribed preparations are preparations with an extract from the tissue of the prostate, which stimulate local immunity and resistance, since they contain organotropic, biologically active molecules.
This list of therapeutic measures, followed by compliance with doctor's prescriptions and prevention, guarantees a full recovery.
Subacute inflammation of the prostate
The subacute form at the initial stage is no different from the acute one. However, it arises due to incomplete or interrupted treatment. At the same time, the patient's alertness is lulled by the fact that the most acute symptoms disappear, such as fever, which most often disappears completely. But other symptoms - dysuric disorders, disorders in the intimate area, pain or discomfort in everyday life - also persist, albeit with minimal manifestations. Gradually, the patient gets used to not paying attention to them.
A constantly sluggish process gradually turns into a chronic one. Very often, any weakening of the immune system leads to an aggravation of the process with the development of the clinical picture. Treatment of subacute prostatitis is based on:
- Antibiotic therapy with mandatory determination of the sensitivity of microorganisms.
- Painkillers, and mostly with a long-lasting effect.
- Antispasmodics and drugs that improve urinary outflow. In this case, longer courses are required because some of the changes are difficult to undo.
- Topical preparations with activation of local immunological and organotropic resistance mechanisms. One of the most commonly prescribed are preparations containing an extract of prostate tissue.
With subacute prostatitis, it is extremely important to complete the course of treatment and scrupulously follow all the necessary recommendations. In this case, there is an opportunity to cure the disease and prevent its transition into a chronic form, which can no longer be eliminated.
Chronic prostate inflammation
This clinical form of the disease can take different courses. With an exacerbation, the clinical picture resembles an acute form of prostatitis, and minimally expressed symptoms are constantly present outside of the exacerbation.
Key symptoms of bacterial prostatitis in remission:
- Dysuric Disorders. Most often they are represented by a decrease in the speed of the stream of urine in the form of a sluggish, weakened stream. There is no feeling of complete emptying of the bladder. Characteristic is frequent urge to urinate in small portions, especially at night - this symptom is called nocturia.
- violations of privacy. In this case, discomfort occurs during sexual intercourse, and pain during ejaculation can also be observed. An important sign of the disease is a decrease in the quality of erections, as well as a decrease in the ability to conceive, up to complete infertility.
- Chronic Pain Syndrome. It is constantly present, reducing a man's quality of life and affecting his activity and ability to work. At the same time, factors such as hypothermia, physical activity and stress often increase pain.
With an exacerbation of a chronic disease, the treatment of bacterial prostatitis is no different from the treatment of acute or subacute forms:
- Antibiotic therapy with mandatory determination of the sensitivity of microorganisms that cause inflammation.
- Painkillers, and mostly with a long-lasting effect.
- Antispasmodics and drugs that improve urinary outflow. Long-term intake in sufficiently large doses is often required, since the existing changes are practically irreversible and permanent. The main task in this case is to reduce the severity of dysuric phenomena.
- Drugs for bacterial prostatitis of local action with an organotropic and organoprotective mechanism of resistance. One of the most commonly prescribed drugs are products with an extract from the tissue of the prostate.
Proper prevention of any form of bacterial prostatitis
Currently, experts recognize three main areas of prevention that help to reduce the risk of the disease at first, and in its chronic forms reduce the frequency of exacerbations and their severity. This is achieved by reducing the impact of risk factors such ase. g. :
- stagnation of blood circulation in the tissues of the gland with irregular sexual activity;
- Changing partners frequently during unprotected sex;
- A long break in sex life or excessive, debilitating sexual activity;
- Mechanical rough stimulation of the urethra, especially dangerous due to microtrauma and direct bacterial infection;
- General and local hypothermia;
- Little physical activity and a predominantly sedentary lifestyle;
- Physical exhaustion, strenuous physical activity;
- Traumatization of the genital organs.
primary preventionwith the aim of preventing the occurrence of diseases. An important role is played by ensuring personal and intimate hygiene, normalizing physical and sexual activity, avoiding stressful situations and hypothermia of the perineum.
secondary preventionaimed at curing the infectious process as completely as possible. The best outcome is a full recovery. The more correctly the treatment is chosen and the more responsibly the man follows the doctor's prescriptions, the higher the probability of a full recovery.
Tertiary Preventionbacterial prostatitis is required in situations where the disease has already acquired a chronic form. Its main goal is to prevent the occurrence of exacerbations of the disease.
Not always all of the above preventive measures can provide full protection against an exacerbation. Recently, drugs that increase the level of local immunity have appeared and are actively used. This increases the resistance of the prostate tissue. Some of the preparations are of plant origin. These work due to plant analogues of hormone compounds. However, the level of effectiveness of these agents is still being studied and is not fully documented.
Preparations based on animal tissue extracts have a more extensive evidence base. Organic compounds that are perfectly suitable for the human body. Among them, the most commonly prescribed are suppositories and ampoules from the extract of bovine prostate tissue. They have proven clinical effectiveness in reducing the risks of adverse effects on the prostate. When using these funds, the protective reserves of the gland itself are increased. In addition, resistance increases and the prostate is supplied with the necessary biologically active molecules. In this way, gain is achieved at the "point of least resistance".