Prostatitis is one of the most unpleasant ailments of the male genital area. Due to improper diet, physical inactivity, bad habits and other negative factors present in the life of modern representatives of the stronger sex, the ubiquity of this pathology is constantly increasing.
Symptoms of prostate disease are quite easy to get rid of, the main thing is to start treatment on time. That is why every man should know the first signs of prostatitis, as well as all the reasons why this disease can occur.
general informations
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 connects with the vas deferens and urethral canal. Therefore, the presence of infection in this gland can negatively affect the condition of adjacent organs and systems.
Until recently, experts claimed that prostate disease in men was only found between 40 and 60 years old, but nowadays this disease has become much younger. Today, doctors increasingly announce such a diagnosis to very young representatives of the stronger sex, aged 18 to 30 years.
Why did the symptoms of prostatitis first start showing up at such a young age? The answer to this question lies in the overly careless and inattentive attitude of men towards their health. Research by scientists in this branch of medicine has shown that about 80% of male patients completely ignore the first signs of pathology. The majority of patients seek qualified help from a doctor only at the advanced stages of 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?
Various factors can cause 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 stagnation of blood in it. The result of such a negative effect is an increase in 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:
- Inadvertent 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 region.
- Pathologies recently suffered by the patient: colds, flu, ARVI.
- Bad lifestyle, bad habits.
- Disruption of the hormonal system (leads to insufficient release of testosterone).
- Chronic reproductive diseases in a sexual partner.
- Prolonged absence of sex or excessively active sex life (in both the first and the second case, the factor may contribute to the development of symptoms of prostatitis).
- Frequent stress and constant psycho-emotional stress.
- Heavy physical work, prolonged overwork.
- Infectious and inflammatory diseases of other organs.
Interesting! Urethral reflux can also cause symptoms of prostatitis in men. This phenomenon is caused by a dysfunction of the prostate, due to 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 of the urethra. Urethral reflux occurs due to improper placement of the urinary catheter or inflammation of the urethral canal.
How to determine the onset of this disease?
The signs and symptoms of prostatitis can be subtle or overt. This property 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 the immune system 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 false urges;
- urination problem;
- the presence of discomfort in the lumbar region, scrotum;
- the appearance of pain along the urethral canal, associated with the process of urine production;
- slight swelling of the genitals;
- an increase in temperature indicators (can be observed for a short time);
- incomplete urinary emptying.
At the initial stage, manifestations of prostatitis are often confused with symptomatic signs of pathologies of the urinary system or other infections. That is why representatives of the stronger sex in most cases postpone a visit to a specialist indefinitely. During this period, men treat the disease on their own, depending on the prevailing symptoms - for this purpose they take pain relievers and antipyretics.
In order to learn how to accurately determine the impending inflammation of the prostate, you need to know several important manifestations of this disease. The very first symptom that appears in patients in connection with this pathology is frequent urination. In such a situation, a man almost constantly runs to the toilet, especially at night. The color of urine changes - it becomes either very dark and saturated, or too light, translucent. The amount of urine that comes out is markedly reduced. Due to the progression of the disease, after some time the act of urinating becomes painful, a burning sensation is felt all along the urethral canal, persistent hyperemia and irritation of the genitals occur.
The second specific symptom of prostatitis in men is a feeling of full bladder. This symptom is due to the enlargement of the prostate, which compresses the ureter. That is why it is very difficult to hold urine completely during this time, and it may leak spontaneously from time to time. At night, incontinence is often observed, while not only urine, but also mucous, purulent or bloody secretions can exit the urinary tract.
Sexual disturbance is also associated with prostatitis, which manifests itself simultaneously with urination disorder. The inflamed prostate increases in size, blocking the free flow of male hormones in the reproductive organs. As a result, patients notice a sharp decrease in libido, erectile dysfunction, and premature ejaculation. Failures on the sexual level negatively affect the psyche of the patient - more and more often nervousness, aggression, irritability or depression are manifested.
The disease of prostatitis is also expressed by rapid fatigue and poor health. A once active man now looks tired or even drowsy. Adequate sleep in this case does not add 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 diverse. But every patient is obliged to know how prostatitis manifests itself in humans. It is also extremely important to distinguish the specific signs of acute and chronic forms of such a disease.
Acute inflammation of the prostate rarely occurs in the stronger sex. The appearance of this form of prostatitis is evidenced by the following violations:
- fever up to 39 ° C;
- heaviness and discomfort in the groin area;
- frequent urge to urinate;
- the appearance of mucous secretions that extend 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 listlessness. The chronic course of the disease most often develops due to stagnation of blood in the small pelvis. In this case, patients develop the following clinical manifestations:
- the duration of sexual intercourse decreases;
- aching pain appears, which radiates to the perineum, lower abdomen, appendix or rectum;
- frequent urge to empty the bladder (accompanied by discomfort and pain);
- ejection of semen during intercourse is difficult;
- decreased sexual desire for the opposite sex;
- a specific discharge from the penis appears.
The release of secretions into the inflamed prostate accompanies both the process of urination and the act of defecation. With the bacterial form of prostatitis, the patient may experience a yellowish discharge of viscous consistency. The appearance of the first symptoms of prostatitis requires immediate treatment, especially with 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 talk about this in more detail. In this situation, the patient should try to describe his painful sensations - they can have a pulling, popping, cutting and pressing character. This is so important because based on the description of this symptom, the doctor can judge the most likely cause of the appearance of prostatitis. No less information can be gleaned from the pain location site. In inflammatory diseases of the prostate, the pain syndrome is usually localized in the following areas:
- along the urethral tract;
- in the perineum (the area between the base of the penis and the anus);
- in the lumbar or sacral region (often mistaken for sciatica);
- in the lower abdomen, projection of the small pelvis;
- in the scrotum.
Each patient in case of such pathology has almost the same painful sensations every time. In some men, the pain is localized to only one place, while others find all of the above symptoms at the same time. Pain syndrome often radiates to different parts of the body - leg, buttock, abdomen.
Warning! The symptoms experienced by a patient with inflammation of the prostate are very important for a specialist. After all, if a man correctly describes his feelings, then a qualified doctor, even by the nature of the painful manifestations, can determine the form of the disease. So, the pains of a crush of nature most often indicate a non-infectious type of the disease, and the feeling of bloating and burning - about prostatitis of infectious origin.
Specific discharge
The pain syndrome is often accompanied by the appearance of a 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 in consistency. This symptom manifests itself mainly after passing urine or stools.
Chronic inflammation of the gland can provoke the development of spermatorrhea - in this case, a small amount of semen is released from the penis during bowel movements or in a state of tension in the muscles of the perineal region.
The presence of a greenish secret with an admixture of pus indicates a slow and slow course of the disease. These 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 consult a urologist as soon as possible, as the progression of signs of prostatitis in men can lead to sclerosis of the organs and the development of infertility.
Processing activities
The treatment of the disease is chosen by the doctor depending on the diagnosis. Various forms of prostate inflammation require an individual therapeutic approach. To eliminate the symptoms of acute prostatitis in men, it is necessary to take antibacterial drugs. It is better to use drugs that penetrate well into this organ of the reproductive system.
When choosing an effective treatment regimen, a qualified doctor should pay attention to the patient's immunity, take into account the nature of the disease, the individual characteristics of the human body. Uncomplicated forms of inflammation of the prostate, 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 with the help of physiotherapeutic techniques - ultrasound, magnetic laser therapy. Hirudotherapy and manual manipulation (biopuncture, acupuncture) are considered popular methods. The use of medicinal herbs, the use of immunomodulatory and enzyme preparations, cytomediators perfectly help to get rid of any type of prostatitis.
In some situations, surgical treatment of prostatitis in men is performed. Surgery is performed if the patient is diagnosed with an abscess of this organ. For this purpose, the drainage of the prostate is carried out trans-rectally (through the rectum) or trans-urethra. With acute urinary retention, an epicystomy is performed - a hole is formed in the wall of the bladder to force a special suprapubic catheter out.
Chronic inflammation of the prostate, which is not complicated, can also be treated on an outpatient basis. But the treatment of the disease in such a situation takes much longer. For treatment, suppositories, antibacterial agents, spa methods, reflexology and massage of the glands are used. Patients who have suffered from symptoms of prostatitis are advised to reconsider their lifestyle, give up bad habits, eat well and avoid hypothermia.
Important! In any case, do not treat this pathology! Most often, the inflammation begins to progress precisely as a result of symptomatic treatment and self-administration of drugs. Antibacterial drugs should be taken only under the supervision of a specialist, otherwise you can significantly weaken the body's immune defenses, which will become another problem for you and will only make the current situation worse.
The first signs of prostatitis in men - the treatment of these manifestations should be timely. Great danger is such implicit symptoms, since they can occur not only as a result of inflammation of the prostate, but also in benign and malignant tumors of the organ. Therefore, it is so important to diagnose in time and begin treatment of pathology as soon as possible. After all, the sooner the patient sees a doctor, the sooner the unpleasant and painful sensations disappear, the sex life normalizes.