Prostatitis is an inflammation of the prostate that affects men over the age of 20.
According to statistics, 1 in 4 men have experienced this disease in one form or another. In recent years, there has been a persistent tendency to "rejuvenate" the process, due to sexual release, an increase in sexually transmitted infections, a tendency towards self-diagnosis and treatment on the Internet, and the resistance of infectious agents to antibiotic therapy.
This is especially true because the first signs of prostatitis in men, as a rule, are expressed by the erased, which does not allow timely consultation with a doctor, and in some cases leads to the development of advanced prostatitis.
Signs of prostatitis in men
The characteristics of the structure, blood supply, and location of the prostate affect the nature of the symptoms that will lead to inflammation. These include:
- Pain symptom.
- Symptom of urinary disorders (dysuric).
- Symptom of erectile dysfunction.
Pain symptom
Feelings of pain, of varying intensity, disturb a man in the lower part of the abdomen, in the perineum, genitals, lumbosacral spine. This location of pain is due to the presence of nerve connections and the participation of seminal vesicles (vesicles) in the process of inflammation.
The intensity of the pain can vary, from an unexplained feeling of discomfort to severe pain that affects a man’s mental state and causes insomnia. Painful feelings depend on sexual behavior and result from the lack of regular ejaculation or, conversely, during ejaculation, which is associated with the spread of the inflammatory process in the posterior urethra.
Keep in mind that pain in the lumbosacral region may not be related to the prostate in any way, but it can be the result of, for example, osteochondrosis of the spine. The result of the conversation with the patient and the urological examination data help to determine the cause of such pain.
The first sign of prostatitis in a man is a feeling of pain in the testicles (in the area of the scrotum) that spreads along the epididymis (area of the right and left groin). Pain radiating from an inflamed prostate can appear on the inner side of the thighs, back, which dictates the need to consult a neurologist in order to rule out neurological pathology, because such a spread is not typical for prostate pain.
In some cases, the irradiation of painful sensations is asymmetric, which allows the suspicion of an inflammatory process of the prostate, localized in one of its lobes. At the site of manifestation, the pain syndrome is divided into genital (in the genital area, characteristic of congestive chronic prostatitis), extragenital (above the genital organs), characteristic of advanced advanced prostatitis) and mixed (chronic prostatitis).
Symptoms of dysuria or urinary disorders with prostatitis
Urinary disorders are expressed by false desires, a feeling of incomplete emptying of the bladder with frequent urination, which is associated with inflammation of the bladder neck and urethra. Prolonged signs of dysuria in prostatitis indicate the chronicity of the process.
Erectile dysfunction with prostatitis
Erectile dysfunction in prostatitis is represented by early ejaculation, blurred sensations during orgasm, decreased libido, weakening of the erection. Sometimes a man's prostatitis can be suspected due to the absence of a morning erection.
The decrease in potency, as the first sign of prostatitis in men, is caused by a decrease in the synthesis of testosterone (male sex hormone).
Manifestations of prostatitis are not limited to the above three symptoms. Often, the first sign of prostatitis in a man is the discharge of prostate secretion from the urethra during the act of defecation (prostatitis), which indicates a decrease in the tone of the muscles of the ejaculatory ducts.
In addition, we can not focus on the psychological signs of prostatitis in men: astheno-neurotic syndrome develops from the nervous system (depression, fatigue, lack of desire for anything, physical weakness).
The first signs of acute prostatitis
All of the above symptoms are typical of chronic inflammation of the prostate, with acute prostatitis in men, the picture is somewhat different.
The disease begins with acute severe pain in the perineum, the symptoms of urinary disorders are more clearly followed. There is a rise in temperature to 38-39 C, cold, weakness, sweating, muscle and bone pain. When he urinates, he worries about the pain in the anus. There is no sex life.
If you do not pass the examination in time and do not start treatment, then the acute process will be complicated by purulent prostatitis, all the way to an abscess, which will lead to emergency surgery.
If there are no other reasons (immunodeficiency conditions, severe concomitant pathology, etc. ) - purulent prostatitis in men - advanced inflammatory process due to untimely access to a doctor!
Causes of signs of prostate inflammation
Factors affecting inflammation in the prostate are conventionally divided into 3 groups.
Inappropriate factors include:
- Body type.
- Sexual constitution.
- Age factor.
- Presence of disease.
- Environment (climate factor).
Partially controlled factors:
- Sexual habits.
- Profession.
- Backgrounds of male genital area disease.
- Attitude towards disease.
Finally, controlled factors:
- Promiscuous sex life.
- Alcoholism.
- Failure to follow treatment recommendations.
- Power mode errors.
Who is in danger
Prostatitis threatens men who:
- Adhere to a sedentary lifestyle.
- He suffers from chronic constipation.
- Have a history of sexually transmitted infections.
- Have more sexual partners.
- They suffer from alcoholism and drug addiction.
- They work in cold conditions.
If there are signs of prostatitis, what to do
Laboratory diagnosis of prostatitis
- In the KLA, the erythrocyte sedimentation rate increases, the leukocyte formula shifts to the left. In OAM - leukocyturia, proteinuria, bacteriuria.
- Blood for HIV infection.
- Urethral smear on flora. As a rule, leukocytes are completely smeared. If the venereal pathogen (Neisser's gonococcus, Trichomonas) is not identified, it is necessary to perform PCR diagnostics.
- Prostate secretion. Sowing prostate secretions to pathogens and determining antibiotic susceptibility.
- PCR - diagnosis for sexually transmitted infections, the most reliable and fastest way to verify pathogens.
- Blood for PSA Blood for PSA (prostate-specific antigen) should not be taken during an acute inflammatory process in the prostate, the result will be unreliable. It is better to do this analysis a month after the end of the therapy. Young people under the age of 30 do not need to have their blood PSA levels tested. This test is important for men older than 40, because acute prostatitis can be secondary in some cases, and a malignant tumor in the prostate is masked behind its clinical manifestations.
Instrumental diagnostic methods
As a rule, an ultrasound examination of the prostate transrectally (through the rectum) or transabdominally (through the abdomen) is sufficient.
Signs of prostatitis on ultrasound
Increase in gland volume, change in texture, edema; with purulent prostatitis - areas of necrosis, contour deformation, enlargement of regional lymph nodes.
What you should pay attention to
First of all, to get rid of the symptoms of prostatitis forever, you need to follow a certain diet.
Exacerbation of prostatitis in men depends on irritating substances ingested with food: hot spices, vinegar, pickles, alcohol.
Alcohol should be mentioned in particular, even its minimal use can reverse the effects of long-term complex therapy.
Some patients feel that they should drink less frequently or switch to lighter alcoholic beverages. That is their main mistake.
Diluted vinegar, yeast, citrus fruits, sauerkraut, tomatoes and cucumbers have no harmful effect on prostatitis.
If you eat foods rich in fiber, you will free the man from constipation - one of the main reasons for the development of congestion in the small pelvis.
An herbal remedy helps well in prevention. Taking herbal diuretics: cranberry leaf, dill seeds, urological collection helps to improve urination during inflammation.
Sport, especially exercise to improve blood circulation in the pelvic organs, helps keep the prostate in good shape.
The development of inflammation in the prostate causes hypothermia. In winter it is worth dressing warmer, and in summer, after bathing, you should not be in wet bathing suits for long.
Using a condom during sexual contact with an unknown partner will protect you from sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV infection.
Prolonged fatigue negatively affects a man’s immune system as well as stressful situations that can exacerbate a dormant prostate infection. Regular preventive examination by a urologist will help maintain men's health.