Prostatitis - inflammation of the prostate gland - can occur in acute and chronic forms.
It is difficult to ignore acute inflammation: its signs are clearly pronounced, which cannot be said about the chronic manifestation of the disease.Itasymptomatic, but it does its job "excellently", damaging the tissues of the organ, reducing its functions.
Information on chronic prostatitis: types and characteristics
Inflammation of the prostate is considered chronic,if your indolent symptoms persist for more than 3 months.
According to statistics, only 5% of cases are acute, the remaining 95% are chronic prostatitis.It affects men of reproductive age and young men between the ages of 18 and 20 are also susceptible to this disease.
There may be two reasons for the development of chronic prostatitis: infection and blood stagnation in the pelvis.
Infectionenters the prostate in different ways:
- with blood flow from infectious foci in the body - decayed teeth, pneumonia, inflamed maxillary sinuses, pustular formations,
- with lymphatic flow from nearby organs, for example from the intestine with hemorrhoids, dysbacteriosis,
- sexually
- descending or ascending from the infected urinary tract - bladder or urethra.
Inflammation of the prostate caused by a sexually transmitted pathogen, such as gonococcus, chlamydia, and treponema pallidum, requires special attention.The symptoms of such prostatitis and genital infections are similar to each other and can “hide” behind the signs of these diseases.This type of prostatitis is easy to trigger.
Reduced immunity and hormonal imbalancesabove all stimulate the development and spread of the infection.
Non-infectious or congestive prostatitisappears as a result of a violation of the outflow of blood and lymph from the pelvis, as well as stagnation of prostate juice in the ducts of the gland.
Cause such phenomenathe following factors:
- disturbances in sexual life - prolonged abstinence, interrupted acts, unsatisfied desire,
- smoking: nicotine causes spasms in the blood vessels and interferes with normal blood circulation,
- sedentary lifestyle,
- tight clothes,
- alcohol abuse.Alcoholic drinks irritate the walls of the glandular ducts, causing inflammation,
- constipation
Congestive prostatitis occurs 8 times more often than infectious prostatitis and very rarely develops as a complication of acute inflammation of the prostate.
Nonbacterial prostatitis
This type of disease is also calledchronic pelvic pain syndrome (CPPS).The main symptom is pain in the pelvic area, but the absence of pathogenic microorganisms on microbiological examination of urine and prostate secretions.
Painful sensations acquire different severity and localization.They spread to the perineum or bladder, genitals.The process of ejaculation is also painful.There are also problems with urine excretion and in the sexual sphere, but they are secondary.
The diagnosis is made if the pain persists for 3 months or more.
There are 2 types of CPPS:
- Inflammatory CPPS– an increase in the number of leukocytes in the urine and secretions of the prostate is detected, which indicates inflammation.Microorganisms are not detected.There are several reasons for the appearance of this type of inflammation.On the one hand, this is possible with the reflux (reflux) of clean urine from the urethra into the gland.This is facilitated by anatomical defects or impaired muscle contractions of the bladder, prostate and perineum.Urine, or rather the urates contained in it, cause inflammation of the prostate.On the other hand, it is believed that the culprit of this process is still bacteria that are not determined by the classical method.To identify them, molecular diagnostics should be used.The third reason is autoimmune processes in the body.
- Non-inflammatory CPPS– the analyzes do not contain leukocytosis and microorganisms.To establish a diagnosis, instrumental diagnostics is used.It allows you to identify innervation problems or muscular changes in the prostate and other organs:
- cervical part of the bladder - stenosis or proliferation,
- pelvic area – myalgia, muscle tension, interruption of the passage of nerve impulses,
- urethra: narrowing, increased pressure,
- prostate – urine reflux, increased pressure.
OftenNervous disorders have been observed in patients with CPPS: anxiety, irritability, depressive tendencies.
Bacterial prostatitis
Chronic inflammation of the prostate of bacterial etiologybegins to manifest itself with slight discomfort when urinating.This includes minor pain, itching or burning, and a decrease in blood flow.The color of urine changes and acquires an unpleasant odor.Unpleasant sensations can also bother you during bowel movements.A weak, dull pain appears in the perineum.
ariseproblems in sexual life.At the beginning of the disease are situational: weakening of erection or increase in its frequency at night, acceleration of ejaculation, disturbances of orgasmic sensations.
A characteristic symptom of this phase– the appearance of secretions from the urethra during defecation.
Such slow symptoms can persist for quite a long time.A man may not pay attention to them, attributing everything to other reasons.If there is no treatment, they progress and an exacerbation of the chronic process occurs, the intensity of sensations increases.
Urination becomes severely painful, the urge to go to the bathroom becomes more frequent.At a certain point, these manifestations weaken due to the compensatory growth of the bladder muscles, and then resume with greater strength.
The pain in the perineum also intensifies.It radiates to the lower back, pubis, leg, scrotum.The nature of the pain also changes: it becomes stronger and more acute and bothers you at night.
Sexual dysfunction increases and becomes permanent.Ejaculation is accompanied by pain, erection and decreased libido.
Patients are also accompanied by increased sweating, including in the perineum.The body temperature is slightly elevated – 37-37.5°.
Against the background of sexual disorders in menmental disorders develop.They become irritable, nervous and may become depressed.
Treatment of the disease at this stage reduces the intensity of symptoms, and the exacerbation phase goes into remission.
Other types of chronic prostatitis
There is a conceptChalcolithic prostatitis.This disease is extremely rare and affects older men.It is characterized by the formation of stones consisting of prostatic juice, inflammatory effusion, as well as phosphates and calcium.
Signs of this type of disease are pain, which has a typical localization of prostatitis.They intensify with movement, after sexual intercourse.Blood appears in the ejaculate.There are other signs of inflammation of the gland.
Stones are a consequence of long-term prostatitis or adenoma.
Congestive prostatitisThere are bacterial and non-bacterial.Its peculiarity is the mild symptoms:
- mild fever,
- unpleasant sensations in the groin,
- problems with urination,
- irritability,
- sexual disorders.
There are also suchtypes of chronic prostatitis:
- autoimmune– develops in immune diseases, for example rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus,
- hormonal-dystrophic– appears due to hormonal imbalances, with hormonal diseases (diabetes mellitus), following the physiological aging of the body,
- vegetovascular– formed against the background of vegetative-vascular dystonia.It causes blood circulation problems.
How the disease is detected: diagnosis
Chronic prostatitis is diagnosedthe same methods as the acute one.
First of allthe doctor interviews and examines the patient.The exam is performed using a digital rectal examination of the prostate.It may be enlarged, painful, asymmetrical and hardened.In rare cases (non-inflammatory CPPS) it is not changed.
The next doctorwill order tests.Laboratory methods include a general blood and urine test and analysis of prostate secretions.They will show an increase in the number of white blood cells.Bacteriological examination of urine and prostatic juice reveals the pathogen.Sometimes these indicators may be normal, but the process is still present.
To confirm the fact of the disease, blood is analyzed for PSA.Instrumental methods will also help: ultrasound, TRUS, uroflowmetry.
Very often it turns out that a man does not suspect that he has such a disease, ignoring the symptoms.It is detected by chance, during systematic examinations.It is therefore recommended not to tamper with the system and not to neglect scheduled inspections.
Pharmacological treatment
First of all for the treatment of chronic prostatitisantibiotics are prescribed.The course is long: 1-1.5 months.Before prescribing antibacterial agents, the type of pathogen and its sensitivity to drugs are determined.
Obligatoryuse immunocorrective drugs, because reduced immunity is a common cause of inflammation.The help of an immunologist is possible.
Therapy for chronic inflammation of the prostateI can't do without anti-inflammatory drugs.To begin with, non-steroidal drugs are prescribed.They are used in the form of tablets or injections.If they fail to achieve the desired result, hormones are used.
Alpha blockerswill help relieve muscle tension in the bladder and perineum.They act symptomatically, reducing pain and improving urination.
If unbearable pain occurs,painkillers are relevant.
This is worth mentioning separatelyabout the use of a dosage form such as suppositories.They are perfect for the treatment of chronic prostatic processes.Most often, its symptoms are mild, and the mild action of the suppositories is enough to relieve them.
They are inserted into the rectum.Its proximity to the prostate gland allows you to obtain results quickly and effectively.In addition, the harmful effects of tablets on the gastrointestinal tract and difficulties with injections are eliminated.Suppositories have an anti-inflammatory and analgesic effect on the organ.
Physiotherapy and other methods
In addition to medications, other methods of treating chronic prostatitis are used:
- rectal prostate massage– carried out through the rectum.The procedure eliminates stagnation of prostatic juice and also improves the effect of drugs.Contraindicated in case of flare-up of the disease and in the presence of prostate stones,
- physiotherapy improves blood circulation in the affected organ and improves its nutrition.Methods usedUHF, electrophoresis, darson evaluationand others.They are indicated only in the remission phase,
- Prostatitis affects not only the organs, but also the psyche of a man.You might need ithelp from a psychologist or psychotherapist,
- acupunctureIt is a common method for treating chronic prostatitis.The procedure acts indirectly on the organ, through acupuncture points,
- exercises, such as squats, walking, jumping will increase blood circulation in the pelvis and eliminate congestion,
- actively usedbalneotherapy– treatments with mineral waters.
Medications are an integral part of the treatment of chronic prostatitis.But they can cause a number of complications.And since the treatment of this type of disease is long-term, people have found ways to partially replace such drugs.He came to the rescuetraditional medicine.
The leader among folk remedies for the treatment of prostatitis ispumpkin seeds.They contain a lot of zinc, essential for human health.The seeds can be consumed separately: 30 grams will replenish the daily requirement of the essential microelement.You can also grind them in a meat grinder and mix them with honey, making small balls from the resulting mixture.They must be stored in the refrigerator and consumed 1 piece before meals.
It is very useful to drink in case of inflammation of the prostatefreshly squeezed juices from beets, carrots, cucumbers and asparagus.The daily volume should be at least 0.5 liters.
BlueberriesPerfect for restoring the prostate gland.Contains many useful substances, microelements and vitamins.
In rare cases, in the treatment of prostatitishaving to resort to surgery.Indications for this include the lack of improvement from conservative treatment, as well as acute processes: abscesses and other purulent inflammations of the prostate, acute urinary retention, proliferation of glandular tissue, as well as benign and malignant formations.
Surgical treatment is carried out using several methods: This may involve partial resection of an organ, opening of ulcers, excision of the foreskin or removal of the entire gland.
How to prevent the development of chronic prostatitis
Prevention of this diseaseit can be primary or secondary.
Primary preventionis to prevent the occurrence of the disease and boils down to the following measures:
- maintenance of immunity,
- regularity of sexual activity,
- physical exercises and moderate loads.This is especially important for those who lead a sedentary lifestyle,
- avoid hypothermia,
- stop infectious foci in the body,
- timely treatment of urogenital infections,
- make sure you undergo routine medical examinations,
- do not abuse alcohol and smoking.
Secondary preventionincludes measures to prevent disease recurrence.In the first year after suffering from prostatitis, a man is required to visit a urologist once every 3 months.Then – once every 6 months.If an exacerbation of the disease does not occur, the patient is removed from the dispensary's observation.
Excellent for the prevention of prostatitissanatorium-resort treatment is suitable.Modern sanatoriums offer complexes of physiotherapy and balneotherapy procedures and other natural resources.
Importantalso check your diet.Include more fruits and vegetables and a variety of grains in your menu.You should also enrich your diet with fermented milk products.Eating seafood will make up for the lack of zinc.
You should avoid salty, spicy and smoked foods and do not abuse spices.Legumes, fatty foods and flour products should be excluded.
Chronic prostatitis is a slow but long-term process.It is treacherous with complications:
- cystitis, pyelonephritis - urolithiasis,
- vesiculitis - an inflammatory process in the seminal vesicles,
- Epididymo-orchitis is an inflammatory process of the testicles,
- hypotrophy of the glands,
- infertility and impotence.
Treatment of the disease -a rather long process.But it is worth following this path to the end to preserve your health and preserve the possibility of having healthy offspring.