We have selected 22 basic questions about prostatitis and its treatment. All answers are written by our leading male health specialist, andrologist. We hope this article helps you and gives you the necessary answers to your questions.
Symptoms of prostatitis: pain, burning, discharge, stinging, incontinence
Symptoms for prostatitis are most common of 3 types:
- Violation of urination: difficult, frequent, nocturnal urination.
- Pain symptoms: pain in the perineum, lower abdomen, groin area. Pain can radiate into the scrotum or sacrum.
- Mixed form in which urinary tract problems and pain occur.
What causes prostatitis
With bacterial prostatitis
The infection invades the prostate from neighboring organs:
- Urethra;
- bladder
- through the blood and lymph vessels from a distant focus of inflammation (tonsillitis, sinusitis, caries).
The most common bacteria detected in prostatitis are: Escherichia coli, Klebsiella, Proteus, Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus.
The role of sexually transmitted infections is discussed: chlamydia, mycoplasma, trichomonas.
The activity and, accordingly, the manifestation of the inflammatory process depends on the characteristics of the microorganism, the state of the pelvic organs, their blood supply, concomitant diseases and other predisposing factors.
For non-bacterial prostatitis
Standstill plays an important role. Violation of blood flow causes edema, exudation of prostate tissue and creates conditions for the development of an inflammatory process that is not associated with any bacterial agent.
Sexually transmitted diseases and prostatitis
The question of the involvement of sexually transmitted infections in the development of prostatitis is widely discussed in scientific circles. There is no consensus on this matter.
We see ourselves as advocates of a direct connection between infections, the development and course of prostatitis.
Why is prostatitis dangerous?
Prostatitis does not pose a threat to the patient's life, the process is chronic and worsens the quality of life.
Onset of prostatitis. How to determineFirst signs
The first signs of prostatitis are changes in the way you urinate: difficult, frequent urination, more frequent urination, especially at night. Discomfort when urinating and pain of varying intensity in the groin area.
Age of prostatitis? Is it a disease of the young and / or the old?
Prostatitis is an inflammatory disease that can occur at any age. But adenoma, or hyperplasia of the prostate, is an age-related disease in men over the age of 50 and is associated with the development of a benign prostate tumor.
Chronic prostatitis. Is healing possible?
The presence of a diagnosis of chronic prostatitis implies the presence of changes in the structure of the glandular tissue that persist for life. Like any chronic disease, prostatitis progresses with alternating phases of exacerbation and remission - a phase in which the patient is not worried about anything. With the right treatment and lifestyle, remission times can be very long and symptoms never bother the patient again.
Bacterial and other types of prostatitis
There are several classifications, the most common being developed by the US Institutes of Health in 1995:
- Category I.Acute prostatitis.
- Category II.Chronic bacterial prostatitis.
- Category III.Non-bacterial prostatitis / Chronic Pelvic Pain Syndrome - with no obvious signs of infection and longer than 3 months.
- Sub-category IIIA.Chronic inflammatory pelvic pain syndrome (with leukocytes in the secretion of the prostate and excretion of the pathogen).
- Sub-category IIIB.Chronic non-inflammatory pelvic pain syndrome (no leukocytes in the secret of the prostate).
- Category IV.Asymptomatic prostatitis (with leukocytes in the secret of the prostate, but without discomfort).
For a better understanding, the classification can be shown in 3 types:
Acute prostatitis- runs with severe pain, fever, urinary tract diseases. The secret of the prostate is a large number of leukocytes, which indicates a clear inflammatory process. It usually appears for the first time in a specific patient. If these symptoms occur in a patient with chronic prostatitis, it is called an exacerbation of chronic prostatitis.
Chronic bacterial prostatitis- Symptoms that regularly bother the patient are usually less pronounced than in acute prostatitis. When diagnosing an increase in leukocytes in the secret of the prostate, it is possible to identify the causative agent of inflammation.
Most problematic for diagnosis isnon bacterial prostatitis, or so calledchronic pelvic pain syndrome. . . This is because the symptoms of prostatitis are very similar, but are associated with diseases of other organs and systems in which signs of inflammation and pathogenic bacteria cannot be recognized: spasm of the pelvic muscles, impaired interaction between the muscles of the bladder and its sphincter, anatomicalDisorders - strictures (narrowing) of the urethra, causing inflammation from increased pressure in the lobules of the prostate.
Who treats prostatitis - andrologist or urologist?
Prostatitis is treated by both a urologist and an andrologist.
An andrologist is a urologist who specializes in male reproductive and reproductive diseases.
Methods and treatment regimens for prostatitis
All treatment regimens for the prostate consist of drugs:
- Anti-inflammatory
- antibacterial
- biogenic stimulants
- Drugs that improve the contraction of the prostate and bladder while relaxing the sphincter muscle.
Good results are obtained from the simultaneous use of drugs and physiotherapy (prostate massage, complexes for the treatment of prostatitis).
What tests are done for prostatitis?
To theDiagnosis of prostatitisConsultation with a urologist (andrologist) is required to collect patient complaints, anamnesis, microscopy of the prostate secretion and ultrasound diagnostics.
For diagnosis, the transrectal ultrasound of the prostate (TRUS) and the prostate secretion obtained after a prostate massage are used for microscopic examination.
In addition, the sowing of the prostate secretion on the bacterial flora can be used to determine the sensitivity of the sown microflora to antibiotics.
Surgical interventions and operations for prostatitis
With prostatitis, operations are practically not used. With the exception of the prostate abscess - a process in which foci with purulent contents are formed.
Is It Possible To Cure Prostatitis On Your Own?
In the case of severe symptoms, it is better to seek treatment from a specialist, the time factor plays a major role in treatment, because the longer the inflammation lasts, the more likely irreversible changes in the organ are.
But it is better to do the prevention yourself, no doctor will do it for you.
Avoid hypothermia, congestion when sitting for a long time, sexually transmitted infections, irregular sexual activity - all of these are the path to effective prostatitis prevention.
Medicines for prostatitis: Finalgon, Vitaprost, Prostamol, Ceftriaxone, Doxycycline, Omnix and others
Drugs for the treatment of prostatitis are divided into groups according to the mechanism of action:
Antibacterial agents (antibiotics)are prescribed only if there is a diagnosis: chronic bacterial prostatitis. The most commonly used fluoroquinolones, macrolides, and the doxycycline drug group.
Alpha blocker:are prescribed to restore impaired urination, increase the contraction of the bladder and relax its detrusor.
Big groupbiogenic stimulants and herbal preparations: Candles.
Effective treatment is only possible with the correct diagnosis, since there are no universal drugs for all types of prostatitis. Often times, patients take drugs to treat prostatitis when they have a completely different disease but have similar symptoms.
Nuts, roots, parsley, cucumber, honey, bees, leeches and other folk remedies for prostatitis
Traditional methods of treatment have a raison d'être, but you need to understand that it is very difficult to choose a folk method that suits you. On request, the search engine returns 70 million results for the treatment of prostatitis using folk methods.
Nobody has studied popular methods for effectiveness. The fact that it helped (and whether it helped) a patient with such treatment does not mean that it will help you.
Worsening of prostatitis after treatment. Remission, relapse
All chronic inflammatory processes have phases of exacerbation and remission, when the patient is not worried about anything. The duration of remission can vary and depends on many factors, including whether the patient is undergoing prophylactic treatment. Patients who regularly conduct preventive treatment without waiting for a deterioration in well-being usually have less frequent exacerbations.
Massage the prostate at home. Is massage always necessary for prostatitis?
Prostate massage can also be done at home if you are married to a urological nurse. Each medical manipulation has its own subtleties and nuances. Only a doctor can determine the indications for this procedure, that is, with some diseases: prostate adenoma (with acute urinary retention), prostate massage is undesirable and contraindicated with tumors.
Alcohol and prostatitis
Alcohol alone does not cause prostatitis, but is a factor that increases the congestion and swelling of the prostate, thereby contributing to its development.
Sex life and prostatitis
There is a direct relationship between the intensity of sexual activity and prostate disease. With prolonged abstinence in the prostate, stagnation occurs, which worsens metabolic processes and disrupts the microcirculation of the blood, which contributes to the development of inflammatory processes. Regularity is more important than the intensity of sexual intercourse for prostate health. Excessive sexual intercourse, especially with different partners and unprotected from infection, is the fastest route to prostatitis.
Does prostatitis affect women?
Of course, this has implications for the health of a woman with prostatitis in a partner. Together with the seminal vesicles, the prostate produces a liquid component of the sperm, which enters the partner's genital tract during sexual intercourse. The main danger can be the presence of a sexually transmitted infection or bacterial prostatitis, which can provoke inflammatory diseases in a woman.
Pregnancy and prostatitis
Because the prostate produces a liquid part of the sperm that contains nutrients for the sperm, prostatitis often leads to a deterioration in the quality of the sperm, which makes pregnancy difficult.
Prevention. What to do to avoid prostatitis
Prevention is directly related to the patient's climate and profession.
Preventing prostatitis is about avoiding and minimizing the factors that contribute to the development of prostatitis. It is necessary to avoid hypothermia and alternate sedentary work with periods of physical activity. Having a regular sex life is important for prostatitis.