Signs of prostatitis in men and its types

One of the most common diseases in men is prostatitis, 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, and 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 over a long period of time. The disease is most often diagnosed in later stages or during a seasonal exacerbation. How to recognize 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 under the urethra.The importance of this organ can hardly be overestimated, as it is responsible for normal urination and male strength. The shape and size of the prostate resembles a walnut; As you age, the gland can increase in size.

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 lumen of the urethra.

The likelihood of developing the disease increases with age. According to statistics, most patients suffering from prostate inflammation are men of retirement age.

However, in recent years, the disease has been diagnosed in men whose age does not exceed 30 years. Overall, 30% of the male population suffers from prostatitis of one type or another.

In order to avoid the unpleasant consequences of the disease, it is important for a man to pay attention to his well-being and not to ignore the appearance of alarming signals that indicate the presence of an illness.

The best treatment for prostatitis is as early as possible. Therefore, it is important to be aware of the characteristic symptoms of the disease. What symptoms can be used to determine the presence of health problems in men?

Causes of the development of prostatitis

What is prostatitis in men? The prostate is a fairly vulnerable organ; numerous negative aspects can cause inflammation of the gland. If we talk about the reasons for its occurrence, there are two types of diseases:bacterialAndviral.

Bacterial prostatitis, caused by pathogenic bacteria invading the prostate tissue. Microorganisms most often enter the body together with urine residues or via the circulatory system. The pathology appears unexpectedly and progresses rapidly, the body temperature rises and the man feels severe pain in the groin area.

If the patient ignores these symptoms, the outcome can be very unfavorable and even fatal. In chronic bacterial prostatitis, the symptoms are manifested by 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 viruses, rubella, cytomegaloviruses and papilloma viruses. This type of illness is rare and is characterized by fever, joint pain, or severe rashes.

Various factors can trigger the development of the disease:

1. complications of previous illnesses;
2. hypothermia of the pelvic organs;
3. The presence of a chronic infection in the partner;
4. Urethral reflux - when the prostate does not prevent the backflow of urine, a bacterial infection penetrates the surface of the gland and inflammation begins;
5. Inconsistent intimate life. Long-term abstinence and excessive sexual activity have equally negative effects;
6. Blood stasis in the genitourinary system – can occur against the background of hemorrhoids or other diseases;
7. Hormonal imbalance. If the gland does not produce enough male hormones, muscle tone gradually weakens and erectile dysfunction occurs;
8. Weakened immunity;
9. Regular stress and lack of sleep;
10. The practice of coitus interruptus, the conscious 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 alarming signal from the body. The visit to the urologist is postponed until later; at best, treatment is limited to taking tablets recommended by a friend or colleague. With this approach, the inflammation progresses to the chronic stage.

The pain 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 area and regular exacerbations of prostatitis begin.

It is becoming increasingly difficult to choose an effective drug for prostatitis in men; treatment at this stage will cost much more and 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 have discomfort in the groin area, you should 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 will help avoid unpleasant consequences and complications.

Types of prostatitis

Modern medicine has successfully identified many indisputable signs of inflammation of the prostate in men. The choice of treatment strategy depends on the type of disease.

Doctors distinguish two main types of the disease:

1. Acute prostatitis.This type of disease is quite easy to diagnose, since the inflammatory process manifests itself very clearly and is quite pronounced. The cause of inflammation is the presence of pathogenic flora. The disease can be treated quite successfully with appropriate antibiotics;
2. Chronic prostatitis.If acute inflammation of the gland has not been cured or therapy has not been carried out at all, the disease takes a chronic course. The pronounced symptoms of chronic prostatitis in men become less and even these can be noticed only during an exacerbation (most often this happens in spring or autumn).

Chronic prostatitis is often preceded by excruciating pain, but more often the disease progresses without any visible symptoms; This course of inflammation is observed in people with sedentary jobs (office workers, drivers).

The cause of inflammation is poor blood circulation in the genitourinary system, which occurs with a lack of physical activity and prolonged sexual abstinence.Everyone should know which symptoms of chronic prostatitis occur most often in men, since the success of treatment depends on this.

If there are signs of bacterial prostatitis, which are manifested by general intoxication of the body, treatment is based on the use of antibiotics. If inflammation is caused by stagnation of blood and lymph, the main focus is on adjusting lifestyle and eliminating concomitant diseases.

Classification of prostatitis symptoms

How does the disease manifest itself? Typically, all unpleasant symptoms indicating the presence of prostate dysfunction are divided into three main groups:

1. All kinds of deviations from the norm are observed in the urinary system;
2. difficulties in the intimate area;
3. Severe signs of depression caused by a decrease in the amount of male hormones and sexual impotence.

All of these symptoms can occur in the very first stages of inflammation of the gland. Over time, the symptoms become more severe and more serious illnesses may occur in the future.

First signs of inflammation

The most common primary sign of prostatitis is periodic aching pain in the lower abdomen. The type and location of unpleasant sensations can be very different. A man periodically feels cutting pain when urinating, but in some cases the pain is felt constantly.

Acute prostatitis appears more clearly; 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, symptoms may disappear completely.

With prostatitis, the pain is usually localized in the groin area. Unpleasant sensations arise not only in the perineum - both the lower back and the lower abdomen can hurt. When urinating and ejaculating, a man feels discomfort in the scrotum, penis and testicles.

Difficulty urinating

One of the most alarming symptoms is problems with urination. The following characteristic signs should alert a man:

1. The need to urinate too often;
2. Discomfort caused by insufficient emptying of the bladder;
3. Unrealistic urge to urinate;
4. The stream during urination has low pressure and is often interrupted.

In the advanced stages of the disease, prolonged urinary retention is often observed. This symptom indicates active inflammation of the prostate, and there may also be severe swelling of the tissue.

Urine simply doesn't pass through the urethra. Traces of inflammation can often be seen in the urine. Pathological impurities take the form of mucous threads and are most often seen in 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 a timely manner, in most cases prostate adenoma develops (increase in gland tissue and formation of nodules and tumors in it).

Urinary incontinence coupled with pain are the first signs of prostatitis. If they appear, you cannot postpone a visit to the urologist. The doctor prescribes several tests (for example, a general PSA blood test for prostatitis).

Intimate problems

Perhaps the most unpleasant symptom of prostatitis for men is sexual dysfunction. This manifestation of the disease usually occurs at the stage of actively progressive inflammation. Most often, sexual dysfunction is an expression of old inflammation.

The most common symptoms are as follows:

1. Flaccid erection. Habitual copulation with a woman becomes impossible. The arousal is short-term, sexual intercourse does not end with ejaculation;
2. Ejaculation too fast. An erection is fine, but ejaculation occurs one to two minutes (or sooner) after inserting the penis into the vagina;
3. The sensitivity becomes dull, sensations during sexual intercourse become less pronounced;
4. Change in the smell and color of sperm. Inflammation can manifest itself through an unpleasant, pungent smell of semen; yellow or brown pus spots are often visible;
5. Psychological problems arise. Disturbances in bed have a negative impact on the nervous system, sleep is disrupted and well-being worsens.

Because a depressed mental state causes stress, patients often experience bouts of gratuitous aggression and often have a tendency to resort to physical violence. What to do when anger and stress constantly remind you of yourself?

In such situations, drug treatment of prostatitis should be carried out simultaneously with observation by a psychologist. For greater effectiveness, a patient with such signs of prostatitis can be prescribed drugs from the group of antidepressants.

Sometimes the help of a psychologist is required even after completing prostatitis treatment. Often, sluggish chronic prostatitis does not manifest itself at all, but becomes the cause of infertility. This form of the disease can only be detected during an examination in connection with the impossibility of childbirth.

The old inflammatory process is not noticeable externally, but rather irreversibly changes the composition and structure of the seminal fluid. The number of viable active sperm decreases and their motility becomes insignificant.

General symptoms

Regardless of the form of the disease present, prostatitis can be diagnosed based on a number of general 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 to miss them.

The list of the most common symptoms is as follows:

1. Rising body temperature. The more actively the inflammation spreads, the higher the temperature. This symptom becomes particularly clear in acute bacterial prostatitis - the thermometer can show values of 39-40 degrees. This symptom is usually accompanied by pain in the groin;
2. Painful headaches, constant weakness and apathy;
3. Pain in the muscles of the whole body or in the lower back;
4. Chills accompany an increase in temperature.

An increase in temperature in itself can indicate inflammation of any kind. Sometimes (for example, in sluggish chronic prostatitis) a temperature of 37-38 degrees is observed for a long period of time. The true cause can only be determined through a complete examination of the body.

Symptoms characteristic of different stages of the disease

Each stage of prostate inflammation is characterized by a number of symptoms. By carefully monitoring the body, a man can notice warning signals from the body in a timely manner and start treating prostatitis in a timely manner.

There are three main stages of prostatitis:

1. First stage.At this stage, the inflammation begins to spread throughout the gland tissue. A man regularly feels pain in the perineum, anus and lower back. The urge to urinate becomes more frequent, and the process itself is accompanied by burning and pain in the urethra. At the same time, sexual desire decreases and unpleasant sensations accompany ejaculation and secretion.
2. Second floor.If the above symptoms are left unattended, the disease begins to progress. The size of the inflammation and the associated swelling decreases; instead, scarring and damage to the blood vessels occur. Painful sensations when going to the toilet become more noticeable, a man feels more and more discomfort and failures in the intimate area become more and more common. At this moment, the development of concomitant diseases is observed - radiculitis, vegetative-vascular dystonia, heart problems.
3. The third stage of prostatitis is considered chronic.At this stage, the gland is covered with scars and degeneration of the gland tissue into muscle tissue occurs. When examining such patients, necrosis (tissue death) may be detected. As the glandular tissue enlarges, the urethra is compressed and complete emptying of the bladder becomes impossible. Changes can affect more than just the urinary system; Inflammation often spreads to the kidneys and other organs.

How do you treat inflammation? Treating prostatitis is a fairly lengthy process. In addition to drug treatment, patients are prescribed a special diet and massage. Gymnastics is also useful for prostatitis; an exercise complex for this is prepared by a doctor.

Any stage and form of prostatitis puts a man at risk of serious complications. Prevention of chronic prostatitis is of great importance; Medicines to maintain men's health are prescribed by the doctor after the examination.

Inflammation can spread to nearby organs and lead to infertility and even the development of cancer. Careful attention to one's health, adequate prevention of prostatitis and timely visits to the urologist will help prevent the development of the disease.