Prostatitis is one of the most common urological diseases in men.
According to WHO research, at least 30% of men aged 20 to 50 suffer from this disease, and every year this insidious disease increasingly affects young people. Cases of inflammation of this organ have been recorded even in children 15-16 years old.
The causes of chronic prostatitis
The disease itself is acute and chronic. Chronic prostatitis develops with untimely or ineffective treatment of acute prostatitis. Unfortunately, in the chronic form of prostatitis, a person cannot count on a complete recovery.
Due to the development of the disease, congestive (congestive) and infectious prostatitis are also distinguished.
Congestive prostatitis occurs with circulatory disorders in the pelvic area, as well as stagnation of prostate secretions. Poor permeability and regular accumulation of blood in this area over time leads to the development of foci of inflammation. As a result, the prostate gland is deformed, which in turn has a negative effect on neighboring organs.
An enlarged organ can constrict the urinary tract, disrupting a person's urinary function, and also press on the bladder, causing a regular urge to urinate. The development of congestion of the prostate is most often affected by a sedentary, sedentary lifestyle. Bad habits and obesity also increase the likelihood of illness.
The cause of infectious diseases is much more difficult to find out than congestive, because the disease can develop on the basis of many venereal and fungal diseases. An infection, entering a person through sexual contact, spreads throughout the body, but the prostate gland is the first on the way, where the majority of pathogenic agents accumulate. The multiplication of bacteria in this organ over time leads to its inflammation, and subsequently to the development of a kind of purulent foci (even after healing, scars remain).
The infection does not stop on the prostate, some bacteria move through the urinary canals, entering the bladder and kidneys, which leads to regular urination.
However, infectious prostatitis is not always a consequence of sexually transmitted diseases. There are thousands of bacteria and microorganisms in the human body that regularly come from the world around us. Immunity easily copes with most of them, unless, of course, it is weakened by the negative effects of smoking, alcohol, constant stress and neurosis. In such cases, the immune system is not able to fully regulate the development of bacteria or fungi, as a result of which their uncontrolled reproduction occurs, eventually affecting the prostate gland.
Chronic prostatitis symptoms
The first signs of chronic prostatitis first appear in the regular urge to urinate and discomfort in the perineum, similar to pain. This can be especially felt if you lightly press on the lower abdomen or in the anus.
Uneven urine flow is considered another symptom of chronic prostatitis. Spraying in different directions indicates a deformation of the muscle, which should block the urinary canal (the muscle is located at the base of the prostate gland).
The weakness of the jet is also negative signs, which indicates more about the infectious nature of the development of the disease, in which several organs of the genitourinary system are affected at once. In some cases, there are problems with erection, but more often they arise from a difficult psychological state of a person.
Disease Diagnostics
The diagnosis at the first stages of prostatitis is the same, no matter if it is normal or chronic, infectious or stagnant. The treatment is most often performed by andrologists (in some cases, urologists).
After consultation and internal examination, the doctor will write out a referral for tests:
- Smear.Collection is performed using a special probe, which is inserted into the patient's urethra (the analysis allows you to find out what bacteria and in what quantity are in the patient's urinary canal). Before taking the test, you need to refrain from urinating for about 4 hours.
- Analysis of prostate juice.The prostate gland is porous in structure, and with inflammation, some parts of this organ are simply blocked. Although the inflammatory process is in full swing in them, regular tests show nothing. This is where the analysis of the secret (prostate juice) comes to the rescue. The doctor massages the prostate through the anus, thereby squeezing out the secretion from the inflamed areas, and then collects it from the urethra.
- Urinalysis.Usually given after a smear, allows you to find out the pathology of the bladder and kidneys.
- Blood test- An analysis is performed for infections.
- Ultrasound- examination of the prostate, bladder and kidneys.
Treatment of chronic prostatitis in men
After completing all the analyzes, the andrologist proceeds to the treatment. In the case of congestive prostatitis, the treatment is simpler. As a rule, it consists in taking antibiotics and immunosuppressive drugs. The inflammation is removed with suppositories, which must be inserted into the anus.
With infectious prostatitis, everything is much more complicated, for a more accurate diagnosis, some tests will have to be retaken again. Treatment will be prescribed depending on the severity of the infection. Most often these are droppers and antibiotics. The second step will be immunocorrection and elimination of toxins from the body. Together with drug treatment, prostate massage and physiotherapy (electrophoresis and magnetotherapy) are used.
The insidiousness of infectious prostatitis lies in the fact that with a supposedly complete cure, some of the pathogenic agents still remain in the body and multiply over time, triggering the inflammation of the prostate gland anew. To prevent this, it is recommended to regularly retake tests and be examined by a doctor.
Quite often, even after complete recovery, the patient complains of discomfort in the perineal region and frequent urge to urinate. This situation is not uncommon. The fact is that even after the removal of the inflammatory process, scars remain on the organ, which interfere with its normal functioning. To eliminate this problem, there are a number of drugs (suppositories with enzymes) aimed at resorption of scars.
Prevention of chronic prostatitis
Treatment of chronic prostatitis is to maximize the prolongation of remission and timely suppression of new inflammatory processes. To achieve long-term remission and thereby avoid regular visits to the hospital, you need to radically change your lifestyle.
For starters, do not catch a cold under any circumstances. Any, even the smallest, drop in temperature can cause an exacerbation. It is enough to ride a bus on a cold seat or sit in a draft. If possible, avoid sedentary work or do at least once an hour a five-minute warm-up, completely say goodbye to all bad habits:Smoking and alcohol are strictly prohibited!
In addition, it is important to follow a special diet for chronic prostatitis. It is not recommended to eat smoked products, excessively fatty foods, strongly carbonated drinks and some types of spices (hot spices).
Include in your diet:
- chicken;
- fish;
- fermented milk products (cottage cheese, kefir, sour cream with a low percentage of fat);
- vegetables;
- fruits;
- honey.
The use of pumpkin seeds has a very positive effect on the prostate gland.
If you have been diagnosed with chronic prostatitis, don't get depressed! Yes, the disease is quite complex, but if you adhere to all the doctor's recommendations and lead a healthy lifestyle, pain and constant discomfort will cease to bother you for a long time. Careful care of your health and regular examinations by an andrologist will allow you to live a full, colorful life!