The first signs of prostatitis in men can appear 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 duringurination and intercourse, pain in the perineum and 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 lead to a transition of the disease into a severe recurrent form.
Causes of chronic prostatitis
Chronic prostatitis is the result of poor treatment of an acute inflammatory process. Men often neglect their health or simply hesitate to contact specialists. As a result, the disease progresses.
A urologist professionally treats the prostate. It will tell you what chronic prostatitis is in men, why it occurs and how unpredictable it is. The specialist will accurately determine the etiological factors. This directly affects the effectiveness of the applied treatment methods. Many do not know what chronic prostatitis is, that it is caused by certain infectious pathogens (E. coli, streptococci, staphylococci, fungi), and some factors are just a trigger.
Predisposing factors
The causative agent of prostatitis are microbial agents: Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli. However, the causes of chronic prostatitis can be related to the following predisposing factors:
- decreased immunity;
- hypothermia;
- injuries of the genitourinary organs;
- stress;
- drinking alcohol and overly spicy food;
- congestion in the pelvic area;
- constipation;
- smoking, chronic intoxication of the body with destructive substances;
- sedentary lifestyle;
- presence of foci of chronic 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 a history of sexually transmitted diseases, other infectious processes of the prostate and urinary system often suffer.
Men tend to procrastinate by turning 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.
Signs of illness
Signs of chronic prostatitis in men in remission are almost completely absent. The syndrome of slight pain is constant, 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.
Each time an exacerbation occurs, the characteristic symptoms of chronic prostatitis appear in men:
- heaviness and pain in the perineum;
- signs of intoxication on the body;
- urinary incontinence;
- irradiation of pain in the penis or anus;
- the prostate is asymmetrical and painful on palpation;
- chills, weakness, fever.
Characteristically, the pain intensifies at the beginning and end of urination. Unpleasant sensations of the rectum, sacrum and penis usually occur. The pain syndrome also appears after intimate contact, it is especially acute during the release of sperm. Urination during remission can be painless, but is usually more common. At the same time, there are difficulties in starting the microphone.
The flow of urine becomes periodic, 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 the morning urine. This means that the inflammatory process is chronic.
Effects on sexual performance
Problems with male potency often occur against the background of a prolonged inflammatory process that disrupts prostate function, reduces libido and can even cause infertility. In such complications, chronic prostatitis occurs - the causes of erectile dysfunction are often associated with a slow infectious and inflammatory process. Until the causes of the disease are eliminated, the effect of predisposing factors is not eliminated, potency will not be restored.
Diagnosis of chronic prostatitis
A comprehensive diagnosis will help determine the course and causes of chronic prostatitis in men. First, specialists 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 will be performed to identify specific functional and structural changes.
TRUZI
Prostate ultrasound (TRUS) is a safe, informative method for visualizing the basic structures of the prostate and adjacent urogenital organs. The examinations are performed both through the abdominal wall and transrectally - through the rectum. In case of difficulty urinating, the specialist further 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 to evaluate the effectiveness of already used methods. The lack of radiation exposure of the body allows the use of ultrasound as often as required by a particular clinical situation.
Prostate secretion examination and ureteroscopy
Prostate secretion is collected after urination and massage of the glands. The study of biomaterials allows you to identify pathogenic microflora, to 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 person should be treated and what drugs to use. The diagnosis is not accompanied by painful sensations, it is easily perceived by the 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 assess the urethra and perform specific treatment 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 should be distinguished from neurogenic bladder and other similar diseases that have similar symptoms. Specialists prescribe electromyography, urodynamic diagnostic methods. They allow qualitative differentiation of chronic inflammation from other diseases.
Chronic prostatitis often leads to hyperplastic processes, proliferation of glandular tissues, growth of adenomas and malignant neoplasms. To rule out a cancerous process, it is necessary to diagnose PSA. The method involves determining the level of prostate-specific antigen, with an increase in 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 gland, followed by morphological examination of the material.Possible complications
Chronic prostatitis significantly reduces a man's quality of life. The prolonged course of the inflammatory process, in one way or another, impairs reproductive function, weakens libido and threatens with various infectious complications. The most unpleasant consequences of the disease are impotence and reproductive disorders. Persistent inflammation changes the tissues of the prostate gland, contributes to their spread, hormonal abnormalities, early 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, sclerosis of the prostate develops. This pathological condition is the last 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 can lead to malignant cell growth and the formation of cancerous tumors at any time.
Treatment Functions
Chronic inflammation of the prostate is not easily treated. But it is possible recovery or transition of pathology into a prolonged stage of remission. The effectiveness of medical procedures depends on the timeliness of seeking medical help.
The man should strictly follow the recommendations of the attending physician, to avoid the action of predisposing factors: hypothermia, trauma to the scrotum, sexually transmitted diseases, the influence of stress. It is important to remember that even a trivial 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 comfort in the patient's life, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are used to combat the main acute symptoms. Adrenergic blockers are effective in restoring urodynamics, regular leakage of prostate secretion and relieving muscle tension in the gland. Paraprostatic blockade in combination with acupuncture effectively copes even with severe pain syndrome.
If a man feels anxious against the background of a chronic inflammatory process, sedatives or tranquilizers may be used. But such drugs should be prescribed by qualified specialists who are well acquainted with the specific clinical case.
Physiotherapy
Physiotherapy uses drug electrophoresis, ultrasound treatment and magnetic therapy. Acupuncture is also used in combination with analgesic blockades. In addition, it is recommended to use therapeutic baths, enemas and special instillations in the urethra. Drip medication is good for chronic inflammatory processes.
The technique ensures that a large amount of the agent falls directly into the pathological focus. High concentrations of the drug remain for a long time. This allows you to effectively deal with a sluggish infectious process. The drug should be held for 30-40 minutes, limiting urination.
Surgical treatment
In case of inefficiency or impossibility to use conservative techniques and physiotherapy, it is necessary to perform surgical treatment. It is needed mainly to remove urethral strictures. In the case of prostate sclerosis, transurethral resection is performed using endoscopic techniques. The method is used if the patient has severe concomitant diseases of the internal organs that do not allow 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 performed according to the indications and only in the conditions of the urology department.
Disease prognosis
The prognosis of the disease is determined by the timeliness and effectiveness of the prescribed treatment, the duration of treatment of the inflammatory process, the age of the man and the presence of some concomitant disorders. By following medical prescriptions, applying preventive measures, including normalizing intimate activity and preventing sexually transmitted diseases, it is possible to reduce the number of relapses per year and translate the disease into a state of prolonged remission.