Prostatitis is one of the most unpleasant diseases of the male genitals. Due to inadequate nutrition, physical inactivity, bad habits, and other negative factors present in the lives of the stronger non-modern representatives, the appearance of this pathology is constantly increasing.
Eliminating the symptoms of prostate disease is fairly straightforward, the point is to start treatment on time. Therefore, every man should be aware of the first signs of prostatitis as well as all the reasons why this disease can occur.
general information
Prostatitis is a common infectious and inflammatory lesion of the prostate. But not all patients know that this pathology poses a major, latent threat to the health of the male reproductive system. The prostate is a pelvic organ that connects to the iron deferens and the urethra. Therefore, the presence of infection in this gland can negatively affect the condition of neighboring organs and systems.
Until recently, experts argued that prostate disease in men only occurs between the ages of 40 and 60, but today the disease has become much younger. Now, doctors are increasingly reporting such a diagnosis to the stronger not-very-young representatives, who are 18 to 30 years old.
Why did the symptoms of prostatitis first appear at such an early age? The answer to this question lies in men’s overly careless, inattentive attitude to 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 only seek professional medical attention at an advanced stage of the inflammatory process. And in such situations, it is already very difficult to completely avoid the serious complications of the disease.
What is the cause of this problem?
In men, a number of factors can provoke the appearance of signs of prostatitis. Some create favorable conditions for harmful microorganisms of bacterial, viral or even fungal origin to enter the body - others cause the gland to malfunction and lead to stagnation of the blood. The result of such a negative effect is an increased proliferation and growth of the pathogenic microflora and progression of the disease.
In men, prostatitis develops for the following reasons:
- Timeless and inadequate nutrition, lack of essential trace elements and vitamins.
- Sexually transmitted infections (syphilis, gonorrhea, HIV, trichomoniasis, chlamydia).
- Severe hypothermia of the whole body or urinary system.
- Physical inactivity and congestion in the pool area.
- Recent pathologies suffered by the patient: cold, flu, ARVI.
- Wrong 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 overly active sex life (in both the first and second cases, the factor may contribute to the development of symptoms of prostatitis).
- Frequent stress and constant psycho-emotional stress.
- Hard physical work, long overtime.
- Infectious and inflammatory diseases of other organs.
Interesting! Urethral reflux can also cause symptoms of prostatitis in men. This phenomenon is caused by damage to the prostate, which causes the organ to lose its ability to prevent the flow of urine in the opposite direction. As a result, urine enters the prostate gland, along with infection of the urethra. Urethral reflux occurs due to improper placement of the urinary catheter or inflammation of the urethra.
How to determine the onset of this disease?
Signs and symptoms of prostatitis can be mild or obvious. This feature of the disease is explained by the individuality of each patient's body: age, the presence of bad habits or chronic pathologies, the state of immune protection, and other specific factors. The very first signs of the disease usually appear 3-4 days or 1-2 weeks after the onset of the inflammatory process. The clinical manifestations of the disease include the following symptoms:
- weakness, malaise;
- painful sensations in the lower abdomen;
- too frequent urination with false desires;
- urination problem;
- presence of discomfort in the lumbar region, scrotum;
- the occurrence of pain along the urethral canal associated with the urinary tract;
- mild swelling of the genitals;
- an increase in temperature indicators (observed for a short time);
- incomplete urination.
In the initial stage, manifestations of prostatitis are often confused with symptoms of urinary tract pathologies or other infections. That is why, in most cases, members of the stronger sex postpone the visit of a specialist indefinitely. During this period, men treat the disease independently based on the prevailing symptoms - they take painkillers and antipyretics for this purpose.
To learn exactly how to diagnose impending inflammation of the prostate gland, you need to know many important manifestations of this disease. The very first symptom that patients experience with this pathology is frequent urination. In such a situation, one almost runs to the toilet, especially at night. The color of the urine will change - either it will be very dark and saturated or it will be too light, translucent. The amount of urine excreted is significantly reduced. As the disease progresses, after a while urination becomes painful, a burning sensation is felt throughout the urethra, persistent hyperemia, and genital irritation.
In men, the second specific symptom of prostatitis is a feeling of a full bladder. This symptom is caused by an enlargement of the prostate that compresses the ureter. Because of this, it is very difficult to completely retain urine during this time and it can sometimes leak spontaneously. Incontinence is often observed at night, while not only urine but also mucous, purulent or bloody discharge can come out of the urethra.
Sexual dysfunction is also associated with inflammation of the prostate, which occurs at the same time as urinary incontinence. The volume of the inflamed prostate increases, inhibiting the free flow of male hormones into the genitals. As a result, patients experience a sharp decrease in libido, erectile dysfunction, and premature ejaculation. Failures on the sexual front negatively affect a patient’s psyche — nervousness, aggression, irritability, or depression are becoming more common.
Prostatitis is also manifested in rapid fatigue and poor health. A previously active man now looks tired and even sleepy. Proper sleep in this case does not give strength, reduces performance, reduces the body's natural defenses. In a similar condition, normal hypothermia or colds can cause serious complications.
What are the characteristics of acute and chronic inflammation?
The symptoms of this pathology can be very varied. But every patient needs to know how prostatitis manifests in men. It is extremely important to distinguish between the specific signs of acute and chronic forms of such diseases.
Acute inflammation of the prostate is rare in the stronger sex. The appearance of this form of prostatitis is confirmed by the following violations:
- fever up to 39 ° C;
- difficulty and discomfort in the lumbar region;
- frequent urination;
- appearance of mucous membranes, protruding secretions from the urethra;
- decreased erectile function.
Symptoms of this pathology are complemented by general manifestations in the form of increased weakness, decreased appetite, and apathy. The chronic course of the disease is most often caused by stagnation of pelvic blood. In this case, patients show the following clinical manifestations:
- the duration of sexual intercourse is reduced;
- aching pain radiating to the perineum, lower abdomen, appendix, or rectum;
- frequent urge to empty the bladder (accompanied by discomfort and pain);
- ejaculation of sperm during intercourse is difficult;
- decreased sexual desire for the opposite sex;
- specific secretions appear from the penis.
During prostatitis, the release of secretions accompanies both the urination process and defecation. With the bacterial form of prostatitis, the patient may experience a yellowish discharge with a viscous consistency. The onset of the first symptoms of prostatitis requires immediate treatment, especially in the development and progression of the 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 or her painful feelings — they may be pulling, tearing, cutting, and depressing. This is important because, based on the description of this symptom, your doctor can judge the most likely cause of your prostatitis. Nor can less information be gathered about the location of pain. In inflammatory diseases of the prostate, pain syndrome is usually found in the following areas:
- along the urethra;
- in the perineum (the area between the base of the penis and the anus);
- in the lumbar or sacral area (often confused with sciatica);
- projection of the small pelvis in the lower abdomen;
- in the scrotum.
In such a pathology, all patients experience almost the same painful sensation. In some men, the pain occurs in only one place, while others experience all of the above symptoms at the same time. Pain syndrome often radiates to different parts of the body - legs, buttocks, abdomen.
Attention! It is very important to the practitioner what symptoms the patient experiences in the case of prostatitis. After all, if a man describes his feelings correctly, a qualified doctor can determine the form of the disease even based on the nature of the painful manifestations. So natural pains most often indicate a non-infectious type of disease, bloating and a burning sensation - an inflammatory prostatitis.
Specific discharge
Pain syndrome is often accompanied by the appearance of pathological secretion. One of the characteristic signs of prostatitis is the appearance of various secretions - translucent, milky white, yellowish. They can be thick or sticky. This symptom mainly occurs after passing urine or faeces.
Chronic inflammation of the gland can cause spermatorrhea, which releases a small amount of sperm from the penis during bowel movements or when the muscles of the perineal region are tense.
The presence of a greenish secretion with a mixture of pus indicates a sluggish, slow course of the disease. Such secretions are made up of dead leukocytes, damaged cells of the epithelium, and mucous membranes. Sometimes a similar phenomenon is observed with exacerbation of the chronic form of the pathology. In this case, the patient's temperature rises, painful feelings and chills occur. In such a situation, consult a urologist as soon as possible, as the progression of signs of prostatitis in men can lead to organ sclerosis and infertility.
Management activities
Treatment of the disease is selected by the physician depending on the diagnosis. Different forms of prostatitis require an individual approach to therapy. Antibacterial medications should be used to relieve the symptoms of acute prostatitis in men. It is best to use medications that penetrate well into this organ of the reproductive system.
When selecting an effective therapeutic system, the qualified physician must pay attention to the patient's immunity, taking into account the nature of the disease, the individual characteristics of the male body. Uncomplicated forms of prostatitis, with an acute course of the disease, can be treated at home. Patients with prostatitis are hospitalized only in severe cases where symptoms of severe intoxication occur.
You can also treat this disease with the help of physiotherapy techniques - ultrasound, magnetic laser therapy. Hirudotherapy and manual manipulation (biopuncture, acupuncture) are popular methods. The use of herbs, immunomodulatory and enzyme preparations, cytomediators helps to get rid of any type of prostatitis.
In some situations, men are surgically treated for prostatitis. Surgery is performed when a patient is diagnosed with an abscess of this organ. For this purpose, prostate drainage is performed transrectally or via the transurethral route. In the case of acute urinary retention, an epicystomy is performed - a hole is made in the wall of the bladder that produces a special suprapubic catheter.
Chronic prostatitis, which is uncomplicated, can be treated on an outpatient basis. But the therapy of the disease in such a situation takes much longer. Suppositories, antibacterial agents, thermal methods, reflexology, and glandular massage are used for treatment. Patients with symptoms of prostatitis are advised to rethink their lifestyle, give up bad habits, eat right, and avoid hypothermia.
Important! Under no circumstances should this pathology be cured! Most often, inflammation begins to progress precisely as a result of symptomatic therapy and self-administration of medications. Antibacterial medications should only be taken under the supervision of a specialist, otherwise you may significantly weaken your body's immune system, which will be another problem for you and will only make your current situation worse.
The first signs of prostatitis in men - these manifestations should be treated in a timely manner. Such implicit symptoms are a great danger because they can occur not only in inflammation of the prostate, but also in benign, malignant tumors of the organ. Therefore, timely diagnosis of the pathology and initiation of treatment is very important. After all, the sooner a patient turns to a doctor, the sooner the unpleasant and painful feelings disappear and the sex life normalizes.