How prostatitis appears: symptoms and signs

Inflammation of the prostate today is the leader in the group of male diseases, transmitted mainly through sexual contact. Its complications threaten infertility, decreased libido, impotence.

The first symptoms of prostatitis in men

Prostatitis is an inflammatory disease. This is one of the most common urological pathologies, which is diagnosed in representatives of the strong half of humanity.

Most often, this anomaly is detected in men older than thirty years, although recently the disease has become much younger. Treatment of prostatitis should be performed by qualified specialists (urologists or andrologists), as there is a high probability of developing various complications.

How is prostatitis treated?

With the help of drugs

• NSAIDs - relieve inflammation, fever and chills. They have a mild analgesic effect. With the onset of prostatitis, a brief treatment with anti-inflammatory medication and taking vitamins is required to keep the gland in a normal state. Men are prescribed: Diclofenac, Nise, Voltaren, Nimesulide. Medicines are produced in suppositories, tablets, injections.
• Antibiotics - created to eliminate the infectious or bacteriological factor of inflammation. The treatment regimen for prostatitis is signed after the pathogen has been identified and its resistance to antibiotics has been tested. The course of treatment is 7-10 days. In severe cases, therapy is extended to two weeks.
• Hormones are recommended if the usual course of medications has not been helpful, as well as with a decrease in sexual desire due to an advanced disease. Hormone treatment is prohibited at an early stage. Medications are taken under the strict supervision of a urologist.
• Symptomatic medications - to eliminate the pain syndrome, take Aspirin tablets. Spasms are removed by No-shpa. With persistent intense pain, blockade with Novocain is indicated.
• Vitamins and medicines to keep prostate functions working. During the remission period, it is recommended to take medication to normalize metabolism and improve blood supply to glandular tissues and fluid production. For this, phytopreparations are prescribed: Prostamol-Uno, Prostate-forte and the like. To strengthen the immune system, a complex of vitamins and minerals is indicated: Duovit, Vitrum.

Self-medication is dangerous, it does more harm than good. Before taking any of these medications, you should consult a urologist.

With the use of physiotherapy

• UHF and microwave.
• Magnetotherapy.
• Mud healing.
• Galvanization.
• Ultraphonophoresis.
• Laser treatment.
• Heat therapy.

natural remedies

Diagnosing

To begin timely treatment of prostate inflammation, you should contact a competent specialist who will perform a comprehensive examination and make the correct diagnosis. The list of recommended diagnostic methods includes the following:

• Blood tests - perform a biochemical composition study, for PSA (prostate specific antigen) content, general analysis and PCR if necessary.
• Urine analysis - the male is required to urinate in several different containers to perform the study in different ways.
• Jump from the surface of the urethral canal to detect an infectious pathogen.
• Bacteriological culture of prostate secretion and urethral secretions to determine bacterial pathogen and its resistance to drugs.
• Prostate ultrasound - allows you to assess the size and shape of the gland, the presence or absence of tissue fusion, adhesions and scarring.

A mandatory element in the diagnosis of prostatitis is a digital rectal examination. The finger examination allows the doctor to feel the gland and assess its density, structure, shape and size. Also, during a rectal examination, a prostate secretion is taken, which is then sent for analysis. Additional examination methods are assigned to a specific patient individually if indicated.

These can be urine flow velocity measurements, magnetic resonance imaging or computed tomography, x-ray of the pelvic organs, and other methods.

Acute prostatitis

The disease begins with a sharp rise in temperature (up to 40 degrees), excruciating headaches, fever. Symptoms that appear are associated with pain in the groin, perineum, spine, leakage from the urethra, frequent urination, and constant urge to urinate.

Bladder emptying occurs late, a burning sensation. The urine itself becomes turbid and a mixture of blood may appear in it. There is nervousness, fatigue.

The result of acute prostatitis can be a complete solution of the process (with timely treatment). Since changes occur in many organs of the small pelvis, they can not be left to chance, otherwise the corresponding complications will appear:

• Vesiculitis is an inflammation of the seminal vesicles, the cause of pus in semen, which not only reduces the quality of ejaculate, but leads to a loss of reproductive function.
• Coliculitis - inflammatory changes in the seminal tubercle cause the development of severe pain during sex, cessation of orgasm, impotence of a psychological nature.
• The formation of an abscess in the body of the prostate, its rupture, purulent damage of the rectum leads to a worsening of symptoms, a strong intoxication of the body, up to death.
• Stagnation in prostate tissue leads to a change in their structure, interruption of innervation, blood supply, both in the gland itself and in nearby organs, with a violation of their functions. Erection becomes insufficient for a full sexual intercourse, premature ejaculation is observed, prolonged sexual intercourse without the onset of orgasm.
• Scar changes in the gland, spermatic cord lead to infertility, decreased quality sperm composition and sperm motility. Narrowing of the urethra interferes with the normal process of urination, bladder obstruction can cause acute urinary retention, requiring urgent surgical care.

The main symptoms

As mentioned above, the disease can be chronic and acute. One of the most common and important symptoms is increased urination. A healthy man usually experiences no more than 10-11 urges to urinate during the day (the normal figure is 5-6 urges).

As a result of the development of inflammation of the prostate, a negative effect occurs on the bladder, therefore, in the presence of the disease, the following symptoms will appear:

• Increase in the number of stimuli (while the daily volume of urine remains the same).
• Urine comes out in small portions, which is associated with receiving false signals from bladder receptors due to the presence of an inflammatory process. There may also be a feeling that the bladder is full even after emptying.
• Pain during urination, which comes as a result of narrowing of the urethra due to the inflammatory process in the prostate.
• Difficulty urinating due to compression of certain areas of the urethra by inflammation. In some cases, men may not empty their bladder at all because of this.
• At night, the walls of the bladder begin to give false signals, which increases the number of trips to the toilet during sleep.

Part of the diagnosis of prostatitis can also be made by monitoring body temperature, along with problems related to urination. If these problems are associated with an increase in temperature to subfebrile and febrile values, then with a high degree of probability we can talk about the development of pathology. It is important to note that in the later stages of the development of the disease, on the contrary, a decrease in body temperature to 35, 5-36 degrees can be observed, which is an extremely negative and dangerous symptom in any case, whichshould not be allowed.

In the middle stages of the disease, blood can be seen in the patient's urine. This sign is relatively rare and often not indicative, but extremely dangerous. It can begin to appear due to purulent melting of the prostate, trauma to the prostate gland, as well as in cases of complications of the inflammatory process with hyperplasia. Healing in this case is complicated (often surgical intervention is required).

Treatment should begin immediately after the onset of the first symptoms of the disease. If there have been at least some problems with urination, although seemingly insignificant, which in some cases are accompanied by fever and pain in the area of simplicity, then you should immediately schedule an appointment with a urologist to clarify the diagnosis. It is necessary to pay attention to the signs of pathology described above, as it is possible to defeat prostatitis quickly and painlessly only with timely treatment.

Why does the prostate gland become inflamed?

In fact, there are only 2 main reasons:

1. Infection. Most often, prostatitis develops precisely because of the infection in the prostate. Infection can occur through the bladder, urethra, rectum, blood and lymph. It turns out that often prostatitis itself is a complication of an existing disease. Therefore, do not self-medicate, you must first cure the source of the infection. Cystitis, pyelonephritis, urethritis, STIs (sexually transmitted infections) - this is understandable, they are directly related to the prostate. Even untreated tonsils, sinusitis, flu, caries can also come back to pursue prostate inflammation.
2. Circulatory disorders. This may be due to structural features, and due to urethral spasms, disorders of nerve conduction and work of the abdominal and pelvic muscles, as well as due to external factors.

However, whether or not prostatitis develops depends, first of all, on the predisposing factors:

• Chaotic sex life. Abundance of sexual partners, especially unprotected contact - this weakens the immune system, which constantly has to deal with foreign microflora in female secretions. And sooner or later it fails.
• Long abstinence. This is the other extreme. Lack of sex adversely affects the general condition of a man and especially the prostate. His secretion stagnates, blood circulation is disturbed, an infection develops.
• Masturbation. It happens that men try to escape from the lack of sex with masturbation. However, this causes a decrease in prostate tone, it becomes lethargic. It is even isolated in a special type of prostatitis - congestive.
• Excess weight. In overweight men, the load on the pelvic organs increases greatly, as well as on the whole body in general. The blood supply is disturbed, due to which prostatitis, hemorrhoids and a number of other diseases occur.
• Hypothermia. "Do not sit in the cold, " they tell all the girls. However, this also applies to men. At risk are lovers of extreme winter entertainment, ardent fishermen, owners of old cars (oh, how often I see men lying on cardboard under the car in winter), even passengers on icy trains, as well as fashionistas with rolled up pantsand not hat. Oh yes, and urinating outside in the winter is also fraught with serious consequences.
• Inactivity. Basically, this applies to the workflow, when you have to sit in one place for a long time: drivers, office workers. It is especially harmful to cross the legs, as the load on the prostate only increases.
• Stress. Psychological problems, chronic lack of sleep, overworked working hours are the favorites of infections.
• Limiting the desire to urinate. Is it worth the 5 minutes saved in a busy workflow for potential problems?
• Bad habits. Well, where are you? Alcohol and nicotine abuse that only violate.
• Wrong diet. Fatty, spicy, salty foods are a magnet for diseases of the pelvic organs.
• background diseases. Any untreated infectious disease can be complicated by prostatitis.
• Tight underwear. As well as incredibly tight "fashionable" pants. Squeeze the small pelvis, disrupt blood circulation, cause swelling and inflammation.
• Physical overload. Professional athletes, loaders, active gym visitors are at great risk.
• Self-medication. Sometimes men are ashamed to admit their problems even to a doctor, they try to suppress the disease with various folk remedies, proven and not so good. However, it happens that without medication prescribed by a competent doctor, it can not be afforded here.

How is the disease diagnosed?

The diagnosis is made by a urologist or andrologistafter examining the patient, collecting a medical history, and studying the symptoms. The doctor must discover the patient's method of contraception, the presence of STIs in the sexual partner, the possibility of anal intercourse without a condom. This data facilitates the diagnosis and directs the doctor's opinion in the right direction. The description of the onset of symptoms of disease or distress in the perineum allows us to judge the course of the prostate and its severity. The urologist necessarily examines the patient's genitals and performs a rectal examination of the prostate gland. To do this, he inserts a finger into the patient's anus and touches the anterior wall of the prostate that protrudes from the rectum. The pain and its size indicate the intensity of the inflammatory process.

The doctor then performs a series of instrumental, microscopic, bacteriological, and immunological studies to clarify the cause of the disease. The most common diagnostic method is a urine sample with 4 or 3 cups. The first method requires more time and is difficult to implement in practice, as it requires the patient to intentionally stop urinating several times. The second modification is simpler: the patient urinates continuously in three different vessels in equal parts. The first part talks about the condition of the urinary tract, the second about the pathology of the bladder and kidneys, from the third they get information about the condition of the prostate gland. All collected material is examined under a microscope. With the prostate, white blood cells and sometimes bacteria are found in the third part of the urine.

The secret of the prostate gland is also taken for the microscope.To do this, the doctor performs a prostate massage through the wall of the rectum for some time so that it empties into the urethra. From the material collected in the laboratory, stains are made, stained and studied at high magnification. A sign of inflammation are leukocytes, a bacterial etiology of the disease are bacteria in a spot. To determine the type of pathogen, prostate secretion is planted in nutrient media. If there are pathogenic microorganisms in it, then after 3-5 days they form microbial colonies, which can then be studied. The bacteriological method allows obtaining data on the sensitivity of the microflora to antibiotics.

From the methods of instrumental diagnosis are performed:

• Kidney ultrasound;
• Prostate TRUS with dopplerography - an ultrasound probe is inserted into the rectum for better visualization of the prostate gland, its blood flow is additionally assessed;
• Ascending urethrography is necessary for persistent recurrent prostatitis. A radiopaque substance is injected into the urethra, after which a series of consecutive images are taken.

In addition to these methods, all types of STI research are of great importance. Among them are:

1. PCR ejaculate, prostate secretion, scratching of the urethral mucosa - the method allows you to detect a wide range of pathogens;
2. Blood ELISA - to detect antibodies specific to STI pathogens.

Types of prostatitis

According to the criteria of the American National Institutes of Health (NIH USA) since 1995, there are four categories of prostatitis:

• Category I: Acute prostatitis;
• Category II: Chronic bacterial prostatitis;
• Category III: Chronic prostatitis / chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CP / CPPS);
• Category IIIa: Chronic prostatitis / chronic pelvic pain syndrome with signs of inflammation;
• Category IIIb: Chronic prostatitis / chronic pelvic pain syndrome without signs of inflammation;
• Category IV: Chronic asymptomatic (asymptomatic) prostatitis.

Occasionally, chronic granulomatous prostatitis also occurs, which is not mentioned in this classification.

On the other hand, most experts distinguish between:

According to the course of the disease:

• acute prostatitis;
• chronic prostatitis;

Depending on the cause of the disease:

• bacterial prostatitis;
• non-bacterial prostatitis

In most cases (especially in men under 40), bacterial prostatitis is observed.

Based on this, there are:

• acute bacterial prostatitis;
• chronic bacterial prostatitis;
• chronic bacterial prostatitis.

prevention

To prevent the onset of inflammation or the recurrence of chronic pathology, you should follow these recommendations:

• Reducing the amount of alcohol consumed;
• I do sports regularly;
• Avoid hypothermia;
• Stop smoking;
• Avoid stressful situations;
• Treat inflammation in time - first of all, this applies to genital infections;
• Take a contrast shower;
• Avoid lifting heavy objects;
• Use contraceptive methods;
• have sex regularly;
• Take vitamin preparations;
• Engage in strengthening immunity;
• Visit a urologist twice a year;
• Eat straight and balanced.

The purpose of the prostate in the male body: what is it responsible for?

The prostate is an exocrine gland in the male body.

Iron belongs to the reproductive system and is responsible for the production of a number of specific substances:

• the main one is the secretion (prostate fluid), which provides the necessary viscosity of the ejaculate and, accordingly, the normal motility of the sperm. When semen is too thick, fertilization is difficult and a woman simply cannot get pregnant by a seemingly healthy man;
• the other components maintain the normal composition of the sperm. These include biologically active substances, immunoglobulins, enzymes, vitamins, trace elements, etc. The norms of these substances are individual and it is the prostate that regulates their content.

Thus, it is responsible for a man's reproductive abilities, for the possibility of having a regular and complete sexual life, and of having children. This is the main function of the gland, but there are others, no less important.