Prostatitis is an inflammation of the prostate gland that affects men 20 years of age or older.
According to statistics, 1 in 4 men has experienced this disease in one form or another. In recent years, there has been a persistent trend to "rejuvenate" the process. This is due to sexual liberation, the increase in sexually transmitted infections, tendencies towards self-diagnosis and treatment on the Internet, and the resistance of infectious agents to the action of antibiotic therapy.
This is especially true because the first signs of prostatitis in men, as a rule, are expressed erased, which does not allow to consult a doctor in time and, in some cases, leads to the development of advanced prostatitis.
Signs of prostatitis in men
Features of the structure, blood supply and location of the prostate gland affect the nature of the symptoms that will lead to its inflammation. These include:
- Pain symptom.
- Symptom of urination disorder (dysuric).
- Erectile dysfunction symptom.
Pain symptom
Pain sensations, varying in intensity, disturb the man in the lower abdomen, in the perineum, genitals, lumbosacral spine. This localization of pain is due to the presence of nerve connections and the participation of the seminal vesicles (vesicles) in the inflammation process.
The pain can vary in intensity, from an inexplicable feeling of discomfort to intense pain that affects the mental state of man and causes insomnia. Painful sensations depend on sexual behavior and arise from the lack of regular ejaculation or, on the contrary, from ejaculation, which is associated with the spread of the inflammatory process in the posterior urethra.
Note that pain in the lumbosacral region may not be associated with the prostate gland in any way, but may be the result, for example, of osteochondrosis of the spine. The result of a conversation with the patient and the data of the urological examination help to establish the cause of such pain.
The first sign of prostatitis in a man is a sensation of pain in the testicles (in the scrotum area) that extends along the epididymis (right and left groin areas). Pain radiating from an inflamed prostate can appear on the inner thighs, back, which dictates the need to consult a neurologist to exclude neurological pathology, since it is precisely because of prostate pain that such dissemination is not typical.
In some cases, the irradiation of painful sensations is asymmetric, which makes it possible to suspect an inflammatory process in the prostate, located in one of its lobes. At the place of manifestation, the pain syndrome is divided into genital (in the genital area, characteristic of chronic congestive prostatitis), extragenital (above the genital organs), characteristic of advanced advanced prostatitis) and mixed (chronic prostatitis).
Symptoms of dysuria or urination disorder with prostatitis
Urination disorders are expressed by false desires, a sensation of incomplete emptying of the bladder with frequent urination, which is associated with inflammation in the bladder neck and urethra. Long-standing signs of dysuria in prostatitis indicate the chronicity of the process.
Erectile disorders with prostatitis
Erectile dysfunction in prostatitis is represented by premature ejaculation, blurred sensations during orgasm, decreased libido, weakening of the erection. Sometimes a man's prostatitis can be suspected from the absence of morning erections.
A decrease in potency, as the first sign of prostatitis in a man, is caused by a decrease in the synthesis of testosterone (male sex hormone).
Manifestations of inflammation in the prostate gland are not limited to the three above symptoms. Often the first sign of prostatitis in a man is the discharge of the prostate from the urethra during the act of defecation (prostatorrhea), which indicates a decrease in the tone of the muscles of the ejaculatory ducts.
Also, one cannot help but focus on the psychological signs of prostatitis in a man: astheno-neurotic syndrome develops from the nervous system (depression, fatigue, lack of desire to do something, physical weakness).
The first signs of acute prostatitis.
All of the above symptoms are typical of chronic inflammation of the prostate, with acute prostatitis in a man, the picture is somewhat different.
The disease begins with severe acute pain in the perineum, the symptoms of urinary disorder are more clearly traced. There is an increase in temperature up to 38-39 C, chills, weakness, sweating, pain in muscles and bones. When defecating, pain in the anus worries. There is no sex life.
If you do not pass the examination in a timely manner and do not start treatment, the acute process will be complicated by purulent prostatitis, even an abscess, which will lead to emergency surgery.
If there are no other reasons (immunodeficiency states, severe concomitant pathology, etc. ), purulent prostatitis in a man - an advanced inflammatory process due to inopportune access to a doctor!
Causes of the signs of inflammation of the prostate.
Factors affecting inflammation of the prostate were conventionally divided into 3 groups.
Factors that do not respond include:
- Body type.
- Sexual constitution.
- Age factor.
- The presence of diseases.
- Environment (climatic factor).
Partially controllable factors:
- Sexual habits
- Profession.
- Background diseases of the male genital area.
- Attitude to the disease.
And finally, controllable factors:
- Promiscuous sex life.
- Alcoholism.
- Non-compliance with treatment recommendations.
- Errors in feeding mode.
Who is at risk
Prostatitis threatens men who:
- Stick to a sedentary lifestyle.
- You suffer from chronic constipation.
- You have a history of venereal infections.
- Having more than one sexual partner.
- He suffers from alcoholism, drug addiction.
- They work in cold conditions.
If there are signs of prostatitis, what to do.
Laboratory diagnosis for prostatitis.
- In KLA, an increase in the erythrocyte sedimentation rate, a shift in the leukocyte formula to the left. In OAM: leukocyturia, proteinuria, bacteriuria.
- Blood for HIV infection.
- A smear from the urethra in flora As a rule, in the smear, the leukocytes are completely. If a venereal pathogen (Neisser gonococcus, Trichomonas) is not identified, it is imperative to perform PCR diagnostics.
- Secretion of the prostate gland Seeding of the secretion of the prostate on the pathogen and determination of the sensitivity to the antibiotic.
- PCR: diagnosis of sexually transmitted infections - the most reliable and fastest way to verify the pathogen.
- Blood for PSA Blood for PSA (prostate specific antigen) should not be taken during an acute inflammatory process in the prostate gland, the result will not be reliable. It is better to do this analysis 1 month after the end of therapy. Young people under the age of 30 do not need to test their blood PSA level. This test is important for a man over 40 years of age, since acute prostatitis, in some cases, can be secondary and masks a malignant tumor in the prostate gland. behind its clinical manifestations.
Instrumental diagnostic methods
As a general rule, a transrectal (through the rectum) or transabdominal (through the abdomen) ultrasound examination of the prostate is sufficient.
Signs of prostatitis on ultrasound.
An increase in the volume of the gland, a change in texture, edema; with purulent prostatitis - areas of necrosis, deformation of the contours, increase in regional lymph nodes.
What you should pay attention to
First of all, to get rid of prostatitis symptoms for good, you need to follow a certain diet.
The exacerbation of prostatitis in a man depends on the irritants ingested with food: hot spices, vinegar, pickles, alcohol.
A special mention should be made of alcohol, even its minimal use can negate the effects of complex therapy in the long term.
Some patients feel that they should drink less frequently or switch to lighter alcoholic beverages. This is your main mistake.
Diluted vinegar, kvass, citrus fruits, sauerkraut, tomatoes, and cucumbers have no harmful effects on prostatitis.
Eating foods rich in fiber will relieve a man's constipation, one of the main reasons for the development of congestion in the small pelvis.
Herbal medicine is a great help for prevention. Taking herbal diuretics: cranberry leaf, dill seed, urological harvesting helps improve urination during inflammation.
Sports, especially exercise to improve blood circulation to the pelvic organs, help keep the prostate in good shape.
The development of inflammation in the prostate causes hypothermia. In winter, it is worth dressing warmer, and in summer, after swimming, you should not be in a wet swimsuit for a long time.
Using condoms during sexual contact with an unfamiliar partner will protect you from sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV infection.
Prolonged fatigue has a negative effect on the immune system of man, as well as stressful situations, which can intensify a latent infection in the prostate gland. Regular preventive examination by a urologist will help maintain men's health.