Prostatitis is one of the most uncomfortable diseases of the male genital area. Due to improper nutrition, physical inactivity, bad habits and other negative factors in the life of modern representatives of the stronger sex, the ubiquity of this pathology is constantly increasing.
Eliminating the symptoms of prostate disease is quite simple, the main thing is to start treatment in a timely manner. Because of this, every man needs to know the first signs of prostatitis, as well as all the reasons why this disease can appear.
general information
Prostatitis is a common infectious and inflammatory lesion of the prostate. But not all patients know that this pathology poses a great latent threat to the health of the male reproductive system. The prostate is a pelvic organ that adjoins and is connected to the vas deferens and the urethral canal. Therefore, the presence of infection in this gland can adversely affect the condition of adjacent organs and systems.
Until recently, experts argued that prostate disease in men didn't appear until they were between the ages of 40 and 60, but today this disease has become much younger. Now doctors increasingly announce such a diagnosis to very young representatives of the stronger sex, aged 18-30 years.
Why did the symptoms of prostatitis first appear at such an early age? The answer to this question lies in the careless, inattentive attitude of men towards their health. Research by scientists in this field of medicine has shown that about 80% of male patients completely ignore the first signs of pathology. The majority of patients only seek qualified help from a doctor at an advanced stage in the inflammatory process. And in such situations it is already very difficult to completely avoid serious complications of the disease.
What is the reason for this problem?
A variety of factors can provoke the appearance of signs of prostatitis in men. Some of them create favorable conditions for harmful microorganisms of bacterial, viral or even fungal origin to enter the organ - others cause the gland to malfunction and lead to congestion of blood in it. The result of such a negative effect is increased reproduction and growth of pathogenic microflora, as well as the progression of the disease.
Inflammation of the prostate in men develops under the influence of the following reasons:
- Premature and inappropriate nutrition, lack of essential trace elements and vitamins.
- Sexually transmitted infections (syphilis, gonorrhea, HIV, trichomoniasis, chlamydia).
- Severe hypothermia of the whole body or genitourinary system.
- Physical inactivity and congestion in the pelvic area.
- Pathologies recently suffered by the patient: colds, flu, ARVI.
- Bad lifestyle, bad habits.
- Disruption of the endocrine system (leads to insufficient testosterone release).
- Chronic reproductive diseases in a sexual partner.
- Prolonged lack of sex or excessively active sex life (in both the first and second cases, the factor can contribute to the development of symptoms of prostatitis).
- Frequent stress and constant psycho-emotional stress.
- Heavy physical labor, prolonged overwork.
- Infectious and inflammatory diseases of other organs.
Interesting! Urethral reflux can cause symptoms of prostatitis in men as well. This phenomenon is caused by malfunction of the prostate, as a result of which the organ loses its ability to prevent the flow of urine in the opposite direction. As a result, urine is thrown into the prostate, along with an infection from the urethra. Urethral reflux occurs due to improper placement of the urinary catheter or inflammation of the urethral canal.
How can one determine the onset of this disease?
The signs and symptoms of prostatitis can be subtle or obvious. This characteristic of the disease is explained by the individuality of the organism of each patient: age, the presence of bad habits or chronic pathologies, the state of immune defense and other specific factors. The very first signs of the disease most often appear 3-4 days or 1-2 weeks after the onset of the inflammatory process. The clinical manifestations of this disease include the following symptoms:
- Weakness, malaise;
- painful sensations in the lower abdomen;
- too frequent urination with wrong desires;
- Problem urinating;
- the presence of discomfort in the lumbar region, scrotum;
- the appearance of pain along the urethral canal associated with the process of urinary excretion;
- slight swelling of the genitals;
- an increase in temperature indicators (can be observed for a short time);
- incomplete urination.
At the initial stage, the manifestations of prostatitis are often confused with symptomatic signs of pathologies of the urinary system or other infections. Therefore, in most cases, the representatives of the stronger sex postpone the visit to the specialist indefinitely. During this time, men treat the disease themselves based on the prevailing symptoms - they also take pain relievers and antipyretic drugs.
In order to learn how to accurately determine the upcoming inflammation of the prostate, you need to know several important manifestations of this disease. The very first symptom that appears in patients related to this pathology is frequent urination. In such a situation, a man runs to the toilet almost constantly, especially at night. The color of the urine changes - it becomes either very dark and saturated or too light, translucent. The amount of urine that escapes is significantly reduced. As a result of the progression of the disease, after a while, urination becomes painful, there is a burning sensation along the entire urethral canal, there is persistent hyperemia and irritation of the genitals.
The second specific symptom of prostatitis in men is a feeling of full bladder. This symptom occurs due to the enlargement of the prostate, which compresses the ureter. Because of this, it is very difficult to completely hold back the urine during this time, and it may leak spontaneously from time to time. Incontinence is often observed at night, with not only urine, but also slimy, purulent or bloody discharge from the urinary canal.
Sexual disorder is also associated with prostatitis, which manifests itself at the same time as a urination disorder. The inflamed prostate increases in volume and blocks the free flow of male hormones into the reproductive organs. As a result, patients notice a sharp decrease in libido, erectile dysfunction, and premature ejaculation. Errors on the sexual front have a negative effect on the patient's psyche - nervousness, aggression, irritability or depression are manifested more and more often.
The disease of prostatitis is also manifested in rapid fatigue and poor health. A once active man now looks tired or even sleepy. In this case, adequate sleep does not lead to more strength, performance decreases and the body's natural defenses decrease. In a similar condition, the usual hypothermia or cold can lead to serious complications.
What is special about acute and chronic inflammation?
The symptoms of this pathology can be very different. But every patient is obliged to know how prostatitis is manifested in men. It is also extremely important to distinguish between specific signs of acute and chronic forms of such a disease.
Acute prostate inflammation rarely occurs in the stronger sex. The onset of this form of prostatitis is demonstrated by the following violations:
- Fever up to 39 ° C;
- Heaviness and discomfort in the groin area;
- frequent urination;
- the appearance of mucous, stretching discharge from the urethra;
- decreased erectile function.
The symptomatology of this pathology is also supplemented by general manifestations in the form of increased weakness, decreased appetite and apathy. The chronic course of the disease most often develops due to congestion of blood in the small pelvis. In this case, patients develop the following clinical manifestations:
- the duration of sexual intercourse decreases;
- there is aching pains that radiate to the perineum, lower abdomen, appendage, or rectum;
- frequent urination (accompanied by discomfort and pain);
- ejection of semen during sexual intercourse is difficult;
- decreased sexual desire for the opposite sex;
- There is a specific discharge from the penis.
The release of secretions with inflammation of the prostate accompanies both the process of urination and defecation. In the bacterial form of prostatitis, the patient may experience a yellowish discharge of a viscous consistency. The appearance of the first symptoms of prostatitis requires immediate treatment, especially in the case of the development and progression of a chronic congestive form of the disease.
Pain syndrome
One of the main symptoms of prostatitis in men is pain, so we will go into that in more detail. In this situation, the patient should try to describe his painful sensations - they can have a pulling, bursting, cutting and pressing character. This is so important because, based on the description of this symptom, the doctor can assess the most likely cause of prostatitis to develop. No less information can be obtained from the location of the pain localization. In inflammatory diseases of the prostate, the pain syndrome is mostly localized in the following areas:
- along the urethra;
- in the perineum (the area between the base of the penis and the anus);
- in the lumbar or sacrum area (often confused with sciatica);
- projection of the small pelvis in the lower abdomen;
- in the scrotum.
Every patient in the case of such a pathology experiences almost the same painful sensations every time. In some men the pain is localized in only one place, while others find all of the above symptoms at the same time. The pain syndrome often radiates to different parts of the body - legs, buttocks, abdomen.
Attention! What symptoms a patient has with prostate inflammation is very important for a specialist. If a man correctly describes his feelings, then a qualified doctor can also determine the form of the disease based on the nature of the painful manifestations. So, the pain of driving over most often indicates a non-infectious type of the disease, and the feeling of gas and burning sensation - prostatitis of infectious origin.
Specific discharge
Often, the pain syndrome is accompanied by the appearance of pathological secretion. One of the characteristic signs of prostatitis is the appearance of various secretions - translucent, milky white, yellowish. They can be thick or stretchy. This symptom manifests itself mainly after the passage of urine or feces.
Chronic inflammation of the gland can cause the development of spermatorrhea - in this case, a small amount of sperm is released from the penis during bowel movements or when the muscles of the perineal region are in tension.
The presence of a greenish secret with an admixture of pus indicates a sluggish, slow course of the disease. Such secretions consist of dead leukocytes, damaged cells of epithelial tissue, mucus. Sometimes a similar phenomenon is observed with an exacerbation of a chronic form of pathology. In this case, the patient's temperature rises, painful sensations and chills appear. In such a situation, you should see a urologist as soon as possible, since the progression of signs of prostatitis in men can lead to organ sclerosis and the development of infertility.
Treatment activities
Treatment for the disease is selected by the doctor based on the diagnosis. Different forms of prostate inflammation require an individual therapeutic approach. To get rid of the symptoms of acute prostatitis in men, it is necessary to take antibacterial drugs. It is best to use drugs that penetrate this reproductive system well.
When choosing an effective regimen of therapy, a qualified doctor should pay attention to the patient's immunity, take into account the nature of the disease and the individual characteristics of the man's body. Uncomplicated forms of prostate inflammation with an acute course of the disease can be treated at home. Patients with prostatitis are hospitalized only in severe cases when they develop symptoms of severe intoxication.
You can also treat this disease using physiotherapy techniques - ultrasound, magnetic laser therapy. Hirudotherapy and manual manipulation (biopuncture, acupuncture) are popular methods. The use of medicinal herbs, the use of immunomodulatory and enzyme preparations, as well as cytomediators will perfectly help get rid of any type of prostatitis.
In some situations, surgical treatment for prostatitis is performed in men. Surgical intervention is performed when the patient is diagnosed with an abscess of this organ. For this purpose, the prostate is drained transrectally (through the rectum) or transurethrally. For acute urinary retention, an epicystomy is performed - a hole is made in the bladder wall to bring out a special suprapubic catheter.
Even uncomplicated chronic prostate inflammation can be treated on an outpatient basis. But therapy for the disease takes much longer in such a situation. For treatment, suppositories, antibacterial agents, thermal methods, reflexology and glandular massage are used. Patients with symptoms of prostatitis are advised to rethink their lifestyle, give up bad habits, eat right, and avoid hypothermia.
Important! In no case do not treat this pathology yourself! In most cases, the inflammation begins to progress precisely as a result of symptomatic therapy and self-administration of medication. Antibacterial drugs should only be taken under the supervision of a specialist, otherwise you can significantly weaken the body's immune defenses, which will become another problem for you and only worsen the current situation.
The first signs of prostatitis in men - treatment of these manifestations should be timely. Such implicit symptoms pose a great danger because they can arise not only from inflammation of the prostate, but also from benign, malignant tumors of the organ. Therefore, it is so important to diagnose in a timely manner and start treating the pathology as soon as possible. After all, the earlier the patient visits a doctor, the sooner the unpleasant and painful sensations will disappear, sex life will normalize.