Prostatitis in men is the most common urologic disease in men. According to statistics, the number of men with this diagnosis is up to 8% of the male population around the world, of which 1/3 are the owners of the chronic form of the disease. In 40% of cases, chronic prostatitis in men is detected before the age of 40.
A distinctive feature of prostatitis is that its acute form is almost completely absent. As soon as it appears, it immediately takes a chronic form.
Cases of complete recovery (spontaneous or following treatment) after the initial acute stage are minor. The disease progresses very slowly and the symptoms of prostatitis are often reduced. Prostatitis manifests itself by three main syndromes: painful, sexual and dysuric.
Causes of prostatitis in men
The causes of prostatitis are infections, prostate stagnation and a combination of these two factors. One of the predisposing factors for the development of chronic prostatitis is also the presence of benign hyperplasia in the patient.
Infection can enter the prostate as follows:
- through the urethra by sexual contact, as a complication after infectious urethritis;
- through the blood from existing infections in the body (decayed teeth, sinusitis, pneumonia and others);
- through lymph from internal inflamed organs (intestinal dysbiosis, hemorrhoids, inflammation of the rectum).
Most often, prostatitis in humans is non-infectious in nature (abacterial prostatitis). Its main reason is a violation of blood circulation in the prostate and surrounding organs due to stagnation of secretions.
In the prostate, stagnation of secretions can occur due to the following factors:
- prolonged sexual abstinence;
- sexual contact not made after sexual arousal;
- interrupted sex;
- faulty ejaculation.
Factors predisposing to the development of prostatitis:
- irregular sex life;
- hypothermia;
- hypodynamia;
- chronic stress;
- chronic alcoholism and others.
Symptoms of prostatitis in men
- pain in the genital area;
- pain in the groin, perineum, suprapubic area;
- frequent urge to urinate;
- painful sensations when urinating;
- pain on ejaculation;
- faulty assembly or lack thereof.
Very often, chronic prostatitis is predisposed to neurasthenia gravis caused by the above disorders.
Pain in prostatitis, as a rule, is radiant in nature, that is, radiating to the sacrum, perineum or scrotum. From the prostate there are nerve endings to all the organs of the small pelvis, so pain is often given to the lower back. Their intensity is different - from subtle to pronounced, which even disturbs sleep. The pain can intensify, weaken with sexual abstinence or, conversely, occur with excessive sexual activity or ejaculation. It should be noted that pain in the sacrum does not always indicate prostatitis - it can also indicate osteochondrosis.
How prostatitis manifests itself in men of chronic form, here the situation is completely different. Its evolution is undulatory; periodic exacerbations are replaced by more or less prolonged remissions, during which the disease does not manifest itself in any way. In this case, men rarely go to the doctor, preferring to sit at home. However, this is not a way out of the situation, since prostatitis in men, its exacerbation, will progress over time. And, spreading through the genitourinary system, it will lead to the occurrence of cystitis and pyelonephritis.
Prostatitis in humans: consequences
As a rule, patients with acute prostatitis seek timely medical help. But if you do not turn to a urologist on time, there is a high probability of focal purulent inflammation - an abscess of the prostate. In this case, the body temperature may rise to 39-40 ° C, it becomes hectic (the drop in body temperature exceeds 1 ° C), and the intense fever is periodically replaced by chills. The pain in the perineum is so pronounced that urination and defecation become extremely impossible. Gradually, the prostate swells and, as a result, urinary retention occurs. Fortunately for the men themselves, they rarely get in such a state.
One of the most common complications of prostatitis is vesiculitis, when the seminal vesicles become inflamed. And also epididymo-orchitis, characterized by inflammation of the testes and their appendages. Treatment of chronic prostatitis in men caused by these diseases will be extremely difficult and time consuming.
Both diseases can lead to infertility. Everything that is described is more related to chronic prostatitis, which has a specific etiology and which developed as a result of sexually transmitted diseases. How to treat prostatitis in men and drug treatment of any form is prescribed by a urologist.
Treatment of prostatitis in men
How to treat prostatitis in men depends on the form of the disease and how it looks. In the treatment of acute prostatitis, antibiotics are used, which penetrate well into the tissues of the prostate. The prescriber should take into account all the individual characteristics of the disease, the state of the body's immune system and the presence of infectious agents. If the course of the disease is not complicated by anything, patients with acute prostatitis are treated only on an outpatient basis. Only patients with signs of severe and severe intoxication can be hospitalized. Such physiotherapeutic methods are widely used: magnetic-laser inductotherapy, reflexology, ultrasound, treatment of prostatitis with leeches. A good effect can be achieved using herbal preparations (herbal medicine), enzymes, cytomediators, immunomodulators. Surgery for prostatitis is indicated in the following cases:
- a prostate abscess (transurethral or transrectal drainage of the abscess);
- acute urinary retention (epicystostomy by puncture).
Treatment of chronic prostatitis in men is carried out on an outpatient basis, but for a longer period. In addition to the use of antibiotics, suppositories, and heat treatments, prostate massages and reflexology are also performed. In addition, patients with prostatitis are recommended to have an active lifestyle and the exclusion of alcoholic beverages and spicy foods from use.
Prevention of prostatitis in men
Timely treatment of prostatitis in men, as well as its prevention, contributes to a rapid recovery. As a preventive measure to prevent the development of chronic prostatitis, it is recommended:
- regular sex life;
- correctly selected diet (varied and nutritious foods except spicy and irritating foods);
- no alcohol abuse;
- moderate physical activity aimed at improving blood circulation in the organs of the genitourinary system and strengthening the muscles, Kegel exercises (tension of the muscles of the perineum with retraction of the anus);
- adequate and timely treatment of infectious diseases of other organs;
- prevention of stagnation in the small pelvis with the help of physiotherapy methods.
To exclude recurrence of the disease - secondary prevention of prostatitis, which includes primary prevention and:
- regular preventive examinations with a urologist;
- follow preventive treatments with fortifying methods, multivitamins;
- physiotherapy methods (especially in spring and autumn).