Prostatitis is one of the most common diseases of the male genital area. Symptoms of prostatitis in men and its treatment cannot be independently determined and prescribed.
If a man has the first signs of prostatitis, he should immediately consult a doctor. Even a slight malaise, indicating the development of a disease of the genitourinary system, can lead to serious complications.
The shape of the prostate resembles a chestnut. The transverse length of the prostate gland in men is 4 cm, longitudinal - 3 cm, thickness - 2 cm. The organ consists of glandular tissue. In the upper part it is connected with the bladder, and the seminal ducts depart from the lower part.
Functions of the prostate
The prostate or prostatic gland performs a very important function: it produces seminal fluid, which mixes with sperm and forms semen. The organ acts as a valve during erection, which prevents urine from flowing during intercourse.
Due to the content of immunoglobulins A and B in the prostate, as well as lysozyme (an antibacterial enzyme), the infection cannot enter the upper urinary tract.
The functional capacity of the testicles depends on the prostate. Therefore, with diseases of this organ, the male's sexual strength weakens and sperm production is disturbed, which can lead to infertility.
Why men develop prostatitis
Prostatitis is a common disease in men. People living in cold regions with high humidity are more susceptible to it. Prostatitis occurs as a result of hypothermia of the body, since cold is a predisposing factor for the stagnation of liquid secretion, which leads to the active reproduction of pathogenic microorganisms.
Prostatitis develops after 30 years. With weak immunity, it can go into a chronic course without pronounced symptoms, so the man does not notice the signs of the disease and does not go to the doctor, but lives with this disease for many years. Make an appointment with a doctor only after a sharp deterioration in health. It happens between the ages of 45 and 50, when a man is diagnosed with prostate adenoma, and the treatment becomes more complicated.
The disease is a benign prostate tumor, which deteriorates a man's quality of life, gradually making intimacy impossible. The treatment of adenoma is only surgical. After its removal, the problem disappears, but in the postoperative period it is necessary to strictly follow the doctor's prescriptions, in which case the rehabilitation process will be painless and the person will return to a full life. You have to be careful, avoid hypothermia and the symptoms of prostatitis will not return.
What are the symptoms of prostatitis
Prostatitis does not manifest itself immediately, gradually developing in the body. Symptoms of the disease in men are manifested by pain in the lower abdomen, suprapubic region and in the perineum.
These sensations are intensified after intercourse. Urination becomes intermittent, painful, and there may be a feeling of incomplete emptying of the bladder. Mostly the pathological condition manifests itself at night, there are painful false urges to go to the toilet. Pain also occurs during ejaculation. Sexual intercourse becomes painful.
Prostatitis has an acute and chronic course. During the acute phase, the symptoms of the disease worsen, the patient's health deteriorates sharply. The first signs of prostatitis in men in the acute phase of the course are:
- the temperature rises;
- there is weakness and pain in the body;
- chills occur.
Studies are carried out, laboratory tests are carried out, urine, semen and blood are examined. In acute bacterial prostatitis, the indicators will be clearly expressed. In the chronic course of the disease in men, increased irritability, anxiety, irascibility, etc. are more pronounced. In order to correctly diagnose the disease, an examination is necessary.
Bacterial prostatitis is an inflammatory disease of the prostate that significantly reduces the patient's quality of life and can have irreversible consequences on the male genitalia.
Prostatitis can be infectious or congestive (non-infectious). Infectious prostatitis occurs when an infection enters the tissues of the prostate. Germs, viruses, fungi and bacteria can enter through the genital tract. The disease can develop as a result of chronic tonsillitis, sinusitis or kidney disease.
Conditionally pathogenic microorganisms live in the human body, which can be activated when the immune system is weakened or during hypothermia. These are Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, enterococci, etc. Having penetrated into the prostate, they provoke an acute inflammatory process.
Non-infectious or congestive prostatitis is formed due to circulatory disorders in the pelvis. The cause can be a sedentary lifestyle, pelvic lesions, hormonal disorders, prolonged sexual abstinence or an excessively active sex life. The prostate is affected by smoking and alcohol.
How to treat prostatitis
With prostatitis of an infectious nature, antibiotic therapy is used. After identifying the type of pathogen, an appropriate combination of antibiotics is prescribed, after which health improves in a short time.
Preparations are selected only after laboratory analysis and finding out the type of pathogen.
If the disease is bacterial in nature, in which living microorganisms are present, then without individually selected antibiotics, treatment will be ineffective.
With prostatitis, choosing the right medication is very important. There are substances that cannot penetrate the prostate tissue, and their treatment will be useless. And there are a number of antibiotics that have a weak effect. Only a doctor can choose the tactics of treatment.
In the acute form of prostatitis, nonsteroidal drugs are prescribed.
In the acute phase of the disease, a powerful dose of antibiotic may be needed, when with mild symptoms of the disease a milder remedy can be used.
In the chronic stage of the disease, alpha-blockers are prescribed. The patient may be prescribed diuretics.
In the presence of infectious flora, it can enter the bladder, which will provoke the development of acute cystitis. Your doctor may prescribe diuretics and an alcohol regimen to actively empty your bladder.
With prostatitis, the prostate is swollen, and to relieve swelling, a man is prescribed antiandrogens. These drugs temporarily reduce secretions and block blood flow. Cold enemas may be prescribed. They help relieve prostatitis swelling, inflammation and reduce blood flow. Many doctors are reluctant to use cold when being treated with antibiotics because they find that in addition to delaying blood circulation, the drugs do not reach the prostate tissue and there is no treatmentappropriate.
If after treatment there is no clinical response to antibiotics, this should serve as a reason to suspect a prostate abscess. To eliminate such a pathology, surgical intervention must be applied, otherwise the consequences may be unpredictable.
Often, patients with prostatitis are prescribed prostate massage, which is carried out through the anus. But in the acute phase of the disease, when inflammation is present, there is swelling of the gland and the infection progresses, massage is categorically contraindicated, since bacteria can easily spread through urine andblood, which can cause sepsis, which has serious consequences up to death.
Biopsy for severe prostatitis is not performed. The data obtained on the basis of the analysis of blood, urine, smear and ultrasound are sufficient to make the correct diagnosis and select drugs for the treatment and relief of the patient's condition.
If there are signs and symptoms of prostatitis, it is urgent to contact a urologist or andrologist. He will choose the drugs adapted to the patient in order to effectively treat the pathology. Under no circumstances should you self-medicate.