Prostatitis - inflammation of the prostate gland - can manifest itself in acute and chronic forms.
It is difficult to ignore acute inflammation: its signs are clearly pronounced, which cannot be said about the chronic manifestation of the disease.Itasymptomatic, but it does its job “excellently”, damaging the tissues of the organ, reducing its functions.
About chronic prostatitis: types and features
Inflammation of the prostate is considered chronic,if its indolent symptoms persist for more than 3 months.
According to statistics, only 5% of cases are acute, the remaining 95% are chronic prostatitis.It affects men of reproductive age, and even young men aged 18-20 years are susceptible to this disease.
There can be two reasons for the development of chronic prostatitis: infection and blood stagnation in the pelvis.
Infectiongets into the prostate in several ways:
- with blood flow from infectious foci in the body - carious teeth, pneumonia, inflamed maxillary sinuses, pustular formations,
- with lymph flow from nearby organs, for example, from the intestines with hemorrhoids, dysbacteriosis,
- sexually
- descending or ascending from the infected urinary tract - bladder or urethra.
Prostate inflammation caused by a sexually transmitted pathogen, such as gonococcus, chlamydia, and treponema pallidum, requires special attention.The symptoms of such prostatitis and genital infections are similar to each other, and they can “hide” behind the signs of these diseases.This kind of prostatitis is easy to trigger.
Reduced immunity and hormonal imbalancesespecially stimulate the development and spread of infection.
Non-infectious or congestive prostatitisappears as a result of a violation of the outflow of blood and lymph from the pelvis, as well as stagnation of prostate juice in the ducts of the gland.
Provoke such phenomenathe following factors:
- disturbances in sexual life - prolonged abstinence, interrupted acts, unfulfilled desire,
- smoking - nicotine spasms blood vessels and interferes with normal blood circulation,
- sedentary lifestyle,
- tight clothes,
- alcohol abuse.Alcoholic drinks irritate the walls of the gland ducts, causing them to become inflamed,
- constipation
Congestive prostatitis occurs 8 times more often than infectious prostatitis and very rarely develops as a complication of acute inflammation of the prostate.
Abacterial prostatitis
This type of disease is also calledchronic pelvic pain syndrome (CPPS).The main symptom is pain in the pelvic area, but the absence of pathogenic microorganisms in microbiological examination of urine and prostate secretions.
Painful sensations acquire different severity and localization.They spread to the perineum or bladder, genitals.The process of ejaculation is also painful.Problems with urine excretion and in the sexual sphere are also present, but they are secondary.
The diagnosis is made if the pain persists for 3 months or more.
There are 2 types of CPPS:
- Inflammatory CPPS– an increased number of leukocytes is detected in the urine and prostate secretions, which indicates inflammation.Microorganisms are not detected.There are several reasons for the appearance of this type of inflammation.On the one hand, this is possible with reflux (reflux) of clean urine from the urethra into the gland.This is facilitated by anatomical defects or impaired muscle contractions of the bladder, prostate organ, and perineum.Urine, or rather the urates in it, cause inflammation of the prostate.On the other hand, it is believed that the culprit of this process is still bacteria that are not determined by the classical method.To identify them, molecular diagnostics should be used.The 3rd reason is autoimmune processes in the body.
- Non-inflammatory CPPS– the analyzes do not contain leukocytosis and microorganisms.To establish a diagnosis, instrumental diagnostics are used.It allows you to identify innervation problems or muscle changes in the prostate and other organs:
- cervical part of the bladder - stenosis or proliferation,
- pelvic area – myalgia, muscle tension, disruption of the passage of nerve impulses,
- urethra - narrowing, increased pressure,
- prostate – reflux of urine, increased pressure.
OftenNervous disorders are observed in patients with CPPS: anxiety, irritability, depressive tendencies.
Bacterial prostatitis
Chronic inflammation of the prostate of bacterial etiologybegins to manifest itself with slight discomfort when urinating.This includes minor pain, itching or burning, and a decrease in the flow of the stream.The color of the urine changes and it acquires an unpleasant odor.Unpleasant sensations can also disturb you during bowel movements.A weak, dull pain appears in the perineum.
ariseproblems in sex life.At the beginning of the disease, they are situational: weakening of erection or increased frequency of its occurrence at night, acceleration of ejaculation, disturbances in orgasmic sensations.
A characteristic symptom for this stage– the appearance of discharge from the urethra during defecation.
Such sluggish symptoms can persist for quite a long time.A man may not pay attention to them, attributing everything to other reasons.If there is no treatment, they progress and an exacerbation of the chronic process occurs, the intensity of sensations increases.
Urination becomes sharply painful, the urge to go to the toilet becomes more frequent.At a certain point, these manifestations weaken due to compensatory growth of the bladder muscles, and then resume again, with greater force.
The pain in the perineum also intensifies.It radiates to the lower back, pubis, leg, scrotum.The nature of the pain also changes: it becomes stronger and sharper, and bothers you at night.
Sexual dysfunction increases and becomes permanent.Ejaculation is accompanied by pain, erection and libido decrease.
Patients are also accompanied by increased sweating, including in the perineum.Body temperature is slightly elevated – 37-37.5°.
Against the background of sexual disorders in menmental disorders develop.They become irritable, nervous, and may become depressed.
Treatment of the disease at this stage reduces the intensity of symptoms, and the exacerbation stage goes into remission.
Other types of chronic prostatitis
There is a conceptcalculous prostatitis.This disease is extremely rare and affects older men.It is characterized by the formation of stones consisting of prostatic juice, inflammatory effusion, as well as phosphates and calcium.
Signs of this type of disease are pain, which has a localization typical for prostatitis.They intensify with movement, after sexual intercourse.Blood appears in the ejaculate.There are other signs of inflammation of the gland.
Stones are a consequence of long-term prostatitis or adenoma.
Congestive prostatitisThere are bacterial and non-bacterial.Its peculiarity is mild symptoms:
- low-grade fever,
- uncomfortable sensations in the groin,
- problems with urination,
- irritability,
- sexual disorders.
There are also suchtypes of chronic prostatitis:
- autoimmune– develops in immune diseases, for example, rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus,
- hormonal-dystrophic– appears due to hormonal imbalances, with hormonal diseases (diabetes mellitus), as a result of physiological aging of the body,
- vegetovascular– formed against the background of vegetative-vascular dystonia.Causes problems with blood circulation.
How is the disease detected: diagnosis
Chronic prostatitis is diagnosedthe same methods as acute.
First of allthe doctor interviews and examines the patient.The examination is carried out using a digital rectal examination of the prostate.It may be enlarged, painful, asymmetrical and hardened.In rare cases (non-inflammatory CPPS) it is not changed.
Next doctorwill order tests.Laboratory methods include a general blood and urine test and analysis of prostate secretions.They will show an increased white blood cell count.Bacteriological examination of urine and prostate juice reveals the pathogen.Sometimes these indicators may be normal, but the process is still present.
To confirm the fact of the disease, the blood is tested for PSA.Instrumental methods will also help: ultrasound, TRUS, uroflowmetry.
Very often it turns out that a man does not suspect that he has such a disease, ignoring the symptoms.It is detected by chance, during systematic examinations.Therefore, it is recommended not to disturb the system and not to neglect scheduled inspections.
Pharmacological treatment
First of all, for the treatment of chronic prostatitisantibiotics are prescribed.The course is long - 1-1.5 months.Before prescribing antibacterial agents, the type of pathogen and its sensitivity to the drugs are determined.
Necessarilyuse immunocorrective drugs, because reduced immunity is a common cause of inflammation.Help from an immunologist is possible.
Therapy for chronic inflammation of the prostateCan't do without anti-inflammatory drugs.To begin with, non-steroidal drugs are prescribed.They are used in the form of tablets or injections.If they fail to achieve the desired result, hormones are used.
Alpha blockerswill help relieve muscle tension from the bladder and perineum.They act symptomatically, reducing pain and improving urination.
If unbearable pain occurs,painkillers are relevant.
It’s worth mentioning separatelyabout the use of a dosage form such as suppositories.They are perfect for treating chronic prostatic processes.Most often, its symptoms are mild, and the mild action of suppositories is quite enough to relieve them.
They are inserted into the rectum.Its close location to the prostate gland allows you to quickly and effectively achieve results.In addition, the harmful effects of tablets on the gastrointestinal tract and difficulties with injections are eliminated.Suppositories have an anti-inflammatory and analgesic effect on the organ.
Physiotherapy and other methods
In addition to medications, other methods of treating chronic prostatitis are used:
- rectal prostate massage– carried out through the rectum.The procedure eliminates stagnation of prostate juice and also enhances the effect of medications.Contraindicated in case of exacerbation of the disease and in the presence of stones in the prostate,
- physiotherapy improves blood circulation in the affected organ and improves its nutrition.Methods usedUHF, electrophoresis, darsonvalizationand others.They are indicated only in the remission stage,
- Prostatitis involves not only the organs, but also the psyche of a man.He might needhelp from a psychologist or psychotherapist,
- acupunctureis a common method of treating chronic prostatitis.The procedure affects the organ indirectly, through acupuncture points,
- exercises, such as squats, walking, jumping will increase blood circulation in the pelvis and eliminate congestion,
- actively usedbalneotherapy– treatment with mineral waters.
Medications are an integral part of the treatment of chronic prostatitis.But they can cause a number of complications.And since the treatment of this type of disease is long-term, people have found ways to partially replace such drugs.Came to the rescuetraditional medicine.
The leader among folk remedies for the treatment of prostatitis arepumpkin seeds.They contain a lot of zinc, which is essential for men's health.The seeds can be consumed separately: 30 grams will replenish the daily requirement of the essential microelement.You can also grind them in a meat grinder and mix with honey, making balls from the resulting mixture.They need to be stored in the refrigerator and consumed 1 piece before meals.
It is very useful for inflammation of the prostate to drinkfreshly squeezed juices of beets, carrots, cucumbers and asparagus.The volume per day should be at least 0.5 liters.
BlueberryPerfect for restoring the prostate gland.It contains a lot of useful substances, microelements and vitamins.
In rare cases, in the treatment of prostatitishave to resort to surgery.Indications for it include the lack of improvement from conservative treatment, as well as acute processes: abscess and other purulent inflammation of the prostate, acute urinary retention, proliferation of glandular tissue, as well as benign and malignant formations.
Surgical treatment is carried out using several methods: This can be partial resection of an organ, opening of ulcers, excision of the foreskin, or removal of the entire gland.
How to prevent the development of chronic prostatitis
Prevention of this diseasecan be primary or secondary.
Primary preventionis to prevent the occurrence of the disease, and comes down to the following measures:
- maintaining immunity,
- regularity of sexual activity,
- physical exercises and moderate loads.This is especially important for those who lead a sedentary lifestyle,
- avoid hypothermia,
- stopping infectious foci in the body,
- timely treatment of urogenital infections,
- be sure to undergo routine medical examinations,
- do not abuse alcohol and smoking.
Secondary preventionincludes measures to prevent relapse of the disease.In the first year after suffering from prostatitis, a man is required to visit a urologist once every 3 months.Then – once every 6 months.If an exacerbation of the disease does not occur, the patient is removed from dispensary observation.
Excellent for the prevention of prostatitissanatorium-resort treatment is suitable.Modern sanatoriums offer complexes of procedures from physiotherapy and balneotherapy, and other natural resources.
Importantmonitor your diet as well.Include more vegetables and fruits and a variety of cereals in the menu.You should also enrich your diet with fermented milk products.Eating seafood will compensate for the lack of zinc.
You should avoid salty, spicy and smoked foods, and do not overuse spices.Legumes, fatty foods and flour products should be excluded.
Chronic prostatitis is a sluggish but long-term process.He is insidious with complications:
- cystitis, pyelonephritis - urolithiasis,
- vesiculitis - an inflammatory process in the seminal vesicles,
- Epididymo-orchitis is an inflammatory process of the testicles,
- gland hypotrophy,
- infertility and impotence.
Treatment of the disease -quite a long process.But it’s worth following this path to the end in order to preserve your health and preserve the chance of having healthy offspring.