An insidious male disease is prostatitis. The symptoms of prostatitis can be different, depending on the form of the disease. Sometimes the initial stage of disease development is asymptomatic. And it is very difficult to independently recognize and diagnose prostatitis. But the sooner the problem is discovered, the faster you can solve it without consequences. Very often the latent form gradually turns into chronic prostatitis. That is the danger of this male disease. Urologists around the world strongly recommend that men visit specialists regularly. In addition, any disease is better prevented than treated long and painfully. In this article, we will analyze the main symptoms and signs of prostatitis in men, highlight their main ways of manifestation.
Types of prostatitis
All signs of prostatitis are classified depending on the type and type of disease. But what is prostatitis? Thus, prostatitis is called an infectious inflammatory process in the prostate in men. Glandular and connective tissue are mainly affected. Much attention began to be paid to this problem in the 19th century. At that time, the number of patients with prostatitis increased rapidly every year. Therefore, it was necessary to develop a complex therapy.
Today, the first symptoms of prostatitis in men can occur at the age of 21-50. The young man is in danger from the moment he starts leading an active sexual life. Unfortunately, statistics show that only 25% of the male population visits a urologist regularly. And more than 10% of this number is diagnosed with prostatitis of various forms. That’s why it’s so important to get tested twice a year.
Prostatitis can be classified according to different types. Thus, depending on the etiology, the following types of prostatitis are distinguished:
- Infectious;
- stagnant;
- Specifically;
- Not specific;
- Mixed.
Depending on the area of prostate damage, doctors notice follicular, catarrhal, parenchymal, dystrophic, prostate abscess, granulomatous, sclerosis of the prostate. The main types with which doctors begin classification and diagnosis are acute and chronic prostatitis. Failure to treat chronic prostatitis causes prostate adenoma, glandular cancer and organ sclerosis.
Also, the pathogenesis can determine the type of prostatitis:
- Urethrogenic;
- hematogenous;
- calculous;
- canal;
- endocrine;
- Allergic.
Symptoms of acute prostatitis
Acute bacterial prostatitis occurs in the background of bacterial lesions of the prostate with E. coli, enterococci, staphylococci, Klebsiella, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and other types of pathogenic microorganisms. In some cases, acute prostatitis may develop after a prostate biopsy.
The first symptom of this form of prostatitis is an increase in body temperature to 39-40 degrees Celsius. At the same time, different measurements can show completely different temperatures. Thus, by measuring the temperature in the mouth the indicators will be normal. The same thing can happen when measuring in the armpit. But measuring the temperature with the rectal method will show too high indicators.
If the process develops rapidly, high temperature will be indicated in any type of measurement. Other symptoms of prostatitis occur immediately after an increase in body temperature. These are feelings of pain that extend to:
- Lower abdomen, back;
- Scrotal area;
- Groin;
- lower back;
- Anus;
- Pelvic organs.
Also, a characteristic sign of acute bacterial prostatitis is frequent urination. The desire to go to the toilet is much more common at night. In this process, a person necessarily feels pain, cramps, discomfort, burning. Also, inguinal lymph nodes may increase, frequent constipation occurs. Among other symptoms, it is worth noting the signs of intoxication of the body, which manifest itself in the form of general weakness, muscle pain, headache, dizziness and increased fatigue.
It should be noted that in any form of prostatitis, the sexual activity of young people is disturbed. In the acute inflammatory process during ejaculation, blood impurities can be detected in the semen. The same can happen with urination. In such cases, a timely visit to the doctor plays an important role. After all, taking painkillers will not solve the problem, but will only worsen the patient’s situation.
Symptoms of chronic bacterial prostatitis
The chronic form of prostatitis is caused by the same bacteria as its acute type. But the disease becomes a "chronicle" when all the signs of the disease are ignored. Also, this can happen if the first signs of prostatitis are "erased", the disease was almost asymptomatic. After all, not every man with mild weakness, headache, fatigue will run to the urologist. Acute symptoms can pass very quickly and the inflammatory process continues to develop.
The symptoms of this type of disease are the same as in the acute form. But, they appear only in the period of exacerbation. Almost always a man feels discomfort when urinating. The process can be intermittent, slow. Pain during urination occurs at the very beginning and at the end. And the urge to go to the toilet is becoming more common at any time of the day. It is important to know that chronic prostatitis is a recurrent form, and the signs will reappear after a while.
It should be noted that chronic prostatitis is accompanied by a significant reduction in sex life. Scars of prostate tissue during the inflammatory process disrupt the connection of nerve endings with the center of sexual arousal. So, in the beginning, the man starts complaining about premature ejaculation. Then the erection becomes unstable, not stable. It is often not enough to end a complete sexual intercourse. Pleasant sensations of intimacy are also reduced. All this negatively affects the mental state of the patient, libido disappears. Sex life is disappearing.
Among other symptoms, it is important to note the following:
- Discharge from the urethra after defecation, physical exertion;
- Constant aching pain;
- Discoloration of the skin in the perineum;
- Clogging of the canal, leading to fertilization;
- Urine retention.
Signs of congestive prostatitis in men
Congestive type prostatitis is often referred to as chronic nonbacterial inflammation of the prostate. This is an atypical form of the disease. The main signs of this form are pain in places unusual for prostatitis - lumbosacral region, pain in the legs. Due to such atypical localization, the disease is often misdiagnosed. Consequently, the treatment was chosen completely wrong. And inflammation of the prostate continues to develop, gaining momentum.
Pain in congestive prostatitis is always accompanied by the following symptoms:
- Poor erection;
- Pain during erection;
- premature ejaculation;
- Decreased sex drive;
- Lack of orgasm.
Over time, the pain spreads to the testicles, urethra and anus. Urination is also frequent and difficult. Discomfort can be felt in the pubic area, perineum, lower abdomen. At the same time, sharp pain will affect the penis and rectum. There may be some difficulties in the process of defecation.
There is another form of prostatitis, asymptomatic prostatitis. From the name itself it becomes clear that this disease does not manifest itself in any way. This type of prostatitis is detected accidentally, during any other clinical examination. Thus, the analysis of the patient's urine reveals an increased level of leukocytes. It is also possible to diagnose prostatitis in the absence of symptoms during direct prostate surgery.
How to recognize the onset of prostatitis?
Prostatitis is a complex disease. It is accompanied not only by numerous physiological disorders, but also by mental disorders. All the symptoms of the disease bring men into a depressed, depressed state. All this can lead to a complete lack of sex life, prolonged depression. That is why it is so important to carry out a comprehensive treatment of prostatitis.
Only a urologist can make an accurate diagnosis. But you can recognize the first symptoms of prostatitis by self-diagnosis. Just listen to your body, the sensations. You may suspect the disease by the following signs:
- Unpleasant sensations during bowel movements;
- Burning in the perineum (long-term or short-term);
- Frequent desire to go to the toilet;
- Difficulty urinating;
- "Deleted" orgasm;
- Increased fatigue;
- Constant stress;
- Decreased erection.
It is worth noting that these symptoms may not appear all at once. But, at least in the presence of one of them, a consultation with a doctor is necessary. After all, timely treatment of prostatitis always passes quickly and successfully. But the chronic form of prostatitis is practically incurable and leads to serious consequences.
Methods of treating prostatitis
Any treatment always begins with a diagnosis. Very often doctors diagnose acute and chronic forms of the disease only because men do not know the first symptoms of the disease. But the first bells were ringing, but they didn't get the attention they deserved. Even with frequent fatigue, it is better to visit a doctor. According to the results of research, the main cause of this condition can be identified.
Thus, the diagnosis of prostatitis in men can be as follows:
- Ultrasound examination of the prostate;
- Rectal finger diagnostics;
- Examination of the patient;
- Prostate secretion examination;
- Urethral swab;
- Urine analysis;
- Blood test.
To get the secret of the prostate for laboratory research, it is necessary to perform a rectal prostate massage. But in the case of acute prostatitis, this cannot be done. If an acute form is suspected, ultrasound and urine analysis are sufficient to completely confirm or refute this diagnosis.
Prostatitis is usually treated on an outpatient basis. There are two main principles of complex therapy for men: antibacterial treatment to cure the foci of infection and measures to improve and normalize blood flow in the prostate (physiotherapy, massage, gymnastics). When it comes to drug treatment, antibiotics are a prerequisite. Also, the doctor must prescribe anti-inflammatory drugs, painkillers.
In the case of chronic prostatitis, the cause of recurrence is immunodeficiency. Therefore, in such cases, doctors prescribe vitamin preparations in parallel with antibiotics.
The treatment regimen for prostatitis is selected individually for each patient. The same goes for the duration of the course. After completing a full course of antibiotics, it is important to strengthen the immunity. Therefore, a person should take immunomodulatory drugs, multivitamin complexes for some time. Electrophoresis and urethral lavage with a special solution are very effective in treating prostatitis. This way you can completely kill all the bacteria that could cause the disease and save the person from possible relapses.