One of the most common diseases among men is prostatitis, the ICD-10 code is 41. What 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 foods.
Like most diseases, prostatitis is easiest to treat in its early stages. The difficulty is that inflammation of the gland practically does not occur for a long time. The disease is most often diagnosed in the later stages or during seasonal exacerbation. How to identify the signs of prostatitis in men and its symptoms is discussed in the article below.
What is the prostate
The prostate is a small organ located below the urethra.It is difficult to overestimate the importance of this organ, because it is responsible for normal urination and male strength. The shape and size of the prostate is similar to a walnut, and the size of the gland may increase with age.
The 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, the majority of patients with prostatitis are men of retirement age.
However, in recent years, the disease has been diagnosed in men whose age does not exceed 30 years. Overall, one or another type of prostatitis is present in 30% of the male population.
In order to avoid the unpleasant consequences of the disease, it is important for the man to pay attention to his well-being and not to ignore the warning signs indicating the presence of the disease.
Prostatitis is best treated as early as possible, so it is important to be aware of the typical symptoms of the disease. What symptoms can be used to determine the existence of problems related to men's health?
Causes of prostatitis
What is prostatitis in men? The prostate is a rather vulnerable organ, many negative factors can provoke inflammation of the gland. If we talk about the causes of the appearance, there are two types of diseases: bacterialAndviral.
Bacterial prostatitis, which is caused by pathogenic bacteria entering the prostate tissue. Most often, microorganisms enter the body together with urine residues or through the circulatory system. The pathology appears unexpectedly and develops 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 the case of chronic bacterial prostatitis, the symptoms are expressed in 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 virus, rubella, cytomegalovirus and papillomavirus. This type of illness is rare and is characterized by fever, joint pain or severe skin rashes.
Several factors can provoke the development of the disease:
- Complications of previous diseases;
- Hypothermia of the 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 gets on the surface of the gland and inflammation begins;
- Inconsistent intimate life. Long-term abstinence and excessive sexual activity have the same negative effect;
- Stagnation of blood in the urogenital system - can appear against the background of hemorrhoids or other diseases;
- Hormonal imbalance. If the gland does not produce enough 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 warning sign of the body. The visit to the urologist is postponed until later, and the 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 a regular exacerbation of prostatitis begin.
For men, it will be more difficult to choose an effective drug for prostatitis, the treatment at this stage will cost much more, and the therapy will take a lot of time. Therefore, it is important not to ignore the first signs of the disease; if you have difficulty urinating or discomfort in the groin area, see a doctor immediately.
Since prostatitis syndromes are not always pronounced in men, it is recommended to check the condition of the gland regularly, at least once a year. A timely visit to the urologist helps to avoid unpleasant consequences and complications.
Types of prostatitis
Modern medicine has successfully identified many undeniable signs of prostatitis in men. The choice of treatment strategy is determined by the type of disease.
Specialists distinguish two main types of the disease:
- Acute prostatitis.This type of disease is quite easy to diagnose, since the inflammatory process is very noticeable and quite pronounced. The cause of inflammation is the presence of pathogenic flora. The disease can be treated quite successfully with appropriate antibiotics;
- Chronic prostatitis.If the acute inflammation of the gland has not been cured or no therapy has been carried out at all, the disease takes a chronic form. In men, the pronounced symptoms of chronic prostatitis decrease, and they are also noticeable only during exacerbation (most often in spring or autumn).
Chronic prostatitis is often preceded by nagging pain, but more often the disease develops without visible symptoms; this inflammatory process can be observed in people who do sedentary work (office workers, drivers).
The cause of inflammation is poor circulation in the urinary system, which occurs due to lack of physical activity and long-term sexual abstinence.Everyone should know which symptoms of chronic prostatitis in men are the most common, as the success of the treatment depends on this.
If there are signs of bacterial prostatitis, which are expressed in general poisoning of the body, the treatment is based on the use of antibiotics. If the inflammation is caused by the stagnation of blood and lymph, then the main focus will be on adjusting the lifestyle and eliminating concomitant diseases.
Classification of prostatitis symptoms
How does the disease manifest itself? Typically, all unpleasant symptoms that indicate problems with the functioning of the prostate can be divided into three main groups:
- All kinds of deviations from the norm observed in the urinary system;
- Difficulties arising in the intimate sphere;
- A decline in male hormones and sexual impotence are serious signs of depression.
All these symptoms can appear in the very first stage of gland inflammation. Over time, the symptoms will become more and more pronounced, and more serious diseases may develop in the future.
The first signs of inflammation
The most common primary symptom 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. The man feels intermittent cutting pain while urinating, but in some cases the pain can be felt continuously.
Acute prostatitis occurs more noticeably, often the manifestations of this form of the disease greatly disrupt normal life. Exacerbation of the chronic form of the disease rarely occurs, and symptoms may disappear completely during the recovery period after treatment.
In the case of prostatitis, the pain is usually localized in the groin area. Unpleasant sensations occur not only in the perineum - both the lower back and the 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 urination problems. The following characteristic signs should alert a man:
- The need to urinate too often;
- Discomfort caused by insufficient emptying of the bladder;
- unrealistic urge to urinate;
- During urination, the stream is low pressure and often interrupted.
When the disease is in an advanced stage, prolonged urinary retention is often observed. This symptom indicates active inflammation of the prostate gland, and severe tissue swelling can also be observed.
Urine simply does not pass through the urethra. Urine often shows signs of inflammation. Pathological impurities are in the form of mucous threads, most often 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 accompanied by pain is the first sign of prostatitis, so when they appear, you should not postpone a visit to the urologist. The doctor prescribes a number of 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 in the stage of actively progressing inflammation. Most often, sexual dysfunction is a manifestation of old inflammation.
The most common symptoms are:
- flaccid erection. A normal relationship 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 a minute or two (or earlier) after insertion of the penis into the vagina;
- Sensitivity will be dulled, feelings during sexual contact are less pronounced;
- Changes in the smell and color of semen. The inflammation can manifest itself in the form of an unpleasant, pungent smell of the semen, yellow or brown spots of pus are often noticeable;
- Psychological problems occur. Failures in bed have a negative effect on the nervous system, disrupting sleep and worsening well-being.
Because the depressed state of mind causes stress, patients often experience bouts of unprovoked aggression and are often prone to physical violence. What should we do if irritation and stress constantly remind us of ourselves?
In such situations, drug treatment of prostatitis should be carried out simultaneously with the observation of a psychologist. For greater effectiveness, patients with such signs of prostatitis can be prescribed drugs belonging to the group of antidepressants.
Sometimes, even after the treatment of prostatitis is completed, the help of a psychologist may be needed. Slow chronic prostatitis often does not occur at all, but is the cause of infertility. This form of the disease can only be detected during an examination related to the impossibility of having children.
The old inflammatory process is not manifested externally, but irreversibly changes the composition and structure of the seminal fluid. The number of viable, active sperm decreases, their mobility becomes insignificant.
General symptoms
Regardless of the existing form of the disease, prostatitis can be diagnosed with 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:
- Rising body temperature. The more actively the inflammation spreads, the higher the temperature will be. This symptom is especially evident in acute bacterial prostatitis - the thermometer can show numbers of 39-40 degrees. This symptom is usually accompanied by lower back pain;
- Painful headache, constant weakness and apathy;
- Pain in the muscles of the whole body or in the lower back;
- Chills accompanying a rise in temperature.
A rise in temperature alone can indicate any type of inflammation. Sometimes (for example, in the case of slow chronic prostatitis) a temperature of 37-38 degrees is observed for a long time. The real cause can only be identified by a full body examination.
Symptoms characteristic of different stages of the disease
Each stage of prostatitis is characterized by a set of symptoms. By carefully observing the body, a man can notice the body's warning signs in time and start treating prostatitis in time.
There are three main stages of prostatitis:
- First phase.At this stage, the inflammation begins to spread in the tissues of the gland. A man sometimes 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 ejaculation and discharge are accompanied by unpleasant sensations.
- Second stage.If the above symptoms are ignored, the disease progresses. The size of the inflammation and associated swelling decreases, instead the formation of scars and damage to blood vessels begins. Painful sensations during a visit to the toilet become more noticeable, a person experiences more and more discomfort, and failures in the intimate sphere occur more and more often. At this moment, the development of simultaneous diseases can be 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 tissue can be observed. During the examination of such patients, necrosis (tissue death) can be detected. The increased size of the glandular tissues compresses the urethra and complete emptying of the bladder becomes impossible. The changes can not only affect the urinary system, the inflammation often spreads to the kidneys and other organs as well.
How do we treat inflammation? Treatment of prostatitis is a rather lengthy process. In addition to medication, patients are prescribed a special diet and massage. Gymnastics is also useful in case of prostatitis, for which a doctor prepares a series of exercises.
Any stage and form of prostatitis threatens a person with serious complications. The prevention of chronic prostatitis is very important, the doctor prescribes medicines to preserve men's health after examination.
The inflammation can spread to neighboring organs, cause infertility and even cancer. Careful attention to your own health, proper prevention of prostatitis and timely visits to the urologist help prevent the development of the disease.