The first signs of prostatitis in men can appear at a young age. If quality medical care is not provided, the disease can turn into a latent (latent) form and progress with minor symptoms: discomfort during urination and intercourse, pain in the perineum and lower back. If you do not pay attention to these symptoms, then chronic prostatitis will progress, the treatment of which will be more difficult and longer.
An experienced urologist will tell you what chronic prostatitis means and how dangerous it can be. Even a single inflammation without effective treatment can turn the disease into a severe, recurring form.
The causes of chronic prostatitis
Chronic prostatitis is the result of inferior treatment of an acute inflammatory process. Often times, men are negligent about their health or simply hesitate to turn to specialists. As a result, the disease progresses.
A urologist treats the prostate professionally. He will tell you what chronic prostatitis in men is, why it occurs, and how unpredictable it is. The specialist will precisely determine the etiological factors. This directly affects the effectiveness of the treatment methods used. Many do not know what chronic prostatitis consists of, that it is caused by certain infectious pathogens (E. coli, streptococci, staphylococci, fungi), and some factors are just a trigger mechanism.
Predisposing factors
Prostatitis is caused by microbial pathogens: Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli. However, the causes of chronic prostatitis can be linked to the following predisposing factors:
- decreased immunity;
- hypothermia;
- injuries to the urogenital organs;
- stress;
- Drink alcohol and food that is too spicy;
- congestion in the pelvic area;
- constipation;
- smoking, chronic poisoning of the body with destructive substances;
- sedentary lifestyle;
- Presence of chronic foci of infection;
- sexually transmitted diseases.
Prolonged exposure to one or more predisposing factors leads to the progression of chronic prostatitis in men. The disease occurs at any age, young men who have had sexually transmitted diseases in the past, other infectious processes of the prostate and organs of the urinary system often suffer.
Men tend to be reluctant to refer to specialists. Often the woman is the initiator of the consultation with the urologist. If the husband has chronic prostatitis, treatment should be started immediately. Otherwise, you can begin the course of the disease, which will turn into a severe chronic form and cause complications.
Signs of illness
Signs of chronic prostatitis in men in remission are almost completely absent. The mild pain syndrome is permanent, but the symptoms are moderate. After hypothermia or prolonged abstinence, chronic prostatitis can worsen, the symptoms of which increase depending on the man's condition.
Every time an exacerbation occurs, the characteristic symptoms of chronic prostatitis appear in men:
- heaviness and pain in the perineum;
- signs of body poisoning;
- urination disorder;
- irradiation of the penis or anus with pain;
- The prostate is asymmetrical and painful when palpated.
- chills, weakness, fever.
Characteristically, the pain increases at the beginning and at the end of urination. Unpleasant sensations are usually given to the rectum, sacrum and penis. The pain syndrome also occurs after intimate contact, it is especially acute during sperm shedding. Urination during remission can be painless, but it is usually more common. At the same time, it is difficult to start the microphone.
The flow of urine becomes intermittent, there is a feeling of incomplete emptying of the bladder. In the morning there is a burning sensation in the urethra. Filamentous formations are often found in morning urine. This means that the inflammatory process is chronic.
Effects on sexual performance
Male potency problems often arise against the background of a protracted course of the inflammatory process, which disrupts the functionality of the prostate, reduces libido and can even cause infertility. With such complications, chronic prostatitis occurs - the causes of erectile dysfunction are often associated with a sluggish infectious and inflammatory process. Until the causative agents of the disease are eliminated, the effect of predisposing factors will not be eliminated, effectiveness will not be restored.
Diagnosis of chronic prostatitis
Comprehensive diagnostics will help determine the features of the course and causes of chronic prostatitis in men. First of all, experts prescribe a rectal examination of the prostate. During the procedure, the specialist determines the clarity of the contours and boundaries of the organ, as well as the degree of pain. In the future, ultrasound will be performed to identify specific functional and structural changes.
TRUZI
Ultrasound of the Prostate (TRUS) is a safe and informative method of visualizing the main structures of the prostate and adjacent urogenital organs. Studies are carried out both through the abdominal wall and transrectally - through the rectum. If there is difficulty urinating, the specialist will also examine the bladder and determine the residual urine.
Ultrasound diagnostics allows you to choose the most effective treatment for chronic prostatitis in men and evaluate the effectiveness of the methods already used. The absence of radiation exposure of the body allows ultrasound to be used as often as is necessary for a particular clinical situation.
Examination of prostate secretions and ureteroscopy
Prostate secretion is collected after urination and gland massage. The study of biomaterials allows you to identify pathogenic microflora, determine the level of leukocytes and the number of lecithin grains. The method makes it possible to classify the nature of the pathological process, understand how a man should be treated and what drugs to use. The diagnosis is not accompanied by painful sensations, but is easily perceived by a man.
Ureteroscopy is recommended for patients with impaired urinary function, blood in the urine and erectile dysfunction. This procedure allows you to examine the urethra and perform specific treatments using endoscopic equipment.
Additional research methods
Additional diagnostic methods are used to clarify the clinical picture and determine the exact causes of the inflammatory process. Chronic prostatitis needs to be distinguished from neurogenic bladder and other similar diseases with similar symptoms. Specialists prescribe electromyography and urodynamic diagnostic methods. They enable a qualitative differentiation between chronic inflammation and other diseases.
Chronic prostatitis often leads to hyperplastic processes, proliferation of glandular tissue, growth of adenomas and malignant neoplasms. To rule out a cancer process, a PSA diagnosis must be performed. The method involves determining the level of prostate-specific antigen with an increase at which the growth of malignant cells can be suspected. To clarify the nature of the identified formations, it is necessary to perform a biopsy of the prostate, followed by a morphological study of the given material.
Possible complications
Chronic prostatitis significantly affects a man's quality of life. The prolonged course of the inflammatory process in one way or another disrupts the reproductive function, weakens the libido and threatens various infectious complications. The most unpleasant consequences of the disease are impotence and reproductive disorders. Constant inflammation changes the tissues of the prostate, contributes to its proliferation, hormonal abnormalities, the early onset of menopause and the growth of adenomas.
The chronic course of the disease can lead to urinary incontinence, stones and cysts in the prostate. As the disease progresses, prostate sclerosis develops. This pathological condition is the terminal stage of prostate inflammation. The body accumulates collagen, forming dense tissue. The urethra narrows, there are problems with potency. Such changes are characteristic of benign prostatic hyperplasia, which can lead to malignant cell growth and the formation of cancerous tumors at any time.
Treatment functions
Chronic prostate inflammation is not easy to cure. But recovery is possible or the transition of the pathology to a longer stage of remission. The effectiveness of medical procedures depends on the timeliness of the search for medical help.
A man must carefully follow the recommendations of the attending physician and avoid the action of predisposing factors: hypothermia, scrotal trauma, sexually transmitted diseases, stress. It is important to remember that even a mundane viral infection can exacerbate the disease with the appearance of intense pain and disruption of the urinary system.
Drug therapy
Bacterial prostatitis is treated with antibiotics. They are prescribed for several weeks. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are used to increase the patient's comfort of life and to combat the main acute symptoms. Adrenergic blockers are effective for restoring urodynamics, for regular drainage of prostate secretions and for relieving muscle tension in the gland. Paraprostatic blockade in combination with acupuncture also copes with the intense pain syndrome.
If a man is afraid of the background of a chronic inflammatory process, tranquilizers or sedatives can be used. However, such drugs should be prescribed by qualified specialists who are well acquainted with the specific clinical case.
Physiotherapy
Physiotherapy uses medical electrophoresis, ultrasound treatment, and magnetotherapy. Acupuncture is also used in combination with analgesic blocks. In addition, it is recommended to use therapeutic Sitz baths, enemas and special instillations in the urethra. Drip administration of drugs is good for chronic inflammatory processes.
The technology ensures that a large amount of the active ingredient comes directly into the pathological focus. A high concentration of the drug persists for a long time. This way, you can effectively handle a sluggish infection process. The drug must be kept for 30-40 minutes to limit urination.
Surgical treatment
In case of ineffectiveness or impossibility of using conservative techniques and physiotherapy, surgical treatment is required. It is mainly required to remove urethral strictures. In prostate sclerosis, transurethral resection is performed using endoscopic techniques. The method is used if the patient has severe comorbidities of the internal organs that do not allow a classic prostatectomy.
With recurrent phimosis against the background of a chronic infectious process, it is recommended to carry out therapeutic circumcision of the foreskin. The operation is carried out according to the indications and only under the conditions of the urological department.
Disease prognosis
The prognosis of the disease is determined by the timeliness and effectiveness of the prescribed treatment, the duration of the treatment of the inflammatory process, the age of the man and the presence of certain concomitant diseases. Subject to medical prescriptions, the implementation of preventive measures, including the normalization of intimate activity and the prevention of sexually transmitted diseases, it is possible to reduce the number of relapses per year and turn the disease into a state of prolonged remission.