Medical statistics say that most men on our planet know firsthand what prostatitis is. However, the disease is not always detected and treated quickly. If we talk about the age category of the disease, the symptoms of prostatitis can be diagnosed at age 18, but the long chronic course of the disease with inflammation of the gland (prostate) is characteristic of older patients.
What is prostatitis in men
The name of the disease comes from the Latin "prostatitis", which literally translates to prostate and inflammation. Prostatitis in men is a widespread name for inflammation in the prostate, whose full picture of the causes and mechanisms of development is not fully understood. The symptoms of prostate inflammation are not difficult to recognize, but it must be borne in mind that in all patients the disease evolves according to the individual scenario, it can develop without special symptoms, flowing imperceptibly into a chronic form.
How prostatitis manifests itself in men
Doctors divide the disease into different forms, according to the symptoms and the patient's clinical condition. It can be acute, chronic, bacterial, calculating, stagnant, infectious, purulent and, depending on it, prostatitis manifests itself in the form of several symptoms.
It can be diagnosed by sudden attacks of severe pain in the scrotum, difficulty in urinating, weak power. In the presence of the disease, sperm properties and the quality of ejaculation deteriorate. If at least one of the symptoms listed appears, you need to see a doctor.
Signs of prostatitis
Symptoms can be diagnosed through a general urine and blood test. The research will help to identify the culprit for the onset of the disease, which may be some infections: for example, trichomoniasis, gardnerellosis, chlamydia and even gonorrhea. The bacteria enter the site through the blood vessels of the bladder or rectum and cause health problems. The non-bacterial form of the disease is not detected by exams, however, this is not an indicator of the absence of bacteria. The consequences of both forms can be dire.
The signs of prostatitis in men are divided into two phases - latent and active. The first phase has mild symptoms, but already indicates the presence of the disease. The latent phase can last for years and is characterized by discomfort in the scrotum, sometimes in the head of the penis, anus. As a rule, men attribute this to simple fatigue. When the pain becomes more intense and the emptying of the bladder starts to cause major problems, it means that the inflammation is progressing and the disease has entered the active phase.
First signs
The disease has several stages of development. Initially, it can cause a constant urge to urinate and, during the procedure, in the bathroom, there may be pain and burning. The lower back, the pelvic area and the groin hurt.
Having discovered the first signs of prostatitis in men, you need to consult an andrologist or urologist in order not to complicate the situation and maintain the man's health.
Symptoms of prostatitis
The disease can manifest itself in three main symptoms:
- frequent need to go to the bathroom; pain;
- weak or absent erection.
External symptoms of prostatitis include urinary problems. Urine pressure is low, bladder emptying occurs with pain and there may be a complete absence of urine output (in medicine, this phenomenon is called isuria). This is due to the compression of the urethra by the inflamed gland. If inflammation is allowed to develop, it engulfs the urethra, rectum, genitourinary system, or causes a tumor to develop. After 30 years, all men need to be examined by a specialist annually.
Inflammation of the prostate causes quite different symptoms of prostatitis. The symptoms of acute prostatitis can be severe and cause a very general feeling of malaise; in chronic prostatitis, symptoms are usually milder. Not every patient necessarily has all the characteristic signs of the disease, the severity of the symptoms can vary depending on the state of the body and other factors.
To protect himself from the onset of disease, man should avoid:
- hypothermia;
- unbalanced diet (excludes fried foods, canned foods, alcohol);
- sedentary lifestyle;
- bad habits;
- irregular sex life,
- Frequent sexual erections without ejaculation.
Pain
The main symptom related to local symptoms is pain. By their nature, they are hurting, pulling, popping or pressing. According to the painful sensations in prostatitis in men, they are insignificant or strong, and are always concentrated in the perineum, in the region of the anus or sacrum.
The cause of the pain symptom is irritation of the prostate by the products of the inflammatory process. What other symptoms are there for prostatitis?
Highlights
Pain can be accompanied by discharge. From the external opening of the urethra, secretion of varying degrees of transparency, of different density and color, for example, thick milky white at the end of urination or defecation, often appears. In the chronic form, the patient may have spermatorrhea - the discharge of semen in small portions during evacuation and muscle tension in the perineum.
The secretion of prostatitis in men can be purulent greenish. They are also observed with a slow course of the disease, when they consist of damaged epithelium, mucus, leukocytes. This type of secretion, the presence of pain symptoms, chills and elevated body temperature indicate the transition from the disease to the acute form. If a patient does not see a urologist, the disease can cause serious conditions: prostate sclerosis, infertility.
Symptoms of chronic prostatitis
The first symptoms of chronic prostatitis can be considered the appearance of discomfort, pain in the lower abdomen, sometimes in the lower back and in the hip. Sexual dysfunction progresses in a few days. At the end of intercourse, there may be a pullout pain at the tip of the penis, which disappears on its own in a few minutes. Finally, each urination begins to be accompanied by a burning sensation and pain, which gradually increases.
Symptoms of acute prostatitis in men
In this form, the disease is divided into catarrhal, follicular and purulent. In the first case, the symptoms of acute prostatitis in men are characterized by problems with urination, in the second case they are complemented by pain in the scrotum and fever. In the third case, the disease manifests itself in the form of abscesses of the gland and the strongest manifestation of all the previous symptoms.
Treatment of prostatitis in men
The treatment process includes measures to eliminate inflammation and congestion in the prostate. Success depends on getting rid of them quickly. The treatment of prostatitis in men begins with the diagnosis, with the identification of the root of the problem. The doctor will take a cotton swab from the urethra and, if the result is positive, prescribe antibiotic therapy. The duration of treatment will depend on the degree of damage to the body and the effectiveness with which existing symptoms disappear.
Young people get sick, in most cases, due to elementary hypothermia. As a result, the acute form of the disease progresses to combat antibiotic therapy. If prostatitis is caused by stress, the root of the disease will be treated by a neurologist. In such cases, the doctor prescribes relaxing massages, electrophoresis and takes vitamins. Without eliminating the cause of the disease, it will not be possible to get rid of it.
When symptoms of prostatitis and prostate adenoma appear, the following treatment mechanism is applied:
- Antibiotics are an important component in the treatment of infectious diseases. The composition of the drugs must have a broad spectrum of action.
- Alpha-blockers can be prescribed to improve blood circulation, for a quick recovery of the prostate.
- To restore the hormonal system, the doctor may recommend the use of hormonal medications.
- Muscle relaxants prescribed by a specialist reduce tension in the striated muscles of the gland.
Herbal remedies are often used in the complex treatment of prostatitis.
If the above methods do not bring the desired results, surgical intervention is used. Sometimes, it may be the only possible treatment.
Acute and chronic prostatitis syndromes in men can be treated with laser therapy. This method heals acinos (functional units of the gland) and increases the patient's defenses. Chronic prostatitis can be treated with lasers and medications. In a severe form of the disease without particularly pronounced signs, the laser helps the patient to quickly improve his condition: after two or three procedures, the pain disappears, the power is completely restored.