The first signs of prostatitis in men can occur at a young age, and if quality medical care is not provided, the disease can turn into a latent (latent) form and proceed with minor symptoms: discomfort during urination and intercourse, pain in the perineumand lower back. If you do not pay attention to these symptoms, chronic prostatitis progresses, the treatment of which is 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 result in the transition of the disease into a severe recurrent form.
The causes of chronic prostatitis
Chronic prostatitis is the result of poor-quality treatment of an acute inflammatory process. Men are often negligent about their health or simply hesitate to contact specialists. As a result, the disease progresses.
A urologist professionally treats the prostate. He will tell you what chronic prostatitis in men is, why it appears and how unpredictable it is. The specialist will accurately establish the etiological factors. This directly affects the effectiveness of the applied treatment methods. Many do not know what chronic prostatitis is from, that it is caused by certain infectious pathogens (E. coli, streptococci, staphylococci, fungi), and some factors are only a trigger mechanism.
Predisposing factors
The causative agent of prostatitis are microbial agents: Pseudomonas aeruginosa, staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli. But the causes of chronic prostatitis can be associated with the following predisposing factors:
- decreased immunity;
- hypothermia;
- injuries of the genitourinary organs;
- stress;
- drinking alcohol and too spicy food;
- congestion in the pelvic region;
- constipation;
- smoking, chronic intoxication of the body with destructive substances;
- sedentary lifestyle;
- presence of foci of chronic infection;
- venereal 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 a history of sexually transmitted diseases, other infectious processes of the prostate gland and organs of the urinary system often suffer.
Men tend to procrastinate with referring to specialists. Often the wife is the initiator of the consultation with the urologist. If the husband has chronic prostatitis, treatment should be started immediately. Otherwise, you can start the course of the disease, which will turn into a severe chronic form and begin to give complications.
Disease Signs
Signs of chronic prostatitis in men in remission are almost completely absent. Minor pain syndrome is permanent, but the discomfort is moderate. After hypothermia, prolonged abstinence, chronic prostatitis may worsen, the symptoms of which increase depending on the condition of the man.
Every time an exacerbation occurs, the characteristic symptoms of chronic prostatitis in men appear:
- heaviness and pain in the perineum;
- signs of body intoxication;
- urination disorder;
- irradiation of pain to the penis or anus;
- the prostate is asymmetrical and painful during palpation;
- chills, weakness, fever.
Characteristically, the pain intensifies at the beginning and end of urination. Unpleasant sensations are usually given to the rectum, sacrum and penis. Pain syndrome also appears after intimate contact, it is especially acute during sperm excretion. Urination during remission may be painless, but it is usually more frequent. At the same time, there is a difficulty in starting the microphone.
The stream 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.
Impact 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 may 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 is not eliminated, potency will not be restored.
Diagnosis of chronic prostatitis
Comprehensive diagnostics will help to determine the features of the course and causes of chronic prostatitis in men. First of all, experts prescribe a rectal examination of the prostate gland. During the procedure, the specialist determines the clarity of the contours and boundaries of the organ, the degree of pain. In the future, ultrasound is performed to identify specific functional and structural changes.
TRUZI
Ultrasound of the prostate (TRUS) is a safe, informative method for 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. In case of difficulty urinating, the specialist additionally examines the bladder and determines the residual urine.
Ultrasound diagnostics allows you to choose the most effective treatment for chronic prostatitis in men, as well as evaluate the effectiveness of the methods already used. The absence of radiation exposure to the body allows the use of ultrasound as often as required by a specific clinical situation.
Examination of prostate secretions and ureteroscopy
Prostate secretion is collected after urination and gland massage. The study of biomaterial 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, to understand how a man should be treated and what drugs to use. Diagnosis is not accompanied by painful sensations, it is easily perceived by a man.
In case of impaired urinary function, blood in the urine and erectile dysfunction, it is recommended to undergo ureteroscopy. This procedure allows you to evaluate the urethra and to carry out specific treatments using endoscopic equipment.
Additional research methods
Additional diagnostic methods are used to clarify the clinical picture, to determine the exact causes of the inflammatory process. Chronic prostatitis must be differentiated from neurogenic bladder and other similar diseases that have similar symptoms. Specialists prescribe electromyography, urodynamic diagnostic methods. They allow for qualitative differentiation of chronic inflammation from other diseases.
Chronic prostatitis often leads to hyperplastic processes, proliferation of glandular tissues, growth of adenoma and malignant neoplasms. To exclude a cancerous process, it is necessary to carry out PSA diagnostics. The method involves the determination of the level of prostate-specific antigen, with an increase in which one can suspect the growth of malignant cells. To clarify the nature of the identified formations, it is necessary to conduct a biopsy of the prostate gland, followed by a morphological study of the given material.
Possible complications
Chronic prostatitis significantly reduces a man's quality of life. The prolonged course of the inflammatory process, one way or another, disrupts reproductive function, weakens libido and threatens with various infectious complications. The most unpleasant consequences of the disease are impotence and reproductive disorders. Constant inflammation changes the tissues of the prostate gland, contributes to their proliferation, hormonal abnormalities, the early onset of menopause and the growth of adenoma.
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 final stage of prostate inflammation. The body accumulates collagen with the formation of dense tissues. The urethra narrows, there are problems with potency. Such changes are characteristic of benign prostatic hyperplasia, which at any time can lead to malignant cell growth and the formation of cancerous tumors.
Treatment features
Chronic prostate inflammation is not easy to cure. But recovery is possible or the transition of pathology to a prolonged stage of remission. The effectiveness of medical procedures depends on the timeliness of seeking medical help.
A man must strictly follow the recommendations of the attending physician, avoid the action of predisposing factors: hypothermia, scrotal trauma, sexually transmitted diseases, the influence of stress. It is important to remember that even a banal 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. To increase the comfort of the patient's life, to combat the main acute symptoms, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are used. Adrenoblockers are effective for restoring urodynamics, regular outflow of prostate secretions and relieving muscle tension in the gland. Paraprostatic blockade in combination with acupuncture effectively cope with even intense pain syndrome.
If a man feels anxious against a background of a chronic inflammatory process, sedatives or tranquilizers can be used. But such drugs should be prescribed by qualified specialists who are well familiar with the specific clinical case.
Physiotherapy
Physiotherapy uses medicinal electrophoresis, ultrasound treatment, and magnetotherapy. Acupuncture is also used in combination with analgesic blockages. Additionally, it is recommended to use therapeutic sitz baths, enemas and special instillations into the urethra. Drip administration of drugs is good for chronic inflammatory processes.
The technique ensures that a large amount of the agent gets directly into the pathological focus. A high concentration of the drug remains for a long time. This allows you to effectively cope with a sluggish infectious process. The drug must be kept for 30-40 minutes, limiting urination.
Surgical Treatment
In case of ineffectiveness or impossibility of using conservative techniques and physiotherapy, it is necessary to carry out surgical treatment. It is mainly required to remove urethral strictures. In case of prostate sclerosis, transurethral resection is performed using endoscopic techniques. The method is used if the patient has severe concomitant diseases of internal organs that do not allow for classical prostatectomy.
In case of recurrent phimosis against the background of a chronic infectious process, it is recommended to perform therapeutic circumcision of the foreskin. The operation is carried out according to indications and only in 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 disorders. If medical prescriptions are followed, preventive measures are taken, 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 transfer the disease into a state of prolonged remission.