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 cigarettes and alcohol, and the consumption of excessive amounts of fatty and salty food.
Like most diseases, prostatitis is the easiest to treat in the early stages. The difficulty is that inflammation of the gland practically does not manifest itself for a long time. The disease is most often diagnosed in the later stages, or during seasonal exacerbations. How to recognize the signs of prostatitis in men and its symptoms, we will discuss in the article below.
What is the prostate
The prostate is a small organ located below the urethra.The importance of this organ is hard to overestimate, because it is responsible for normal urination and male strength. The shape and size of the prostate resembles a walnut; with age, the gland can increase in size.
Prostate tissue has a glandular and muscular structure, the glands are responsible for the production of hormones and prostate juice, and the muscles regulate the size of the urethral lumen.
The probability of developing the disease increases with age. According to statistics, most 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 that indicate the presence of the disease.
The best treatment for prostatitis is done 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 men's health problems?
Causes of the development of prostatitis
What is prostatitis in men? The prostate is quite a vulnerable organ, many negative aspects can cause inflammation of the gland. If we talk about the reasons for its appearance, there are two types of diseases: bacterialIviral.
Bacterial prostatitis, caused by pathogenic bacteria entering the prostate tissue. Most often, microorganisms enter the body together with the remains of urine or through the circulatory system. The pathology appears 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, the symptoms will be expressed in severe pain during exacerbations.
Infectious (bacterial) prostatitis. The causative agent of the disease in this case is a virus. The most common causative agents of the disease are influenza viruses, rubella, cytomegalovirus and papillomavirus. This type of disease is rare and is characterized by fever, joint pain or a profuse skin rash.
Various factors can cause the development of the disease:
- Complications of previous diseases;
- Hypothermia of pelvic organs;
- Presence of chronic infection in the female partner;
- Urethral reflux - if the prostate does not prevent the reverse flow of urine, a bacterial infection enters the surface of the gland and inflammation begins;
- Inconsistent intimate life. Long-term abstinence and excessive sexual activity have equally negative consequences;
- Stagnation of blood in the genitourinary system - it 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 occurs;
- 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 the urologist is postponed until later, treatment is at best limited to taking pills recommended by a friend or colleague. As a result of this approach, the inflammation goes into a chronic stage.
Painful feelings are not so intense, and one 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 becomes more difficult to choose an effective remedy for prostatitis in men, treatment at this stage costs much more, and the therapy 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, see a doctor immediately.
Since prostatitis syndromes in men are not always expressed, it is recommended to check the state of the gland regularly, at least once a year. A timely visit to the urologist will help avoid unpleasant consequences and complications.
Types of prostatitis
Modern medicine has successfully identified many undeniable signals of prostate inflammation in men. The choice of treatment strategy is determined by the type of disease.
Doctors distinguish between two main types of disease:
- Acute prostatitis.This type of disease is quite simple to diagnose, because the inflammatory process manifests itself very noticeably and is quite pronounced. The cause of inflammation is the presence of pathogenic flora. The disease can be treated quite successfully with appropriate antibiotics;
- Chronic prostatitis.When acute inflammation of the gland is not cured or therapy is not carried out at all, the disease takes a chronic form. Pronounced symptoms of chronic prostatitis in men become less and less, and even they can be noticed only during exacerbation (most often this happens in spring or autumn).
Chronic prostatitis is often preceded by excruciating pain, but more often the disease develops without any visible symptoms; this course of inflammation is observed in people who engage in sedentary work (office workers, drivers).
The cause of the inflammation is poor circulation in the genitourinary system, which occurs when there is a lack of physical activity and long-term sexual abstinence.Everyone should know which symptoms of chronic prostatitis in men are the most common, because the success of the treatment depends on it.
If there are signs of bacterial prostatitis, expressed in the general intoxication of the body, the treatment will be based on the use of antibiotics. If the inflammation is caused by stagnation of blood and lymph, the main focus will be on adjusting the lifestyle and eliminating accompanying diseases.
Classification of symptoms of prostatitis
How does the disease manifest itself? Typically, all unpleasant symptoms that signal the presence of prostate disorders are divided into three main groups:
- All types of deviations from the norm observed in the urinary system;
- Difficulties arising in the intimate sphere;
- Severe signs of depression caused by a decrease in the amount of male hormones and sexual impotence.
All these symptoms can occur already in the first stages of inflammation of the gland. Over time, the symptoms will become more pronounced, and more serious diseases may develop in the future.
First signs of inflammation
The most common primary sign of prostatitis is regular 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 occurs more noticeably, often the manifestations of this form of the disease greatly interfere with normal life activities. Exacerbations of the chronic form of the disease occur rarely, and during the recovery period after treatment the symptoms may disappear completely.
With prostatitis, the pain is usually localized in the groin area. Unpleasant sensations do not only occur in the perineum - the lower back and lower abdomen can also hurt. During urination and ejaculation, 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 retention of urine can often be observed. This symptom indicates an active inflammation of the prostate, and severe tissue swelling can also be observed.
Urine simply does not pass through the urethra. Traces of inflammation can often be seen in the urine. Pathological impurities have the form of mucous threads, most often they can be seen in the morning urine. Often this symptom is the only manifestation of the disease, especially for the chronic form of the disease.
If prostatitis is not treated in time, in most cases, prostate adenoma (proliferation of gland tissue and the formation of nodes and tumors in them) occurs.
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 for men is sexual dysfunction. This manifestation of the disease usually occurs in the phase of active progression of inflammation. Most often, sexual dysfunction is a manifestation of old inflammation.
The most common symptoms are as follows:
- Relaxed erection. Normal copulation with a woman becomes impossible. The excitement is short-lived, intercourse does not end with ejaculation;
- Ejaculation too fast. Erection is fine, but ejaculation occurs one to two minutes (or earlier) after insertion of the penis into the vagina;
- Sensibility becomes dull, sensations during sexual intercourse become less pronounced;
- Change in smell and color of seeds. Inflammation can manifest itself in the form of an unpleasant, pungent smell of semen; patches of yellow or brown pus are often visible;
- Psychological problems appear. Bed bugs have a negative effect on the nervous system, sleep is disrupted and well-being worsens.
Since a depressed state of mind causes stress, patients often experience attacks of unprovoked aggression, and there is often a tendency to physical violence. What to do if irritation and stress keep reminding you of yourself?
In such situations, the treatment of prostatitis with drugs should be carried out simultaneously with the observation of a psychologist. For greater efficiency, a patient with such signs of prostatitis can be prescribed drugs from the group of antidepressants.
Sometimes the help of a psychologist may be needed even after the course of treatment for prostatitis has been completed. Often, sluggish chronic prostatitis does not manifest itself at all, but becomes the cause of infertility. This form of the disease can only be detected during an examination related to the inability to give birth.
The old inflammatory process is not manifested externally, but it irreversibly changes the composition and structure of the seminal fluid. The number of live active spermatozoa decreases, and their mobility 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 the 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.
A 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 of 39-40 degrees. This symptom is usually accompanied by pain in the groin;
- Painful headache, constant weakness and apathy;
- Pain in the muscles of the whole body or in the lower back;
- Shivering that follows a rise in temperature.
An increase in temperature by itself can indicate inflammation of any nature. Sometimes (for example, in sluggish chronic prostatitis) a temperature of 37-38 degrees is observed for a long time. The real cause can only be determined by a complete examination of the body.
Symptoms characteristic of different stages of the disease
Each stage of prostate inflammation is characterized by a series of symptoms. By carefully monitoring the body, a man can spot warning signals from the body in time and start prostatitis treatment in time.
There are three main stages of prostatitis:
- The first stage.At this stage, the inflammation begins to spread throughout the tissues of the gland. A person occasionally 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.
- The second stage.If the above symptoms are left unattended, the disease begins to progress. The size of the inflammation and accompanying swelling decreases, but instead, the formation of scars and damage to blood vessels begins. Painful sensations when going to the toilet become more and more noticeable, the man experiences more and more discomfort, and failures in the intimate sphere occur more and more often. At this moment, the development of accompanying diseases is observed - radiculitis, vegetovascular dystonia, heart problems.
- The third stage of prostatitis is considered chronic.At this stage, the gland becomes covered with scars, and degeneration of the glandular tissue into muscle tissue is observed. When examining such patients, necrosis (tissue death) can be detected. The increased size of the gland tissue compresses the urethra and complete emptying of the bladder becomes impossible. Changes can affect not only the urinary system, the inflammation often spreads to the kidneys and other organs.
How to treat inflammation? Treatment of prostatitis is a rather long-term process. Along with drug treatment, patients are prescribed a special diet and massage. Gymnastics is also useful for prostatitis, a set of exercises for it is prepared by the doctor.
Any stage and form of prostatitis threatens a man with serious complications. Prevention of chronic prostatitis is of great importance, drugs to maintain men's health are prescribed by the doctor after examination.
The inflammation can spread to neighboring organs, causing infertility and even the development of cancer. Careful attention to one's own health, appropriate prevention of prostatitis and timely visits to a urologist will help prevent the development of the disease.