One of the most common diseases in men is prostatitis, the ICD-10 code is 41. What type of disease is prostatitis? The spread of the disease is facilitated by a sedentary lifestyle, addiction to tobacco and alcohol, and excessive consumption of fatty and salty foods.
Like most illnesses, prostatitis is easiest to treat at an early stage. The difficulty is that inflammation of the gland practically does not manifest itself for a long time. The disease is most often diagnosed in later stages or during seasonal exacerbation. How to identify the signs of prostatitis in men and its symptoms will be discussed in the article below.
What is the prostate
The prostate is a small organ located below the urethra.The importance of this organ is difficult to overestimate, since it is responsible for normal urination and male strength. The shape and size of the prostate resembles a walnut; with age, the size of the gland may increase.
Prostate tissue has a glandular and muscular structure, the glands are responsible for the production of hormones and prostatic juice, and the muscles regulate the size of the lumen of the urethra.
The likelihood of developing the disease increases with age. According to statistics, the majority of patients suffering from prostate inflammation are men of retirement age.
However, in recent years, the disease has been diagnosed in men whose age does not exceed 30 years. In total, prostatitis of one type or another is present in 30% of the male population.
In order to avoid the unpleasant consequences of the disease, it is important for a man to pay attention to his well-being and not ignore the appearance of alarming signals indicating the presence of an illness.
The best treatment for prostatitis is carried out as early as possible, so it is important to be aware of the characteristic symptoms of the disease. What symptoms can be used to determine the presence of male health problems?
Causes of the development of prostatitis
What is prostatitis in men? The prostate is a rather vulnerable organ; many negative aspects can cause inflammation of the gland. If we talk about the reasons for its occurrence, there are two types of diseases: bacterialAndviral.
Bacterial prostatitis, caused by pathogenic bacteria penetrating the prostate tissue. Most often, microorganisms enter the body with urine residue or through the circulatory system. The pathology occurs unexpectedly and progresses rapidly, the body temperature rises, and the man feels severe pain in the groin.
If the patient ignores these symptoms, the outcome can be very unfavorable, even fatal. In chronic bacterial prostatitis, symptoms will manifest as severe pain during exacerbations.
Infectious (bacterial) prostatitis. The causative agent of the disease in this case is a virus. The most common pathogens are influenza viruses, rubella, cytomegalovirus and papillomavirus. This type of illness is rare and is characterized by fever, joint pain, or profuse rashes.
Various factors can provoke the development of the disease:
- Complications from previous illnesses;
- Hypothermia of the pelvic organs;
- The presence of a chronic infection in the female partner;
- Urethral reflux - if the prostate does not prevent the reflux of urine, a bacterial infection penetrates the surface of the gland and inflammation begins;
- Inconsistent intimate life. Long-term abstinence and excessive sexual activity have equally negative effects;
- Stagnation of blood in the genitourinary system - can appear against the background of hemorrhoids or other diseases;
- Hormonal imbalance. If the gland produces an insufficient amount of male hormones, muscle tone gradually weakens and erectile dysfunction appears;
- Weakened immunity;
- Regular stress and lack of sleep;
- The practice of coitus interruptus, the deliberate prolongation of sexual intercourse.
Most often, the first signs of prostatitis are characterized by difficulty urinating and pain in the penis.
Unfortunately, most men prefer to ignore this alarming signal from the body. A visit to a urologist is postponed until later; Treatment, at best, is limited to taking pills recommended by a friend or colleague. With this approach, inflammation progresses to the chronic stage.
The painful sensations are not so intense and the man thinks that everything has improved. In fact, the process continues and soon a series of problems in the intimate sphere and regular exacerbations of prostatitis begin.
It is becoming more difficult to choose an effective drug for prostatitis in men; treatment at this stage will cost much more and the treatment will take a long time. Therefore, it is important not to ignore the first signs of the disease: if you have difficulty urinating or discomfort in the groin, you should immediately consult a doctor.
Since prostatitis syndromes in men are not always pronounced, it is recommended to check the condition of the gland regularly, at least once a year. A timely visit to a urologist will help avoid unpleasant consequences and complications.
Types of prostatitis
Modern medicine has managed to identify many undeniable signals of prostate inflammation in men. The choice of therapeutic strategy is determined by the type of disease.
Practitioners distinguish two main types of disease:
- Acute prostatitis.This type of disease is quite simple to diagnose, since the inflammatory process manifests itself very visibly and quite pronounced. The cause of inflammation is the presence of pathogenic flora. The disease can be treated very successfully with appropriate antibiotics;
- Chronic prostatitis.When acute inflammation of the gland is not cured or treatment is not carried out, the disease takes on a chronic form. The pronounced symptoms of chronic prostatitis in men decrease, and even these can be noticed only during an exacerbation (this most often occurs in spring or autumn).
Often, chronic prostatitis is preceded by the appearance of shooting pain, but most often the disease develops without any visible symptoms; this development of inflammation is observed in people with sedentary work (office workers, drivers).
The cause of inflammation is poor circulation in the genitourinary system, which occurs with a lack of physical activity and prolonged sexual abstinence.Everyone should know which symptoms of chronic prostatitis in men are most common, because the success of treatment depends on them.
If there are signs of bacterial prostatitis, expressed by general intoxication of the body, treatment will be based on the use of antibiotics. If the inflammation is caused by stagnation of blood and lymph, the focus will be on lifestyle adjustment and elimination of concomitant diseases.
Classification of prostatitis symptoms
How does the disease manifest? Usually, all unpleasant symptoms signaling the presence of disorders in the functioning of the prostate are divided into three main groups:
- All sorts of deviations from the norm observed in the urinary system;
- Difficulties occurring in the intimate sphere;
- Serious signs of depression caused by a decrease in the amount of male hormones and sexual impotence.
All of these symptoms can occur in the early stages of inflammation of the gland. Over time, symptoms will become more and more pronounced, and more serious illnesses may develop in the future.
First signs of inflammation
The most common primary sign of prostatitis is regular aching pain in the lower abdomen. At the same time, the nature and localization of unpleasant sensations can be very diverse. A man feels periodic cutting pain when urinating, but in some cases the pain is felt constantly.
Acute prostatitis is more noticeable, and the manifestations of this form of the disease often greatly interfere with normal life activities. Exacerbations of the chronic form of the disease are rare and during the recovery period after treatment, symptoms may disappear completely.
With prostatitis, the pain is usually localized in the groin area. Unpleasant sensations occur not only in the perineum - the lower back and lower abdomen can hurt. When urinating and ejaculating, a man feels discomfort in the scrotum, penis and testicles.
Difficulty urinating
One of the most alarming symptoms is urination problems. The following characteristic signs should alert a man:
- The need to urinate too often;
- Discomfort caused by insufficient emptying of the bladder;
- Unreal urge to urinate;
- The stream during urination has low pressure and is often interrupted.
When the disease is in an advanced stage, prolonged urinary retention can often be observed. This symptom indicates active inflammation of the prostate and severe tissue swelling may also be observed.
Urine simply does not pass through the urethra. Traces of inflammation are often visible in the urine. Pathological impurities appear in the form of mucous threads, most often visible in morning urine. Often this symptom is the only manifestation of the disease, this is especially true for the chronic form of the disease.
If prostatitis is not treated in time, in most cases a prostate adenoma develops (proliferation of glandular tissue and formation of nodes and tumors).
Urinary incontinence combined with pain are the first signs of prostatitis, so when they appear, you cannot delay a visit to the urologist. The doctor prescribes several tests (for example, a general PSA blood test for prostatitis).
Intimate problems
Perhaps the most unpleasant symptom of prostatitis in men is sexual dysfunction. This manifestation of the disease usually appears at the stage of actively progressing inflammation. Most often, sexual dysfunction is a manifestation of old inflammation.
The most common symptoms are:
- Flaccid erection. Habitual copulation with a woman becomes impossible. The excitement is short-lived, sexual intercourse does not end with ejaculation;
- Ejaculation too fast. An erection is good, but ejaculation occurs one to two minutes (or sooner) after the penis is inserted into the vagina;
- Sensitivity becomes dull, sensations during sexual intercourse become less pronounced;
- Change in smell and color of semen. Inflammation may manifest as an unpleasant, pungent odor of semen; patches of yellow or brown pus are often noticeable;
- Psychological problems appear. Failures in bed negatively affect the nervous system, sleep is disturbed and well-being deteriorates.
Since a depressed state of mind causes stress, patients often experience attacks of aggression without cause and often tend to resort to physical violence. What to do if irritation and stress constantly remind you of yourself?
In such situations, drug treatment of prostatitis should be carried out simultaneously with observation by a psychologist. For greater effectiveness, a patient with such signs of prostatitis can be prescribed drugs from the antidepressant group.
Sometimes help from a psychologist may be necessary even after undergoing treatment for prostatitis. Often, sluggish chronic prostatitis does not manifest itself at all, but becomes a cause of infertility. This form of the disease can only be detected during an examination related to the inability to procreate.
The old inflammatory process does not manifest itself externally, but irreversibly changes the composition and structure of the seminal fluid. The number of viable active spermatozoa decreases and their motility becomes insignificant.
General symptoms
Regardless of the existing form of the disease, prostatitis can be diagnosed by a number of general signs. These symptoms indicate the presence of an inflammatory process. If a chronic form of the disease is present, these symptoms are very mild, but in the acute stage of the disease it is impossible not to notice them.
The list of common symptoms is as follows:
- Increased body temperature. The more actively the inflammation spreads, the higher the temperature will be. This symptom becomes especially evident in acute bacterial prostatitis - the thermometer can show figures from 39 to 40 degrees. This symptom is usually accompanied by pain in the groin;
- Painful headache, constant weakness and listlessness;
- Pain in the muscles of the whole body or in the lower back;
- Chills accompanying a rise in temperature.
An increase in temperature itself can indicate inflammation of any kind. Sometimes (for example, with chronic sluggish prostatitis), a temperature of 37-38 degrees is observed for a long time. The true cause can only be identified by a complete examination of the body.
Symptoms characteristic of different stages of the disease
Each stage of prostate inflammation is characterized by a set of symptoms. By carefully monitoring his body, a man can notice the body's warning signals in time and begin to treat prostatitis in a timely manner.
There are three main stages of prostatitis:
- First stage.At this point, the inflammation begins to spread throughout the tissues of the gland. A man periodically feels pain in the perineum, anus and lower back. The urge to urinate becomes more frequent, the process itself is accompanied by burning and pain in the urethra. At the same time, the level of sexual desire decreases and unpleasant sensations accompany ejaculation and secretion.
- Second step.If the above symptoms are ignored, the disease begins to progress. The amount of inflammation and accompanying swelling decreases, but scarring and damage to blood vessels begins. Painful sensations when visiting the toilet become more noticeable, a man experiences more and more discomfort, and failures in the intimate sphere occur more and more often. It is at this time that the development of concomitant conditions is observed - radiculitis, vegetative-vascular dystonia, heart problems.
- The third stage of prostatitis is considered chronic.At this stage, the gland becomes covered with scars and there is degeneration of the glandular tissue into muscle tissue. When examining these patients, necrosis (tissue death) may be detected. The increased size of the glandular tissues compresses the urethra and complete emptying of the bladder becomes impossible. Changes can affect not only the urinary system: inflammation often spreads to the kidneys and other organs.
How to treat inflammation? Treatment of prostatitis is a fairly long process. Along with drug treatment, patients are prescribed a special diet and massage. Gymnastics is also useful for prostatitis, a set of exercises is prepared by a doctor.
Any stage and form of prostatitis threatens a man with serious complications. Prevention of chronic prostatitis is of great importance: drugs intended to maintain men's health are prescribed by the doctor after examination.
Inflammation can spread to nearby organs, causing infertility and even the development of cancer. Close attention to your own health, proper prevention of prostatitis and timely visits to a urologist will help prevent the development of the disease.