The problem of chronic prostatitis affects not only older men, but also young people who are just starting to have sex. Inflammation of the prostate can manifest itself in the first few months as mild burning and itching, which the patient does not care about. But when inflammation becomes part of everyday life, it is no longer possible to ignore it. Exhausting pain, fatigue and a decline in sexual activity are chronic companions of prostatitis.
What is chronic prostatitis?
Prostatitis is one of the most common diseases of the genitourinary system in middle-aged and older men. Treatment for chronic prostatitis is to relieve symptoms and achieve 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 a secretion that keeps sperm alive and creates an environment in which they can survive until ejaculation. In chronic prostatitis, this function is impaired in an average of 70% of cases, which is why the sperm largely become sluggish and unviable. The chances of successful fertilization decrease significantly, even if there are no other significant problems with 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. Irritation of the prostate is caused by a third factor - pathogenic bacteria. Such prostatitis can disappear 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 bacterial colonies and the disease recedes. But the next time the immune system fails, chronic prostatitis returns and you need to undergo 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: bacteria develop their activity against the background of weakened immunity and are defeated. The result is that the body's resources are exhausted, which is why inflammation occurs again in the future without the involvement of bacteria. Nonbacterial chronic prostatitis is characterized by long phases with short, barely noticeable remission. A man with abacterial prostatitis may be convinced that the disease is constantly getting worse. The burning sensation is stronger than with bacterial forms - because the disease does not allow relaxation or a break from pain. The treatment is carried out using minimally invasive means. Advanced chronic prostatitis of a nonbacterial nature is treated in the surgeon's office.
- Chronic asymptomatic (asymptomatic) prostatitis.This form of prostatitis does not cause suffering in men, but is dangerous as a hidden threat. Asymptomatic prostatitis occurs without any pronounced symptoms. Burning in the prostate, itching, release of moisture and other signs of inflammation do not occur. At the same time, the inflammatory process impairs reproductive function, which is why a man may consider himself infertile. Chronic asymptomatic prostatitis can only be detected using laboratory diagnostics. The tests will show increased bacterial activity, which is associated with the development of prostatitis in men. Combined with the release of white blood cells during urination, this allows for a diagnosis. Please note: A preventive examination by a urologist once a year may not be enough. Even asymptomatic chronic prostatitis has periods of activity and can therefore be difficult to diagnose.
- Chronic granulomatous prostatitis.The rarest form of the disease occurs as a side effect of drug treatment for other diseases or long-term radiation. The inflammatory process in this case is only a secondary symptom. Painful sensations are associated with the gradual destruction of prostate tissue, which is replaced by connective tissue. The breakdown of the organ leads to a weakening of the function of the prostate and even to a complete standstill. If left untreated, the process becomes irreversible.
Although chronic prostatitis differs qualitatively from the acute form of the disease, if complications arise, it can go into an acute phase, which is dangerous for the reproductive system. Sharp pain with burning in the prostate, high temperature and reduced immunity are signs that treatment of chronic prostatitis needs to be postponed. Call an ambulance or go to the hospital. First you need to stop the acute inflammatory process.
causes
The trigger for the development of chronic prostatitis is usually a combination of various factors, including the condition of the body, the environment and heredity. If acute prostatitis can be prevented, developing chronic prostatitis is not so easy. Men who are naturally susceptible to prostate diseases experience an exacerbation of the disease in situations that do not occur in men with more favorable genetic makeup.
If you want to reduce the risk of chronic prostatitis, pay more attention to your health. Prostatitis is a disease that occurs against the background of weakness in the body. The most common causes of chronic prostatitis include:
- Sexual infections.They have a direct effect on the prostate or weaken the immune system so much that even the slightest irritation triggers an inflammatory process. Infections are transmitted sexually through unprotected contact. Carriers may not know they are infected: some infections occur only in men, although they are transmitted by women, and vice versa. The best preventative measure is hygienic contraceptives. Urologists also recommend using condoms during non-penetrative sexual intercourse - for example during prostate stimulation.
- Passive lifestyle.Lack of physical activity leads to chronic circulatory problems not only in the prostate but in the entire pelvic area. If you have to spend most of the day at a desk, don't forget to get up and stretch at least every 1-2 hours. Light exercise, a walk around the office or stretching exercises will restore normal blood circulation. On the weekend, you can balance out the workload of the working week with long walks or sporting activities.
- Incomplete sexual intercourse, artificial prolongation of arousal or prolonged abstinence.The male reproductive system requires regular discharge. In this way, the sperm are renewed and all organs are constantly ready for the reproductive process. What happens if a man regularly delays or forbids orgasm? The body accumulates more sperm and byproducts than it needs. The prostate also suffers: it produces unnecessary secretions that cannot be directed anywhere. If the situation repeats itself constantly, the result can be chronic prostatitis.
- Regular hypothermia.It is believed that it is beneficial for men to freeze thoroughly - it strengthens the body. In fact, a man overloads his immune system when he becomes hypothermic while walking, riding a motorcycle, or skiing. The body has a harder time dealing with bacterial activity and the prostate's susceptibility increases many times over. Under such conditions, one can easily become a carrier of bacterial prostatitis, which then turns into a nonbacterial or asymptomatic form.
- Chronic lack of sleep, depression, stress.Psychological factors combined with fatigue weaken the immune system and make the body susceptible to a range of chronic diseases. A man who does not get enough rest at night or is stressed after work is two to three times more likely to develop prostatitis than a man who sleeps 8 to 10 hours a day and has a good rest with his family. At the first manifestations of the disease, it is important not to blame yourself and not to give in to dark thoughts: they will only worsen the condition. Go to the doctor immediately - and you will get rid of, if not the disease itself, then at least the unpleasant symptoms.
- Disturbances in hormonal activity.In chronic prostatitis, the functions of the prostate are impaired. Hormones are responsible for regulating the prostate and coordinating secretion with the function of the reproductive system. Even a slight hormonal imbalance can cause inflammation. In this case, the treatment of chronic prostatitis must be supplemented with hormone therapy.
- Neglect of personal hygiene rules.Be careful: once is enough for bacteria to settle on the tissue. You may not notice the consequences of years of non-observance of the rules of personal hygiene, while the immune system protects the body from the invasion of bacteria. But one exacerbation against the background of a seasonal disease is enough for the problem of chronic prostatitis to invade a man's life for many months.
The development of chronic prostatitis is often accompanied by a weakened immune system, poor nutrition and a lack of vitamins and minerals in the body. A man who leads a healthy lifestyle, even with a high genetic predisposition, is less at risk of developing chronic prostatitis.
How to treat chronic prostatitis in men and what to do?
If you suspect the development of chronic prostatitis, you need to arrange a comprehensive examination with a urologist. In some cases, the doctor makes a diagnosis at the first visit based on the type of disease and the patient's indications. If prostatitis has not previously manifested itself, the urologist will prescribe diagnostic procedures: ultrasound examination of the prostate, urodynamic examination. Laboratory tests include analysis of urine, ejaculate, urethral swab and prostate secretion.
After clarifying the diagnosis, the doctor will formulate a course of treatment. There is no single correct method for treating chronic prostatitis. The selection of methods depends on the type of chronic prostatitis, the medical history and the personal characteristics of the course of the disease.
Medication
In most cases prescribed for home treatment; If prostatitis is accompanied by acute exacerbations, the man may be hospitalized. For bacterial forms of prostatitis, antibiotics are selected according to the group of bacteria identified in the laboratory test. Penicillins and fluoroquinolones remain the most popular antibacterial drugs in the treatment of chronic prostatitis of a bacterial nature.
For any form of chronic prostatitis, medications from the alpha-blocker group are prescribed. They relieve swelling and eliminate the feeling of pressure and unpleasant itching that cause prostatitis. These drugs also have a strong analgesic effect: the man no longer suffers from pain and burning, physical activity and night rest are normalized. Prostatitis occurs without pain or physical fatigue.
When chronic prostatitis turns into an acute form, effective non-steroidal drugs are prescribed. They act directly on the inflammatory process and relieve symptoms, but do not treat the root cause of the disease.
Surgical methods
In recent years, doctors have increasingly rarely admitted men with signs of chronic prostatitis to surgery. The reason is the mixed effect of surgical interventions and a long recovery period. The prostatitis stops, but the patient suffers side effects, including impotence. At the same time, there are forms of chronic prostatitis in which surgical intervention is essential.
Resection of the prostate using the transurethral method (TUR) involves the partial or complete removal of prostate tissue to relieve the strain on the urinary system. With partial resection, the prostate retains all functions, while the inflammatory process disappears irreversibly and prostatitis does not recur. The operation is carried out without opening, regardless of the extent of the inflammation. The resectoscope is aimed at the inflamed organ without affecting other pelvic organs.
Adenomectomy is the "open" removal of a gland in cases of prostatitis, also known as a prostatectomy. An advanced inflammatory process leads to the fact that it becomes impossible to access the inflamed gland without opening it. In this casethe prostate is completely removed using conventional surgical instruments. This is an extreme measure that is prescribed only when other methods of treatment are not possible and there is a danger to the body. After a long period of rehabilitation, the man returns to a normal lifestyle with unrestricted physical activityActivity returns. An adenomectomy always ends in complete impotence. Prostatitis never recurs.
Minimally invasive treatment methods
In modern medicine, there are many ways to treat prostatitis in chronic forms that do not require surgical intervention. New techniques have proven to be more effective than traditional operations and are therefore being used everywhere. Official medicine recognizes the following treatment methods:
- Exposure to ultrasonic waves.Prostatitis only affects the prostate, so UV treatment focuses radiation on this organ. Regular procedures relieve symptoms, relieve swelling and pain. The procedure is painless, does not cause irritation and is harmless to the urogenital system.
- Thermal treatment.Prostatitis and its manifestations can be reduced to "no" using microwave thermotherapy. In this case, high temperatures are applied directly to the prostate, causing it to shrink. The method is not used if prostatitis has entered the acute phase: in this case it is aggravatedthe warming the condition.
- Cryodestruction.Painless partial removal of inflamed gland tissue using liquid nitrogen with minimal recovery time. Chronic prostatitis completely disappears if antibacterial treatment is carried out in parallel with strengthening the immune system. Reproductive function is not affected, the likelihood of prostatitis recurring is minimal.
- Induction therapy.Complex treatment with lasers and a magnetic field normalizes blood circulation, triggers regeneration processes and relieves pain caused by inflammation. The technique for prostatitis has an auxiliary effect: induction therapy enhances the effect of drugs by one and a half to two times, but without drugs it gives a short-term result.
- Laser processing.If chronic prostatitis is accompanied by long periods of exacerbation, laser therapy is prescribed. The laser evaporates excess moisture, stopping the growing area of tissue damage from prostatitis. The treatment has a stimulating effect: the body's cells are activated, the natural defenses are awakened and tissue regeneration occurs.
One of the new methods is mechanical expansion of the urethral walls. This method does not treat chronic prostatitis, but contributes to the almost complete disappearance of its symptoms. Reducing the contact area promotes faster healing and prevents the lesion from spreading. To increase the space between the walls of the urethra, a catheter with an inflating balloon (balloon dilation) or a cylindrical polymer frame (stent) is inserted. Methods can be combined to achieve the desired result. The technique is not used if prostatitis has reached the acute stage.
How to treat
If you suspect prostatitis, you should first consult a doctor. Only on the basis of examinations can a urologist 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.
Once diagnosed, follow your doctor's recommendations and have regular checkups with a urologist. Prostatitis can be treated with care and patience: do not neglect hygiene measures in the acute phases of the disease, take medication by the hour, and the disease will recede.
If prostatitis causes severe distress, ask your doctor for a referral for prostate massage or recommend a private clinic that offers this service. A massage enhances the effect of the treatment. After the first session, you will notice that prostatitis is less noticeable: massage movements relax the pelvic organs, bring relief and trigger natural tissue regeneration processes. The chronic nature of prostatitis will decrease significantly: signs of inflammation will bother you less often.
Men suffering from prostatitis should avoid traditional medicine throughout the entire period of treatment. Decoctions, compresses, compresses 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-prescribing medications. Prostatitis is treated with drugs selected after comprehensive laboratory tests. Any remedy will not have the desired effect, even if it has helped hundreds of thousands of men with prostatitis - simply because your situation is different. Dosage, duration and even methods of taking medications for chronic prostatitis are selected individually. If you are offered to buy a drug that can treat prostatitis in any form, regardless of the cause, you should know: this is a fake. Follow your doctor's recommendations and stay healthy!