One of the most common diseases of the male genitourinary system is chronic prostatitis.As medical practice shows, every twelfth male of sexual maturity suffers from this disease, while in about 40% of cases it is diagnosed in patients aged 20-40.Bringing physical suffering to its owner, chronic prostatitis often causes deterioration of the patient's general condition, interfering with his normal sexual and social activity.What is the nature of this disease, how to avoid an unpleasant diagnosis - and how favorable are the prognosis of treatment if you are among those affected?
Causes of chronic prostatitis
Chronic prostatitis is a long-term inflammatory process in the prostate, accompanied by pain and discomfort in the pelvic area, urinary disorders and pathologies of male sexual function.
Prerequisites for the development of chronic prostatitis can be infections, prostate congestion, benign hyperplasia or a combination of these factors.There are several possible routes for infection to enter the prostate:
- with blood flow from the foci of infection present in the body (pneumonia, caries, pustular skin lesions, sinusitis, etc.);
- with the flow of lymph from other organs (with dysbacteriosis, hemorrhoids, inflammatory bowel diseases, etc.);
- through the urethra, sexually (one of the consequences of infectious urethritis).
Non-infectious or abacterial prostatitis is diagnosed 8 times more often than bacterial;Its appearance is based on congestive processes and circulatory disorders in the prostate and adjacent organs.
Among the main reasons for stagnation of secretions in the prostate, urologists identify the following:
- irregular sex life, prolonged abstinence;
- defective ejaculation, practice of interrupted sexual intercourse;
- often unfulfilled sexual arousal.
The risk of chronic prostatitis increases in men with reduced physical activity, with pronounced or less, 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 untimely treatment, that is, ineffective treatment of acute prostatitis, and is a slow-acting inflammatory process in the prostate.
In most cases, asymptomatic, the disease is most often discovered in patients only during a medical examination, which is why every man is recommended to 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 has suffered stress, inflammatory diseases, as a result of hypothermia, intimate life disorders, etc.In this case, the following symptoms should serve as a signal for the need for an urgent visit to the doctor:
- increased sweating, especially pronounced in the perineal area;
- itching or discomfort in the groin area;
- frequent urge to urinate, pain during urination, retention of urine;
- discharge of prostate secretions through the external opening of the urethra after urination or defecation;
- slight increase (up to 37.5) in body temperature;weakness, sleep and performance disorders;
- sexual dysfunction (unstable or weak erection, reduced libido, rapid ejaculation, orgasm disorders, pelvic pain during ejaculation, etc.);
- pain of varying strength and intensity in the perineum, lumbosacral region, external genitalia
Taken together, these symptoms of chronic prostatitis can lead to disorders of the nervous system, which are characterized by neurotic states in which the patient concentrates on his own well-being.
Possible consequences of chronic prostatitis if not treated
Unlike acute prostatitis, chronic prostatitis is characterized by alternating waves, periodic exacerbations and relatively long remissions, during which a man can feel absolutely healthy.Failure to treat the patient with a specialist causes further development of the inflammatory process.
If the inflammation spreads through the genitourinary system, complications in the form of cystitis or pyelonephritis are possible, with possible transformation into urolithiasis.But the most common result of advanced chronic prostatitis is vesiculitis (inflammatory disease of the seminal vesicles) or epididymorrhitis (inflammation of the testicles).Both of these diseases can lead to incurable infertility, and sometimes to irreversible damage to male reproductive function.
One of the most severe outcomes of chronic prostatitis is scarring of the prostate tissue with organ shrinkage.This process often spreads to the back of the urethra and bladder, which leads to a permanent disorder of urine outflow.
The situation is significantly complicated by the combination of the disease with prostate adenoma, which is most often found in men over 50 years old.By obstructing the outflow from the prostate, the adenoma causes the progression of chronic prostatitis, so if the patient is indicated for surgical removal of a benign tumor, this must be preceded by treatment of prostatitis.
Diagnosis, methods and prospects for the treatment of the disease
The first examination with a doctor consists of gathering information about the main symptoms of the disease, followed by a general examination, a digital rectal examination, and taking prostate secretions from the patient.Another diagnostic measure for making an accurate diagnosis is a transrectal ultrasound examination.
Before starting therapy, a patient with chronic prostatitis must undergo a urine culture and study the prostate secretion for the sensitivity of the flora to antibacterial drugs, in order to optimize the treatment method.
Modern medicine practices the following, traditionally used in combination, methods of treating 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, the disease will be felt again sooner or later.For this reason, the patient must complete the antibiotic course completely, without interruption or other violations of the doctor's 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: acting on the gland helps the inflammatory secretion accumulated in it to be squeezed out into the channels 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 that the patient is taking.In addition to prostate massage, a patient diagnosed with chronic prostatitis may be prescribed treatment with laser, ultrasound waves or electromagnetic action on the inflamed area.
- Immunocorrection.Long-term inflammatory processes, such as chronic prostatitis, as well as independent or wrongly prescribed antibiotics in the past can contribute to a significant decrease in the patient's immunity.The goal of immunocorrection is to restore the protective functions of the body as much as possible.This is facilitated by normalizing the lifestyle and visiting an immunologist.
Although not every case of chronic prostatitis, due to various forms of complexity, can result in a complete recovery of the patient, strict adherence to medical recommendations by the patient guarantees a long-term, and possibly lifelong, remission of the disease.
How to avoid an unpleasant diagnosis?
Prevention of chronic prostatitis consists of several basic rules:
- Change your lifestyle to a more active one.If you can't play sports, do warm-up exercises or gymnastics every day.
- Avoid hypothermia.Do not sit on stone slabs, metal curbs, etc.
- Use laxatives for constipation, and if the constipation becomes chronic, see a doctor.
- Try to normalize your sex life.Excessive sexual activity, as well as long-term abstinence, negatively affect the condition and functions of the prostate.
- Do not practice casual sex;otherwise, prefer protected sex.
- At the first suspicion of sexually transmitted diseases, consult a specialist immediately;do not self-medicate.
- Visit your urologist at least once a year to exclude the possibility of developing the disease.
Be attentive to the health of your men, and the diagnosis of "chronic prostatitis" will never stand in your way!