We have selected 22 basic questions about prostatitis and its treatment. All answers are written by our leading gynecologist and male doctor. We hope that this article will be helpful to you and give you the answers you need to your questions.
Symptoms of prostatitis: pain, burning, discharge, stinging, bowel incontinence
Symptoms of prostatitis usually fall into three categories:
- violation of urination: difficulty, frequent, nocturia.
- Pain symptoms: pain in the perineum, lower abdomen, groin. Pain may radiate to the scrotum or sacrum.
- mixed form, including urinary disturbances and pain.
What causes prostatitis?
With bacterial prostatitis
Infection that enters the prostate gland from nearby organs:
- urethra;
- Bladder
- via blood and lymphatic vessels from a remote foci of inflammation (tonsillitis, sinusitis, caries).
The most common bacteria detected in prostatitis are: Escherichia coli, Klebsiella, Proteus, Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus.
The role of sexually transmitted infections is discussed: chlamydia, mycoplasma, Trichomonas.
The activity and, therefore, the manifestation of the inflammatory process depends on the characteristics of the microflora, on the condition of the pelvic organs, their blood circulation, comorbidities and other causative factors.
With non-bacterial prostatitis
Stagnation plays an important role. Violation of blood flow causes edema, secretion of prostate tissue and creates conditions for the development of inflammatory processes unrelated to bacterial agents.
STDs and Prostatitis
The question of the involvement of sexually transmitted infections in the development of prostatitis is widely discussed in medical science. There is no consensus on this issue.
We consider ourselves to be proponents of a direct link between infection and the onset and progression of prostatitis.
Why is prostatitis dangerous?
Prostatitis is not life-threatening, the process becomes chronic and reduces quality of life.
Initiation of prostatitis. How to determine? First sign
The first sign of prostatitis is a change in the nature of urination: difficulty urinating, frequent urination, frequent urination, especially at night. Discomfort while urinating and pain of varying intensity in the groin area.
Age of prostatitis? Is this a disease of the young and/or the elderly?
Prostatitis is an inflammatory disease that can affect people of all ages. But adenoma or prostatic hyperplasia is an age-related disease in men after the age of 50 and is associated with the development of a benign prostatic tumor.
Chronic prostatitis. Is there a cure?
The presence of a diagnosis of chronic prostatitis means the presence of changes in the structure of the tissues of the gland, they persist for life. Like any chronic disease, prostatitis progresses with alternating periods of exacerbation and remission - periods in which the patient is not worried about anything. With proper treatment and lifestyle, the remission period can be very long and the complaints never bother the patient again.
Bacterial and other prostatitis
There are different classifications, the most commonly used one developed by the American Institutes of Health in 1995:
- Type I.Acute prostatitis.
- Category II.Chronic bacterial prostatitis.
- Type III.Nonbacterial prostatitis / Chronic pelvic pain syndrome - no obvious signs of infection and lasts 3 months or more.
- Sub-Category III A.Chronic inflammatory pelvic pain syndrome (leukocytes in the prostate gland excrete and excrete pathogens).
- Subcategory III B.Non-inflammatory chronic pelvic pain syndrome (absence of white blood cells in the prostate gland).
- Category IV.Asymptomatic prostatitis (with leukocytes in the bile of the prostate, but no complaints).
For ease of understanding, the classification can be presented in three forms:
Acute prostatitis- Progressive with severe pain, fever, urinary disorders. The secret of the prostate gland is a large number of white blood cells, which indicates a clear inflammatory process. It occurs, as a rule, for the first time in a given patient. If these symptoms occur in a patient with chronic prostatitis, they are referred to as an exacerbation of chronic prostatitis.
Chronic bacterial prostatitis- Symptoms that often bother patients, as a rule, are less obvious than with acute prostatitis. When diagnosing an increase in leukocytes in the bile of the prostate gland, it is possible to identify the causative agent of inflammation.
The biggest problem to diagnose isnon-bacterial prostatitis, akachronic pelvic pain syndrome. . . This is because the complaints are very similar to prostatitis, but involve diseases of other organs and systems, in which signs of inflammation and pathogenic bacteria cannot be detected: muscle spasmspelvic floor, impaired interaction between the muscles of the bladder and its sphincter, anatomical disorders - constriction (narrowing) of the urethra, which leads to inflammation due to increased pressure inside the lobules of the prostate gland.
Who treats prostatitis - a gynecologist or a urologist?
Prostatitis is treated by both urologists and urologists.
A gynecologist is a urologist who specializes in male reproductive and reproductive diseases.
Methods and regimens for the treatment of prostatitis
All treatment regimens for the prostate include drugs that:
- Anti-inflammatory
- Antimicrobial
- biological stimulants
- The drug improves contraction of the prostate and bladder and relaxes the sphincter.
Good results are obtained when drugs and physiotherapy are prescribed simultaneously (massage of the prostate gland, complex for the treatment of prostatitis).
What tests are done for prostatitis?
Because theDiagnosis of prostatitisA consultation with a urologist (gynecologist) is required to collect the patient's complaints, medical history, microscopic prostatectomy, and make an ultrasound diagnosis.
For diagnosis, transrectal ultrasound of the prostate gland (TRUS) and prostatic secretions obtained after prostate massage are used for microscopic examination.
In addition, the method of seeding the secretion of prostate gland on the bacterial flora can be used to determine the sensitivity of the microparticle system to antibiotics.
Surgical and surgical interventions for prostatitis
With prostatitis, operations are practically not used. Except for prostate abscess - a process of formation of pus-filled reservoirs.
Is it possible to cure prostatitis on its own?
When there are severe symptoms, it is better to be treated by a specialist, the time factor plays a huge role in the treatment, because the longer the inflammation lasts, the more internal organs become damaged. many irreversible changes.
But you're better off taking your own precautions, no doctor will do that for you.
Avoiding hypothermia, congestion when sitting for a long time, sexually transmitted diseases, irregular sex - all these are ways to effectively prevent prostatitis.
Prostatitis medications: finalgon, vitaprost, prostamol, ceftriaxone, doxycycline, omnix, and others
Drugs for the treatment of prostatitis are divided into groups according to the mechanism of action:
Antibacterial agent (antibiotic)prescribed only if there is a diagnosis: chronic bacterial prostatitis. The drugs fluoroquinolones, macrolides, and the doxycycline group are the most commonly used.
Alpha blockers:It is prescribed to restore impaired urination, increase bladder contractility, and relax its reactive muscles.
Big groupbiological stimulants and herbal preparations: Candle.
Only an accurate diagnosis can effectively treat, as there is no universal drug for all types of prostatitis. Usually, patients taking medicine to treat prostatitis, if they have completely different diseases but have similar symptoms.
Nuts, roots, parsley, cucumber, honey, bees, leeches and other folk remedies for prostatitis
Traditional healing methods have a right to exist, but you need to understand that it is very difficult to choose a folk method that is right for you. On request, the search engine turned up 70 million results on folk remedies for prostatitis.
No one has studied folk methods for effectiveness. The fact that it helped one patient with such a treatment (and whether it helped) doesn't mean it will help you.
Exacerbation of prostatitis after treatment. Remission, relapse
All chronic inflammatory processes have periods of flare and remission, during which the patient does not have to worry about anything. The duration of remission can vary and depends on many factors, including whether the patient is receiving prophylactic treatment. As a rule, patients who undergo routine prophylactic treatment without waiting for deterioration in their health are rarer than exacerbations.
Prostate massage at home. Is massage always necessary for prostatitis?
Prostate massage can also be done at home if you are married to a urology nurse. Any medical manipulation has its own subtleties and nuances. Only a doctor can determine an indication for this procedure, so for some diseases: prostatic hyperplasia (in case of acute urinary retention), prostatic massage is undesirable and inIn case of tumor, it is contraindicated.
Alcohol and prostatitis
Alcohol itself does not cause the development of prostatitis, but is a factor that increases the blockage and swelling of the prostate gland and, therefore, contributes to its development.
Sex life and prostatitis
There is a direct link between the intensity of sexual activity and prostate disease. When abstinence lasts for a long time, the prostate gland will stagnate, worsening metabolism and disrupting blood microcirculation, contributing to the development of inflammatory processes. Regularity is more important for prostate health than sex intensity. Having too much sex, especially with different partners and unprotected to avoid infection, is the fastest way to prostatitis.
Does prostatitis affect women?
Of course, there are effects on the health of a woman with prostatitis in her partner. The prostate gland together with the seminal vesicles make a liquid component of sperm, during intercourse, the sperm will enter the sexual tract of your partner. The main danger may be the presence of a sexually transmitted infection or bacterial prostatitis, which can cause inflammatory diseases in women.
Pregnancy and prostatitis
Because the prostate gland produces a fluid containing nutrients that nourish sperm, prostatitis often causes reduced sperm quality, making it difficult to get pregnant.
Prevent. What to do to avoid prostatitis?
Prevention is directly related to the patient's climate and occupation.
Prostatitis prevention is about avoiding and minimizing the factors that contribute to the development of prostatitis. Hypothermia should be avoided, alternating sedentary work with periods of physical activity. A regular sex life is important for prostatitis.