One of the most common diseases of the male reproductive system is chronic prostatitis.As medical practice shows, every 12 men of sexually mature age suffer from this disease, while about 40% of cases are diagnosed in patients 20-40 years old.Bringing physical suffering to the owner, chronic prostatitis often causes the patient's general condition to worsen, interfering with 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 for 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 diseases of male sexual function.
Prerequisites for chronic prostatitis may be infection, obstruction in the prostate, benign hyperplasia, or a combination of these factors.There are several ways infection can enter the prostate:
- with blood flow from foci of infection present in the body (pneumonia, tooth decay, pustular skin lesions, sinusitis, etc.);
- with lymphatic drainage from other organs (with dysbacteriosis, hemorrhoids, inflammatory bowel disease, etc.);
- through the urethra, sexually (one of the consequences of infectious urethritis).
Noninfectious or bacterial prostatitis is diagnosed eight times more often than bacterial;Its appearance is due to congestion and circulatory disorders in the prostate and neighboring organs.
Among the main causes of stagnation of secretions in the prostate, urologists identify the following:
- Irregular sex life, prolonged abstinence;
- poor ejaculation, interrupted sexual intercourse;
- There is usually no sexual excitement.
The risk of chronic prostatitis increases in men with reduced physical activity, severe or mild, but frequent hypothermia, exposure to prolonged stress, as well as in alcoholics.
Main signs of the disease
Chronic prostatitis occurs due to lack of timely treatment or ineffective treatment of acute prostatitis, which is a slow inflammatory process in the prostate.
In most cases, there are no symptoms, the disease is often detected in the patient only during a physical examination, which is why every man should regularly visit a specialist to check for the presence of urinary diseases.However, the so-called “latent” phase of chronic prostatitis can switch to the acute phase after a man is exposed to stress, has an inflammatory disease, due to hypothermia, interruption of sexual life, etc.In this case, the following symptoms will be a signal that you need to urgently see a doctor:
- increased sweating, especially manifested in the perineal area;
- itching or discomfort in the groin area;
- frequent urination, pain when urinating, urinary retention;
- discharge of prostatic secretions through the external urethral opening after urination or defecation;
- body temperature increases slightly (up to 37.5);weakness, sleep and performance disorders;
- sexual dysfunction (unstable or weak erection, decreased sexual desire, rapid ejaculation, orgasmic disorders, pelvic pain during ejaculation, etc.);
- pain of varying severity and intensity in the perineum, lumbosacral region, and external genitalia
Taken together, these symptoms of chronic prostatitis can lead to nervous system disorders, characterized by a nervous state that causes the patient to focus on his health.
Possible consequences of chronic prostatitis if left untreated
Unlike acute prostatitis, chronic is characterized by the alternation of undulating, periodic acute attacks and relatively long periods of remission, during which a man may feel completely healthy.The patient's failure to contact a specialist causes the inflammatory process to develop further.
If the inflammation spreads through the genitourinary system, complications in the form of cystitis or pyelonephritis may occur, which can turn into urinary stones.But most commonly, the result of chronic progressive prostatitis is seminal vesiculitis (inflammation of the seminal vesicles) or epididymitis (inflammation of the testicles).Both of these diseases can lead to difficult-to-treat infertility and sometimes irreversible damage to male reproductive function.
One of the most serious consequences of chronic prostatitis is scarring of prostate tissue and shrinkage of the organ.This process often spreads behind the urethra and bladder, leading to prolonged interruption of urine flow.
The situation is significantly aggravated by the combination of this disease with prostate adenoma, which is most common in men who have passed the 50-year mark.By interrupting the outflow from the prostate, adenoma stimulates the progression of chronic prostatitis, so if a patient is prescribed surgical removal of a benign tumor, prostatitis must be treated first.
Diagnosis, methods and prospects for treatment of the disease
The first appointment with the doctor includes gathering information about the main symptoms of the disease, followed by a general examination, digital rectal examination, and collection of the patient's prostate secretions.Another diagnostic measure for accurate diagnosis is transrectal ultrasound examination.
Before starting the treatment process, patients with chronic prostatitis must undergo a urine culture test and study the secretion of the prostate gland on 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 treatment directly depends on the correct selection of the drug, because if not all microorganisms are destroyed during treatment, then sooner or later the disease will relapse on its own.For this reason, the patient must complete the course of antibiotic treatment completely, without interruption or violation of other medical recommendations.
- Physical therapy.Prostate massage is one of the most effective treatment components in the complex of such procedures.The essence of prostate massage is as follows: impact on the gland helps to squeeze out the inflammatory secretions accumulated in it into the ducts and then into the urethra.At the same time, the quality of blood circulation in the prostate is improved, helping to enhance the effects of antibacterial drugs used by the patient.In addition to prostate massage, patients diagnosed with chronic prostatitis may be prescribed treatment with lasers, ultrasound waves or through electromagnetic impact on the inflamed area.
- Immunity.A long-term inflammatory process, such as chronic prostatitis, as well as the independent or previously incorrectly prescribed use of antibiotics can contribute to a significant decrease in the patient's immunity.The goal of immunomodulation 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, due to its various complications, can lead to a complete recovery, the patient's strict adherence to medical recommendations will ensure a long-term and possibly lifelong remission.
How to avoid an unpleasant diagnosis?
Prevention of chronic prostatitis includes some basic rules:
- Change your lifestyle to a more active one.If you can't play sports, do a warm-up or exercise every day.
- Avoid hypothermia.Do not sit on stone slabs, metal curbs, etc.
- For constipation, use laxatives and if constipation becomes chronic, see your doctor.
- Try to normalize your sex life.Excessive sexual activity as well as long-term abstinence will negatively affect the condition and function of the prostate.
- Don't have promiscuous sex;otherwise, prioritize protected sex.
- At the first suspicion of an STD, consult a specialist immediately;Do not self-treat.
- See a urologist at least once a year to rule out the possibility of a developing condition.
Pay attention to your men's health and a diagnosis of “chronic prostatitis” will never hold you back!