The problem of chronic prostatitis affects not only older men, but also young people who are just starting their sexual life. In the first months, prostatitis may manifest itself as a slight burning sensation and itching, which the patient does not attach importance to. But when inflammation becomes a part of everyday life, it can no longer be ignored. Exhausting pain, fatigue, and decreased sexual activity are chronic companions of prostatitis.
What is chronic prostatitis?
Prostatitis is one of the most common diseases of the urinary system among middle-aged and elderly men. Treatment of chronic prostatitis consists of minimizing symptoms and achieving a state in which prostatitis does not affect reproductive function.
Prostatitis is characterized by inflammation of the prostate: an important organ of the reproductive system located in the upper part of the beginning of the urethra. When healthy, the prostate is responsible for producing secretions that keep sperm alive and create an environment that allows them to survive until ejaculation. In the case of chronic prostatitis, this function is damaged in an average of 70% of cases, which is why the spermatozoa predominantly become sluggish and non-viable. The chance of successful fertilization is significantly reduced even in the absence of other pronounced problems of the reproductive system. Complex treatment is required.
Chronic prostatitis develops in three forms:
- Chronic bacterial prostatitis.The painful symptoms either disappear completely or return with a vengeance. Even at its peak, the inflammation does not reach the intensity of acute prostatitis. Prostate irritation is caused by a third-party factor - pathogenic bacteria. Such prostatitis can disappear even without diagnosis and comprehensive treatment: for example, if a man had a cold or a seasonal illness at the same time as inflammation. Antibiotics suppress the activity of the bacterial colonies and the disease recedes. But the next time your immune system fails, your chronic prostatitis returns and you need treatment.
- Chronic abacterial prostatitis.According to research, chronic abacterial prostatitis remains one of the most common forms in men under 50 years of age. The disease often begins with a bacterial invasion: the bacteria are active against the background of weakened immunity and overcome. The consequence is the depletion of the body's resources, so the inflammation returns in the future without the participation of bacteria. Abacterial chronic prostatitis is characterized by long periods with short, hardly noticeable remissions. A man suffering from abacterial prostatitis can be convinced that the disease is constantly getting worse. The burning sensation is brighter than in the case of bacterial forms - due to the fact that the disease does not allow you to rest and take a break from the pain. The treatment is performed with minimally invasive means. Non-bacterial advanced chronic prostatitis is treated in the surgeon's office.
- Chronic asymptomatic (asymptomatic) prostatitis.This form of prostatitis does not cause suffering to the man, but it is dangerous as a hidden threat. Asymptomatic prostatitis occurs without any obvious symptoms. The burning sensation of the prostate gland, itching, release of moisture and other signs of inflammation do not appear. At the same time, the inflammatory process affects the reproductive function, so the man may consider himself infertile. Chronic, asymptomatic prostatitis can only be detected with laboratory diagnostics. Studies show increased bacterial activity, which is linked to the development of prostatitis in men. Combined with the release of white blood cells during urination, this allows the diagnosis to be made. Please note: a preventive examination by a urologist once a year is not necessarily enough. Asymptomatic chronic prostatitis also has phases of activity, so it can be difficult to diagnose.
- Chronic granulomatous prostatitis.The rarest form of the disease, it develops as a side effect of medication for other diseases or long-term radiation treatment. In this case, the inflammatory process is only a secondary symptom. Painful sensations are associated with the gradual destruction of prostate tissue, which is replaced by connective tissue. Deterioration of the organ leads to a weakening of the prostate function until it stops completely. If left untreated, the process becomes irreversible.
Although chronic prostatitis is qualitatively different from the acute form of the disease, it can turn into an acute phase with complications, which is dangerous for the reproductive system. Sharp pain with a burning sensation in the prostate, high temperature, reduced immunity are signs that the treatment of chronic prostatitis should be postponed. Call an ambulance or go to the hospital. First, you need to stop the acute inflammatory process.
Cause
The impetus for the development of chronic prostatitis is usually a combination of factors such as body condition, environment and heredity. If acute prostatitis can be prevented, then the development of chronic prostatitis is not so easy. Men naturally prone to prostate disease experience exacerbations of the disease in situations that do not affect men with a more favorable heredity.
If you want to reduce the risk of developing chronic prostatitis, pay more attention to your health. Prostatitis is a disease that occurs against the background of weakness of the body. Common causes of chronic prostatitis include:
- Sexually transmitted infections.They act directly on the prostate gland or weaken the immune system enough that even the slightest irritation causes an inflammatory process. Infections are spread sexually, through unprotected contact. Carriers may not know they are infected: some infections only occur in men even though women carry them, and vice versa. The best preventive measure is the use of hygienic contraceptives. Urologists recommend that you use a condom even during non-penetrative sexual intercourse - for example, during prostate stimulation.
- Passive lifestyle.Lack of physical activity causes chronic circulation problems not only in the prostate, but also in the entire pelvic area. If you have to spend most of the day sitting at a desk, don't forget to get up and stretch at least every 1-2 hours. Light exercise, walking around the office or stretching will restore normal blood circulation. On weekends, you can compensate for the weekly workload with long walks or sports activities.
- Lack of intercourse, artificial prolongation of arousal or prolonged abstinence.The male reproductive system requires regular emptying. Thus, the sperms are renewed, and thanks to this, all organs are constantly ready for the reproduction process. What happens when a man regularly delays or denies himself orgasm? The body accumulates more sperm and by-products than it needs. The prostate also suffers: it produces excess secretions that have nowhere to direct them. If the situation is constantly repeated, the result can be chronic prostatitis.
- Regular hypothermia.It is believed that men benefit from thorough freezing - it strengthens the body. In fact, being hypothermic while walking, riding a motorcycle or skiing overloads the immune system. It is more difficult for the body to cope with bacterial activity, and the vulnerability of the prostate increases several times. Under such conditions, it can easily become a carrier of bacterial prostatitis, which then becomes a non-bacterial or asymptomatic form.
- Chronic lack of sleep, depression, stress.Psychological factors combined with fatigue deplete the immune system and open the body to a whole host of chronic diseases. A man who does not get enough rest at night or after stressful work is 2-3 times more likely to get prostatitis than a man who sleeps 8-10 hours a day and rests well with his family. At the first manifestations of the disease, it is important not to blame yourself and not to succumb to gloomy thoughts: they only worsen the condition. Go to the doctor immediately - and you will be freed, if not from the disease itself, then from the unpleasant symptoms.
- Disorders of hormonal activity.In case of chronic prostatitis, the functions of the prostate gland are impaired. Hormones are responsible for regulating the prostate and coordinating secretion with the functioning of the reproductive system. Even a mild hormonal imbalance can cause inflammation. In this case, the treatment of chronic prostatitis must be supplemented with hormone therapy.
- Ignoring personal hygiene rules.Be careful: just once is enough for the bacteria to settle on the tissues. You may not notice the consequences if you do not follow the rules of personal care for years, while the immune system protects the body from bacterial invasions. But one aggravation against the background of a seasonal disease is enough for the problem of chronic prostatitis to enter a person's life for many months.
The development of chronic prostatitis is often accompanied by a weakening of the immune system, poor nutrition, and a lack of vitamins and minerals in the body. A man leading a healthy lifestyle is less threatened by chronic prostatitis, even in the case of a high genetic predisposition.
How to treat chronic prostatitis in men and what to do
If you suspect the development of chronic prostatitis, you should schedule a comprehensive examination with a urologist. In some cases, the doctor makes a diagnosis at the first visit, based on the nature of the disease and the patient's symptoms. If prostatitis has not occurred before, the urologist prescribes diagnostic procedures: ultrasound examination of the prostate, urodynamic examination. Laboratory tests include analysis of urine, ejaculate, urethral swabs, and prostate secretions.
After clarifying the diagnosis, the doctor prescribes a treatment regimen. There is no single right way to treat chronic prostatitis. The methods are selected according to the type of chronic prostatitis, medical history and personal characteristics of the course of the disease.
Drug treatment
In most cases, it is prescribed for home treatment; if prostatitis is accompanied by acute exacerbations, the man may be hospitalized. In the case of bacterial forms of prostatitis, antibiotics are selected according to the group of bacteria identified during laboratory tests. Penicillins and fluoroquinolones remain the most popular antibacterial drugs in the treatment of chronic bacterial prostatitis.
Drugs belonging to the group of alpha blockers are prescribed for any form of chronic prostatitis. They reduce swelling, eliminate the feeling of pressure and unpleasant itching caused by prostatitis. These drugs also have a strong pain-relieving effect: the person is relieved of pain and burning, physical activity and night rest are normalized. Prostatitis occurs without pain and physical exhaustion.
When chronic prostatitis turns into an acute form, strong non-steroidal drugs are prescribed. They act directly on the inflammatory process and alleviate the symptoms, but do not treat the root cause of the disease.
Surgical methods
In recent years, doctors are less and less likely to enroll men with symptoms of chronic prostatitis in the surgery. This is due to the mixed effect of the surgical interventions and the long recovery period. The prostatitis stops, but the patient suffers from side effects, including impotence. At the same time, there are forms of chronic prostatitis in which surgical intervention is essential.
Transurethral resection of the prostate (TUR) is the partial or total removal of prostate tissue to relieve stress on the urinary tract. In the case of partial resection, the prostate retains all its functions, while the inflammatory process disappears irreversibly and prostatitis does not return. The operation is performed without opening, regardless of the degree of inflammation. The resectoscope is aimed at the inflamed organ without affecting other pelvic organs.
Adenomectomy is the "open" removal of the gland due to prostatitis, which is also called prostatectomy. The advanced inflammatory process leads to the fact that it becomes impossible to access the inflamed gland without opening it. In this case, traditional surgical tools are used to completely remove the prostate. Thisis an extreme measure prescribed only when other treatment methods are not possible and poses a danger to the body. After a long rehabilitation period, the man returns to a normal lifestyle with unrestricted physical activity. Adenomectomy always ends in complete impotence. Prostatitis nevercomes out.
Minimally invasive treatment methods
In modern medicine, there are many methods of treating prostatitis in a chronic form that do not require surgical intervention. New techniques have proven to be more effective than traditional surgery, so they are used everywhere. Official medicine recognizes the following treatment methods:
- Exposure to ultrasound waves.Prostatitis only affects the prostate, so UV treatment focuses the radiation on this organ. Regular procedures reduce symptoms, relieve swelling and pain. The process is not accompanied by pain, does not cause irritation and is harmless to the urinary system.
- Thermal treatment.Prostatitis and its manifestations can be reduced to "no" with microwave heat therapy. The high temperature is applied directly to the prostate, as a result of which its size decreases. The method is not used if the prostatitis has entered an acute phase: in this case, heating aggravates the condition.
- Cryodestruction.Painless partial removal of inflamed gland tissue with liquid nitrogen, with minimal recovery time. Chronic prostatitis disappears completely if antibacterial treatment is carried out in parallel with the strengthening of the immune system. Reproductive function is not affected, and the prostatitis has a minimal chance of returning.
- Inductotherapy.Complex treatment with laser and magnetic fields normalizes blood circulation, initiates regeneration processes and relieves pain caused by inflammation. The technique used in the case of prostatitis has an auxiliary effect: induction therapy increases the effect of drugs by one and a half to two times, but gives short-term results without drugs.
- Laser processing.If chronic prostatitis is accompanied by long periods of exacerbation, laser therapy is prescribed. The laser evaporates excess moisture, stopping the growth of tissue damage caused by prostatitis. The treatment has a stimulating effect: the cells of the body are activated, the natural defenses are awakened and tissue regeneration takes place.
One of the new methods is the mechanical expansion of the walls of the urethra. This method does not treat chronic prostatitis, but contributes to the almost complete disappearance of symptoms. Reducing the contact area promotes faster healing and prevents the lesion from spreading. In order to increase the space between the walls of the urethra, a catheter with an inflatable balloon (balloon dilatation) or a cylindrical polymer frame (stenting) is inserted. The methods can be combined to achieve the desired result. The technique is not used if prostatitis has reached an acute stage.
How to handle it
If you suspect prostatitis, you should first see a doctor. Only on the basis of the tests, the urologist can confirm the chronic nature of the disease and prescribe treatment. The signs of inflammation of the prostate are similar to other diseases of the pelvic organs, so you should not self-medicate.
After diagnosis, follow your doctor's recommendations and have regular examinations with a urologist. Prostatitis can be treated with care and patience: do not neglect hygiene procedures in the acute phase of the disease, take the medicine every hour, and the disease will recede.
If prostatitis is causing you great suffering, ask your doctor for a referral for prostate massage or recommend a private clinic that offers this service. Massage enhances the effect of the treatment. After the first treatment, you will notice that prostatitis is less severe: the massage movements relax the pelvic organs, bring relief and start the natural tissue repair processes. The chronic nature of prostatitis is significantly reduced: signs of inflammation are less likely to bother you.
Men suffering from prostatitis should abandon traditional medicine during the entire treatment. Decoctions, poultices, poultices and other folk remedies do not treat prostatitis in certain forms. They can relieve discomfort or worsen the inflammatory process overnight.
The same applies to self-prescribed medicines. Prostatitis is treated with drugs selected after comprehensive laboratory tests. A haphazard remedy won't work, even if it has helped hundreds of thousands of men with prostatitis - simply because you are in a different situation. The dosage, duration and even methods of chronic prostatitis drugs are selected individually. If you are offered a drug that can treat any form of prostatitis, regardless of the cause, you should know: it is a fake. Follow your doctor's recommendations and stay healthy!