One of the most common diseases in men is prostatitis, the ICD-10 code is 41. What kind of disease is prostatitis? The spread of the disease is facilitated by a sedentary lifestyle, addiction to cigarettes and alcohol, as well as the consumption of excessive amounts of fatty and salty foods.
Like most diseases, prostatitis is easiest to treat in its early stages. The difficulty is that inflammation of the gland practically does not manifest itself for a long time. Most often, the disease is diagnosed in the later stages or during a 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, as it is responsible for normal urination and male strength. The shape and size of the prostate resemble a walnut, with age the gland can increase in size.
The 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 urethral lumen.
The probability of developing the disease increases with age. According to statistics, the majority of patients suffering from inflammation of the prostate 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, 30% of the male population has prostatitis of one kind or another.
In order to avoid the unpleasant consequences of the disease, it is important for a person to pay attention to his well-being and not to ignore the appearance of alarming signals indicating the presence of a disease.
The best treatment for prostatitis is as early as possible, so it is important to be aware of the characteristic symptoms of the disease. By what symptoms can the presence of problems with men's health be determined?
Reasons for the development of prostatitis
What is prostatitis in men? The prostate is a rather vulnerable organ, many negative aspects can provoke inflammation of the gland. If we talk about the causes of its appearance, there are two types of disease: bacterialAndviral.
Bacterial prostatitis, caused by the entry of pathogenic bacteria into the prostate tissue. Most often, microorganisms enter the body together with the remains of urine or through the circulatory system. The pathology occurs unexpectedly and progresses rapidly, the body temperature rises, the man experiences 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 an exacerbation.
Infectious (bacterial) prostatitis. The causative agent of the disease in this case is a virus. The most common pathogens are influenza, rubella, cytomegalovirus and papillomavirus. This type of illness is rare and is characterized by a high fever, joint pains or profuse skin rashes.
Various factors can provoke the development of the disease:
- Complications from previous diseases;
- Hypothermia of the pelvic organs;
- Presence of chronic infection in the 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 effects;
- Stagnation of blood in the genitourinary system - can occur 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 interrupted coitus, the deliberate prolongation of 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 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.
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 becomes more difficult to choose an effective drug for prostatitis in men, the treatment at this stage will cost much more and the therapy will take a long time. That is why it is important not to ignore the first signs of the disease, if you have difficulty urinating or discomfort in the groin area, you should see a doctor immediately.
Since prostatitis syndromes in men are not always expressed, it is recommended to check the condition of the gland regularly, at least once a year. A timely visit to a urologist will help to avoid unpleasant consequences and complications.
Types of prostatitis
Modern medicine has successfully identified many indisputable signals of inflammation of the prostate gland in men. The choice of treatment tactics is determined by the type of disease.
Specialists distinguish two main types of disease:
- Acute prostatitis.This type of disease is quite easy to diagnose, since the inflammatory process manifests itself very noticeably and is quite pronounced. The cause of the inflammation is the presence of pathogenic flora. The disease is treated quite successfully with appropriate antibiotics;
- Chronic prostatitis.When the acute inflammation of the gland is not cured or no therapy is carried out at all, the disease passes into a chronic form. Pronounced symptoms of chronic prostatitis in men decrease, and even they can be noticed only during an exacerbation (most often this happens in spring or autumn).
Often chronic prostatitis is preceded by the onset of excruciating pain, but more often the disease develops without visible symptoms; this course of inflammation is observed in people engaged in sedentary work (office workers, drivers).
The cause of the inflammation is poor blood circulation in the genitourinary system, which occurs in the absence of physical activity and prolonged sexual abstinence.Everyone should know which symptoms of chronic prostatitis in men are the most common, as the success of treatment depends on this.
If there are signs of bacterial prostatitis, expressed in 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 emphasis will be on correcting the lifestyle and eliminating the accompanying diseases.
Classification of symptoms of prostatitis
How does the disease manifest itself? Usually, all unpleasant symptoms signaling the presence of disorders in the functioning of the prostate gland are divided into three main groups:
- All types of deviations from the norm observed in the excretory 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 appear 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 symptom 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 person experiences intermittent cutting pain when urinating, but in some cases the pain is felt constantly.
Acute prostatitis manifests itself more noticeably, often the manifestations of this form of the disease significantly 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 completely disappear.
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. During urination and ejaculation, the man feels discomfort in the scrotum, penis and testicles.
Difficulty urinating
One of the most alarming symptoms is the problem with urination. The following characteristic signs should alert a man:
- The need to urinate too often;
- Discomfort caused by insufficient emptying of the bladder;
- Unreal desire to urinate;
- The stream during urination is low pressure and often interrupted.
When the disease is in an advanced stage, prolonged retention of urine can often be observed. This symptom indicates active inflammation of the prostate gland and severe tissue swelling can be observed.
Urine simply does not pass through the urethra. Often traces of inflammation can 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, this is especially true for the chronic form of the disease.
If prostatitis is not treated in time, in most cases prostate adenoma develops (proliferation of glandular tissue and the formation of nodes and tumors in them).
Urinary incontinence, combined with pain, are the first signs of prostatitis, so when they appear, you cannot delay a visit to a 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 active progressive inflammation. Most often, sexual dysfunction is a manifestation of old inflammation.
The most common symptoms are the following:
- A flaccid erection. Usual copulation with a woman becomes impossible. Arousal is short-lived, sexual intercourse does not end with ejaculation;
- Ejaculation too fast. Erection is good, but ejaculation occurs one to two minutes (or sooner) after inserting the penis into the vagina;
- The sensitivity becomes dull, sensations during intercourse become less pronounced;
- Change in the smell and color of semen. Inflammation can manifest itself in the form of an unpleasant, pungent smell of semen, spots of yellow or brown pus are often noticed;
- Psychological problems arise. Failures in bed negatively affect the nervous system, sleep is disturbed and well-being deteriorates.
Because the depressed state of mind provokes stress, patients often experience attacks of unprovoked aggression and there is often a tendency towards 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 monitoring by a psychologist. For greater effectiveness, a patient with such signs of prostatitis can be prescribed drugs from the group of antidepressants.
Sometimes help from a psychologist may be needed even after completing a course of treatment for prostatitis. Often slow chronic prostatitis does not manifest itself at all, but becomes the cause of infertility. This form of the disease can be detected only 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 viable active spermatozoa decreases and their motility becomes negligible.
General symptoms
Regardless of the existing form of the disease, prostatitis can be diagnosed by a number of common signs. These symptoms indicate the presence of an inflammatory process. If there is a chronic form of the disease, 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:
- Increase in 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 numbers 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 area of the lower back;
- Chills accompanied by a rise in temperature.
An increase in temperature in itself can mean inflammation of any kind. Sometimes (for example, with slow chronic prostatitis) a temperature of 37-38 degrees is observed for a long time. The real cause can only be established through a complete examination of the body.
Symptoms characteristic of different stages of the disease
Each stage of inflammation of the prostate is characterized by a set of symptoms. By carefully monitoring the body, one can notice the warning signals from the body in time and start timely treatment of prostatitis.
There are three main stages of prostatitis:
- First stage.At this stage, the inflammation begins to spread to the tissues of the gland. A person periodically experiences pain in the perineum, anus and lower back. Urges to urinate become 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 stage.If the above symptoms are left unattended, the disease begins to progress. The amount of inflammation and accompanying edema decreases, but instead scarring and damage to blood vessels begins. Painful sensations when visiting the toilet become more noticeable, the man experiences more and more discomfort, and failures in the intimate sphere appear more and more often. It is at this moment that the development of concomitant diseases is observed - radiculitis, vegetative-vascular dystonia, heart problems.
- The third stage of prostatitis is considered chronic.At this stage, the gland is covered with scars and degeneration of the glandular tissue into muscle is observed. During the examination of such patients, necrosis (tissue death) may be detected. The increased size of the gland tissues presses the urethra and complete emptying of the bladder becomes impossible. Changes can affect not only the excretory system, the inflammation often spreads to the kidneys and other organs.
How to treat inflammation? Treatment of prostatitis is quite a long 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 a doctor.
Every stage and form of prostatitis threatens the 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 your own health, appropriate prophylaxis of prostatitis and timely visits to a urologist will help prevent the development of the disease.