Inflammation of the prostate or prostatitis can be acute and chronic. In most cases, organ damage is caused by a specific or non-specific infection. Sometimes pathological changes develop as a result of obstruction of the small pelvis. The main symptoms are urinary disorders and decreased potency. Treatment should be comprehensive and include the use of drugs and the normalization of blood flow to the pelvic organs in men.
Classification and characteristics of prostatitis
Inflammation of the prostate in men is a pathology that significantly affects the quality of life of patients and causes a number of serious complications in both the urinary and genital areas.
Prostatitis can be acute and chronic over time. The latter can occur on its own (this is more common) or is a consequence of an untreated acute process.
Classify the prostate inflammation as follows::
- The first category, or acute bacterial prostatitis.
- The second is chronic bacterial inflammation.
- The third or chronic abacterial prostatitis (chronic pelvic pain syndrome). It is divided into 3A - flammable and 3B - non-flammable.
- The fourth is asymptomatic inflammation of the prostate.
The first and second categories are set for patients with a positive bacteriological study. The difference is that the first is diagnosed when symptoms do not last more than 3 months. With the prolonged presence of clinical manifestations, chronic bacterial prostatitis is diagnosed.
The third category is also known as chronic pelvic pain syndrome, as the main complaint of patients is pain for at least 3 months. When examining secretions (ejaculate, urine, glandular secretions after massage), no pathological microflora is detected. In the event of an increase in the number of leukocytes in these analyzes, inflammatory prostatitis (category 3A) is detected with its normal content - non-inflammatory.
One of the above categories is identified in most men because patients seek help based on certain pathological symptoms.
Recently, doctors identified the fourth subtype of the disease - asymptomatic prostatitis. It is diagnosed by chance during medical exams or when examining a man for other diseases of the genitourinary system. The danger of this form lies in the fact that there are pathological changes in the prostate, but the disease does not show any subjective signs. This condition often leads to the development of infertility.
Why men experience a burning sensation in the urethra
reasons
Acute inflammation of the prostate in men occurs in 70% of cases due to an E. coli infection.In other situations, the pathology is caused by enterobacteria such as Pseudomonas, Klebsiella, Proteus. Staphylococci and streptococci are much less common.
With certain infections, Neisseria gonorrheae and Trichomonas vaginalis can cause acute prostatitis.
The factors that contribute to this are:
- Performing various surgical interventions on the male urogenital organs.
- Narrowing of the urethra as a result of chronic and acute inflammatory processes in the urethra.
- Performing diagnostic procedures - cystoscopy, ureteroscopy, etc.
- Violation of urination due to benign prostatic hyperplasia.
- Activation of opportunistic microflora (enterobacteria) in pathogens under the influence of decreased immunity and other diseases of the body.
- Irregular sex life, which leads to stagnation of secretions in the prostate.
Chronic inflammation
If chronic prostatitis occurs as a continuation of an acute process, its cause is the same. In the case of this form of the disease, the primary primary predisposing factors are:
- Mycobacterium tuberculosis.
- Clostridium.
- Gonorrhea and Trichomonas (can immediately cause a chronic form without an acute period).
- salmonella.
- Different types of mushrooms.
In the mechanism of occurrence of pathology, such a phenomenon as intraprostatic reflux plays an important role - the backflow of urine through the excretory ducts into the prostate. As a result of this process, the infection can easily enter the organ, multiply and cause inflammation. Increase the reflux:
- Phimosis (narrowing of the foreskin);
- decrease in urethral lumen;
- balanoposthitis (inflammation of the foreskin);
- Obstruction of the urethra with tartar in urolithiasis.
Reflux and irregular sexual activity intensify stagnant processes in the prostate, which leads to the active reproduction of microorganisms, intensification and spread of inflammation.As a result, areas of fibrosis (replacement of normal tissue with dense, non-functioning connective tissue) can appear and form prostate calculi. All this improves the pathological process and leads to serious consequences.
Abacterial chronic prostatitis
Chronic Pelvic Pain Syndrome (CPPS) is a synonym for this disease and occurs without any microorganisms in the secretions that have been detected using standard microbiological methods.
There are different theories about the occurrence of the pathology:
- contagious;
- chemical inflammation;
- immune.
Confirmation of the infection theory is that DNA of pathogens is detected in the secretion of the prostate during the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). However, microorganisms themselves cannot be detected using other microbiological methods.
In general, the genetic material of the following bacteria is found in CPPS:
- Ureaplasma urealyticum (Ureaplasma urealyticum).
- Mycoplasma hominis.
- Chlamydia trachomatis.
- Trichomonas vaginalis.
Chemical inflammation theory attributes CPPS to intraprostatic reflux, but in this case the cause is not bacteria, but the urine itself. Once in the prostate, it causes damage to cell structures and an inflammatory response.
According to the immune theory, pathology occurs as a result of autoimmune processes or as a result of the immune response to the penetration of a foreign antigen into an organ.
In most cases, CPPS is not caused by one, but rather by its complex effect.
The provoking factor of asymptomatic prostatitis can be anyone, which can cause the above categories. The only difference is in the course of this form of the disease.
Symptoms
Acute bacterial inflammation of the prostate is characterized by the appearance of general and local symptoms.
Severe pain in the suprapubic region and in the perineum as well as urinary disorders up to complete standstill come first. Among the general symptoms of the patients, they are concerned with body ache, sweating, chills, fever, and weakness.
Sometimes pain only occurs during bowel movements or in a sitting position. In some atypical cases, fever is the only symptom of the disease.
In severe prostate edema, acute urinary retention occurs. This is due to the fact that with its increased size, the organ compresses the urethra and creates a mechanical obstacle to the outflow of the contents of the bladder. At the same time, the general condition of the patient deteriorates significantly: the signs of intoxication increase by the hour, and in severe cases, impaired consciousness and even a coma can appear.
If diagnosis is delayed, complications such as abscess formation (suppuration) of the prostate with further penetration of the pus into the urethra or rectum can occur. As a result, fistulas are formed that require surgical interventions and reconstructive operations.
Manifestations of chronic bacterial inflammation of the prostate
The manifestations of this form of the disease are diverse, ranging from a complete absence of symptoms to a sharp exacerbation of the process.
In most cases, patients are concerned about pain in the perineum and rectum of varying intensity that can spread to the scrotum, sacrum, penis and thighs. Sometimes the pain syndrome becomes paroxysmal, reminiscent of neuralgia.
Urethral problems and frequent urination are also observed. The discharge from the urethra is sometimes determined. They get worse during the day after walking, exercising, defecating, or having a prostate massage.
There is a feeling of heaviness, pressure, fullness in the rectum and perineum. These symptoms are worse after long periods of sitting. This form of the disease is characterized by the appearance of inflammatory processes in the urinary system, caused by the same microfloracystitis, urethritis and pyelonephritis.
Symptoms of bacterial prostatitis
CPPS is characterized by a clinical picture of chronic bacterial inflammation of the prostate.
Patients have had pelvic and perineal pain for more than 3 months, and the results of the bacteriological examination are negative.There are different types of urinary tract diseases:
- frequent urination;
- difficulty urinating (sluggish flow, need for additional exertion);
- pain when urinating.
Sometimes sexual dysfunction occurs - decreased libido, impotence.General symptoms often come in the form of weakness and headache.
Drug treatment
Antibiotics are the mainstay of therapy. In a chronic process, drugs from the group of fluoroquinolones are indicated. With acute prostatitis, beta-lactam antibiotics and aminoglycosides are prescribed.The treatment takes place in two steps:
- First, empirical therapy is prescribed (before receiving the plants). For this purpose, third generation cephalosporins or fluoroquinolones are used.
- In the second stage, the treatment is corrected according to the bacteriological data obtained and the results regarding sensitivity to antibacterial agents.
These groups of antibiotics are chosen because they penetrate the haematoprostatic barrier and create a high concentration of the active ingredient in the prostate. In this way you can get rid of the source of the infection.Antimicrobial therapy is also prescribed for abacterial prostatitis, which is necessary for two reasons::
- Antibiotics significantly alleviate the patient's condition.
- There is a high likelihood of the presence of microorganisms in the secretions that are difficult to detect in the prostate using laboratory methods.
The antibiotic regimen for chronic pelvic pain syndrome is as follows:
- A fluoroquinolone drug, or doxycycline, is prescribed for 2 weeks.
- A renewed examination of the secretion of the prostate is carried out and if the symptoms decrease, the agents are taken for up to 4 weeks.
Treat patients with asymptomatic prostatitis for the following indications:
- infertility;
- before prostate surgery as prophylaxis;
- in the identification of pathogenic microorganisms in secretions;
- with an increased level of antiprostatic antibodies in the blood and positive microbiological tests.
Other means
For prostatitis, drugs from the group of alpha blockers are prescribed. These agents increase the maximum and average rate of urine flow, decrease the tone in the wall of the urethra, and eliminate incomplete opening of the bladder neck during emptying. These effects eliminate phenomena like:
- Frequent and painful urination;
- Reduction of the jet flow;
- the need for extra effort to pass urine.
Typical representatives are alfuzosin, tamsulosin and doxazosin, they are particularly relevant in chronic forms of the disease.The duration of treatment for these drugs is at least 3 months.
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are prescribed as symptomatic therapy. They reduce inflammation, edema and pain.Medicines such as diclofenac, ibuprofen, nimesulide and others are used. The duration of treatment with these agents should not exceed 4 weeks. These drugs are only taken after a meal as they irritate the stomach wall.
In addition to pills, local treatment is also used. For this purpose, patients are prescribed drugs in suppositories, such as Vitaprost, Prostatilen, Uroprost, etc. They are also indicated for prostate adenomas.
Herbal Medicine
Dwarf palm fruit extract is widely used in traditional medicine. Active ingredients reduce inflammation, edema and have a vasoprotective effect (strengthen the vascular wall).
The bark of the African plum tree has similar effects.
Prostatilen has a natural origin. It is made from the prostate of cattle. It has anti-inflammatory effects and reduces the phenomenon of prostate adenoma.
Folk Remedies
Prostatitis can be treated with folk remedies. First and foremost in terms of effectiveness - the use of pumpkin seed oil. You can buy this product in pharmacies. Take it for 1 tbsp. l. 3 times a day, the duration of treatment is 3-4 months.To prevent prostate diseases, all men can use 30 pumpkin seeds once a day before mealsYou need to take them raw as the healing properties are lost after roasting.
Pumpkin seeds made according to the following recipe can be used for treatment:
- 0. 5 kg of peeled seeds are ground in a meat grinder or mixer.
- Add 200g of honey and mix everything until smooth.
- Forms 2-3 cm large balls.
Store in the refrigerator and take a piece 30 minutes before meals. This product should be chewed and dissolved for 2-3 minutes, not swallowed. The duration of treatment is 6 months.
An infusion of leaves or a decoction of hazel bark has a healing effect on prostatitis. To prepare the first remedy, you need to take 1 tbsp. l. dry leaves and brew in a glass of boiling water. You need to insist for 30 minutes and take 1/4 of the resulting solution four times a day. For a brew from the rind 1 tbsp. l. Pour 200 ml of crushed raw materials and boil in a water bath for 30 minutes. After that, the medicine should be cooled and taken 1/4 cup four times a day.
Parsley green has a healing effect on prostatitis. It has anti-inflammatory effects and helps restore sexual activity. In this case, parsley juice is used. For this purpose, the greens are crushed to a pulp and the liquid is squeezed out through a cheesecloth folded 3-4 times. Take it for 1 tbsp. l. 3 times a day.
Treat prostatitis at home and with medicinal herbs. One of them is wormwood. It allows you to reduce inflammation and rid the body of the pathogen. It is taken dry for the first 3 days - it is absorbed by the mouth every 2-3 hours. The next four days reduce the number of doses to 5. Every day, at night, they make microclysters from the grass.
To do this, you need to prepare an infusion: 1 tbsp. l. You need to take 1 liter of water. The composition should be boiled and allowed to cool to +40 degrees. Then the solution has to be filtered. It is necessary to make injections into the anus (100 ml), as well as into the urethra (50 ml). The procedures should be done within a week. They are shown in a chronic process.When showering and with microclysters, the release of pus is possible - this is normal, which indicates the effectiveness of the treatment..
Conclusion
In combination with the main methods of treating the disease, physiotherapy, prostate massage and organ acupuncture are used.
Living with chronic prostatitis means regularly undergoing extensive examination and therapy as there is a high likelihood of loss of reproductive function.