One of the most common diseases of the male genitourinary system is chronic prostatitis.As medical practice shows, every twelve men of sexually mature age suffer from this disease, while in about 40% of cases it is diagnosed in patients aged 20 to 40 years.Bringing physical suffering to its owner, chronic prostatitis often leads to a deterioration in the patient's general condition, interfering with his normal sexual and social activity.What is the nature of this disease, how can you avoid an unpleasant diagnosis - and how favorable are the treatment prognoses if you are one of those affected?
Causes of chronic prostatitis
Chronic prostatitis is a prolonged inflammatory process in the prostate gland, accompanied by pain and discomfort in the pelvic region, urination disorders and pathologies of male sexual function.
Prerequisites for the development of chronic prostatitis may 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 foci of infection present in the body (pneumonia, caries, pustular skin lesions, sinusitis, etc.);
- with the influx 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 prostatitis;Its occurrence is based on congestive processes and circulatory disorders of the prostate and adjacent organs.
Among the main reasons for the stagnation of secretions in the prostate, urologists identify the following:
- irregular sex life, prolonged abstinence;
- defective ejaculation, practice of interrupted sexual intercourse;
- sexual arousal often unrealized.
The risk of chronic prostatitis increases in men with reduced physical activity, severe or minor, but regular hypothermia, prolonged exposure to stress, as well as those who suffer from alcoholism.
Main signs of the disease
Chronic prostatitis occurs due to lack of timely treatment or ineffective treatment of acute prostatitis and is a slow-acting inflammatory process in the prostate.
In most cases, being asymptomatic, the disease is usually detected 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 pass into the acute phase after a man experiences stress, an inflammatory disease, as a result of hypothermia, disruption of intimate life, 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 manifested in the perineal region;
- itching or discomfort in the groin;
- frequent urge to urinate, pain when urinating, urinary retention;
- 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 disturbances;
- sexual dysfunction (unstable or weak erection, decreased libido, rapid ejaculation, orgasm problems, pain in the pelvis during ejaculation, etc.);
- pain of varying severity and intensity in the perineum, lumbosacral region, external genitalia
Taken together, these symptoms of chronic prostatitis can lead to nervous system disorders, characterized by neurotic states where the patient focuses on his or her well-being.
Possible consequences of chronic prostatitis if left untreated
Unlike acute prostatitis, chronic prostatitis is characterized by an alternation of wavy, periodic exacerbations and relatively long remissions, during which a man can feel completely healthy.It is the patient's inability to contact a specialist that provokes the further development of the inflammatory process.
If the inflammation spreads through the genitourinary system, complications in the form of cystitis or pyelonephritis are likely, with possible transformation into urolithiasis.But most often, advanced chronic prostatitis results in vesiculitis (inflammatory disease of the seminal vesicles) or orchiepididymitis (inflammation of the testicles).Both of these diseases can lead to incurable infertility and sometimes irreversible damage to male reproductive function.
One of the most serious consequences of chronic prostatitis is scarring of prostate tissue accompanied by shrinkage of the organ.This process often spreads to the back of the urethra and bladder, resulting in persistent disruption of urine flow.
The situation is significantly aggravated by the combination of the disease with prostate adenoma, which is most often found in men who have crossed the 50-year mark.By disrupting the outflow of 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 treating the disease
The first appointment with a doctor involves collecting information on the main symptoms of the disease, followed by a general examination, a rectal examination and a sample of the patient's prostate secretions.Another diagnostic measure for establishing an accurate diagnosis is transrectal ultrasound.
Before starting treatment, a patient with chronic prostatitis should undergo a urine culture test and study prostate secretion to find out the sensitivity of the flora to antibacterial drugs, in order to optimize the treatment method.
Modern medicine practices the following methods, traditionally used in combination, to treat chronic prostatitis:
- Antibiotic therapy.The use of antibacterial drugs is necessary to eliminate the pathogenic bacterial flora responsible for the inflammation.The effectiveness of treatment directly depends on the correct selection of drugs, because if not all microorganisms are destroyed during treatment, sooner or later the disease will make itself felt again.For this reason, the patient must completely complete the antibiotic course, without interruptions or other violations of medical recommendations.
- Physiotherapy.Prostate massage is one of the most effective treatment elements in all of these procedures.The essence of prostate massage is as follows: the effect on the gland helps to evacuate the inflammatory secretion accumulated in the ducts and then in the urethra.At the same time, the quality of blood flow in the prostate improves, which enhances the effect of antibacterial drugs taken by the patient.In addition to prostate massage, a patient diagnosed with chronic prostatitis may be prescribed laser, ultrasound or electromagnetic influence treatment on the inflamed area.
- Immunocorrection.A long-term inflammatory process, such as chronic prostatitis, as well as unrelated or incorrectly 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 the normalization of lifestyle and visiting an immunologist.
Although not all cases of chronic prostatitis, due to their various forms of complexity, can lead to a complete recovery of the patient, strict adherence to medical recommendations by the patient guarantees long-term, even lifelong, remission of the disease.
How to avoid an unpleasant diagnosis?
Prevention of chronic prostatitis involves following several basic rules:
- Change your lifestyle to a more active lifestyle.If it is not possible to play sports, do warm-up or gymnastic exercises daily.
- Avoid hypothermia.Do not sit on stone slabs, metal curbs, etc.
- If constipation occurs, use laxatives and if constipation becomes chronic, consult 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 engage in casual sex;otherwise, choose protected sex.
- At the first suspicion of an STD, immediately consult a specialist;do not self-medicate.
- Visit your urologist at least once a year to rule out the possibility of developing any disease.
Pay attention to the health of your men, and the diagnosis of “chronic prostatitis” will never stand in your way!