Prostatitis is an inflammatory process that develops in the prostate. In theory, every man risks developing it, regardless of age.
But men are most susceptible to diseases affected by the following factors:
- Sedentary lifestyle;
- Prolonged sexual abstinence or, conversely, an overly active sex life;
- Frequent constipation. Keep in mind that only regular stool disorders can cause prostatitis, not episodic constipation;
- Hypothermia. To get sick from prostatitis, it is not necessary to swim in ice water for hours, it is enough to just sit on a cold stone or be cold for a long time in inappropriate clothes;
- Chronic inflammatory diseases (for example, chronic bronchitis) or untreated focus of infection in the body (caries, tonsillitis);
- Chronic and acute urological or previous venereal diseases (urethritis, gonorrhea);
- Sedentary work. First of all, these are those who are forced to sit constantly at work, without the possibility of getting up and warming up (drivers, computer operators);
- Any condition that can suppress the body's immune system. These include inadequate or inadequate nutrition, physical and emotional overload, constant lack of sleep, chronic stress).
All the above factors become especially dangerous if the man is older than 50 years. Indeed, at this age the hormonal background changes significantly, immunity decreases, various diseases appear, and in addition, few men at this age lead an active lifestyle. For these reasons, all men over the age of 50 must visit a urologist prophylactically every six months.
How does the disease begin?
As a rule, the first sign of the development of prostatitis are unpleasant or even painful sensations when urinating. Sometimes you have to get up several times a night to go to the toilet. Rarely do they go to the doctor at this stage of disease development, although at this stage the treatment will be short-lived and effective.
After a while, sharp pains appear when cutting, pulling or shooting in the pubic or perineum, sometimes the pain radiates to the penis or anus. Urination becomes frequent and painful, and urine becomes much more turbid. Pain may occur during bowel movements.
Further, body temperature may rise, sometimes men notice the discharge of drops of clear white fluid from the urethra. As a rule, most men go to the doctor during this period of illness.
What happens if prostatitis is not treated?
If you do not consult a doctor after the above symptoms and start treatment, the disease will progress further. The temperature can rise to 40 degrees, the pain becomes very strong, urination becomes very painful, the outflow of urine is disturbed (it comes out of the urethra in a thin stream or drop by drop). The longer prostatitis is left untreated, the more likely it is that acute urinary retention and the development of acute renal failure will develop. Also, timely examination is necessary, because symptoms similar to prostatitis are present in cystitis and prostate cancer.
Diagnosis
After contacting a urologist, a study of the prostate through the rectum is performed, as well as an analysis of prostate secretion. This procedure is not very pleasant, and sometimes painful, especially in the later stages of the disease. Sometimes that’s why men don’t want to go to the doctor.
But in fact, the sooner you go for a checkup, the less painful it is. In addition, palpation of the prostate is already a treatment in itself, because it helps to remove congestion.
In the laboratory, the secretion of the gland is sown on nutrient media, the sensitivity of the microflora to antibiotics is determined and urine analysis is performed. Ultrasound is also performed to confirm the diagnosis. Treatment of prostatitis is usually not difficult for a urologist, subject to timely treatment.
Early stage prostatitis is treated at home. The patient is prescribed antibacterial drugs, baths, compresses and other thermal procedures on the perineum, as well as painkillers and prostate massage. The treatment is carried out for about 10 days. You should also not eat spicy foods and alcohol during treatment.
Signs and treatment of chronic prostatitis
With chronic prostatitis, painful pains in the perineum appear, which subside after walking or light exercises, and there is a burning sensation when urinating. A man often does not sleep well and becomes irritable.
If left untreated, chronic prostatitis can cause pelvic inflammatory disease and even infertility. Reflexology and prostate massage are added to the above treatment. The patient is recommended a more active lifestyle, exclusion of spicy foods and alcohol from the diet.
Trust the doctors
You should not try to diagnose yourself without visiting a doctor. Finally, only a urologist will be able to choose the optimal treatment regimen for you based on the test results.
When you are just being treated, you are taking antibiotics "blindly". This can lead to the disease turning into a chronic form. If the disease continues to progress, hospitalization may be needed. In the hospital, the therapy will last 1-2 weeks, and maybe longer.
To prevent the development of complications, be sure to see a urologist every six months.
Prophylaxis
Prevention of prostatitis comes down to the following recommendations:
- If you will be out in the cold for a long time, choose the right clothes;
- Eat regularly and completely;
- Lead an active lifestyle, play sports;
- Use constipation laxatives;
- She leads a regular sex life, preferably with a regular partner.
A very large number of men suffer from prostatitis. This article provides basic information about the disease and explains why it is necessary to visit a urologist regularly.