In medicine, infection is understood as the infection of an organ or tissue with various microorganisms, as well as parasites and some insects. Therefore, infectious prostatitis is an inflammation of the prostate gland caused by bacteria, viruses, or fungi.
The first group of microorganisms becomes the culprit more often. Consider what causes a prostate infection, how it manifests, and how to treat it in men.
Causes of infectious prostatitis
A healthy man has a defense mechanism against various foreign organisms - the immune system. If this mechanism fails or conditions are created where infection is stronger than immunity, prostate tissue becomes infected, leading to inflammation and unpleasant symptoms.
Infectious prostatitis can be caused by:
- Having sex with an infected partner. Even if women do not have obvious symptoms of an STI, but men are infected, men can also be infected. As a rule, urethritis begins first, then the infection along the urinary tract enters the prostate gland and causes prostatitis there.
- The existing focus of the infection in the body. Pathogens can be introduced into the prostate via the bloodstream from other organs in the case of pneumonia, flu, tooth decay, and other illnesses.
- Lifestyle features. Alcohol, nicotine, lack of physical activity weaken the immune system, as a result, bacteria that normally reside on a person's skin and mucous membranes become the culprits of the disease.
- Injured. During sports, fights or accidents, mechanical impact on the perineum can lead to damage to the tissues of the prostate gland and possibly cause a form of infectious disease.
- Hypothermia. Due to the low ambient temperature and subsequent freezing, the immune system may not be able to cope with the bacteria that have entered the body.
Prostate infections can happen with some medical procedures and operations. For example, prostatitis can be triggered by catheterization, which violates all the rules and regulations. In this case, urethritis develops first and only then, as a complication, prostatitis. Alternatively, the disease can be a complication of the biopsy.
Sexually transmitted diseases are the most dangerous for men's health.
Symptoms of the infectious form
Infectious prostatitis always has an acute course, the symptoms appear unexpectedly for the patient, rapidly aggravate and cause serious anxiety. It is impossible to ignore the signs of this disease.
Men go to the doctor with the following complaints:
- Sharp, often painful pain between the anus and the egg. Can "donate" to the genitals, lower back or abdomen.
- Increased body temperature up to 38-39 degrees, fever, chills. The rectal temperature may be increased, and the armpit temperature may be kept within the normal range.
- Frequent urination and the need to urinate, especially at night.
- Pain when urinating, intermittent flow of urine, burning in the urethra.
- Weakness, nausea, loss of appetite, muscle or joint pain.
- Stool disturbances - constipation develops or pain occurs during defecation.
- Decreased libido, slow erection, painful ejaculation.
If men do not rush to go to the doctor but suffer from pain or self-treat with antibiotics and folk remedies, the pain and urinary disorders can go away after a certain time. The illusion of recovery arose. In fact, the inflammation has not gone away, and acute prostatitis has developed into a chronic one. This means that sometimes men will have flare-ups, and there is also a risk of developing infertility.
Infectious prostatitis can lead to blood poisoning and death of the patient, so there is no time to waste trying to deal with the pathology on your own.
Modern diagnostic methods
The clinical picture is so clear that a doctor can make an accurate diagnosis based on the symptoms listed above. In addition to typical complaints, the medical history received at the front desk is also taken into account - therefore it is important to contact the medical facility promptly.
In order to choose the correct treatment tactics, it is important to understand more precisely what is happening in the body and what the causative agent is. Therefore, a certain amount of examination is required for this case.
During your appointment, your doctor will perform the following activities:
- It will measure body temperature rectally and in the armpit (with infectious acute prostatitis, there will be a difference in readings of up to 0. 5 °C).
- Check the condition of the lymph nodes in the pelvic area.
- Palpate the lower abdomen, perineum, and lower back.
Massaging the prostate with this form of the disease is not performed due to pronounced pain. In addition, such a manipulation can stimulate the transmission of the infection from the gland to other organs and systems, potentially with subsequent death. Even if infectious prostatitis is suspected is a contraindication to such procedures.
Laboratory tests of blood, urine, and bacterial cultures are important. With their help, you can determine the type of pathogen and confirm inflammation.
From instrumental methods, TRUS, CT, MRI, urinalysis (to determine urine outflow rate) and others may be used at the discretion of the attending physician. Usually, transrectal ultrasonography combined with laboratory methods and data from the medical history is sufficient. CT or MRI is done if a tumor is suspected or in doubtful cases.
Modern principles of treatment
If the body does not show obvious signs of toxicity, home treatment can be allowed. Otherwise, hospitalization, intravenous antimicrobials, and increased supervision by medical personnel will be required. In either case, a sick man needs bed rest - even light physical activity can stimulate the spread of the infection through the bloodstream.
Treatment of the patient is aimed at achieving two goals: combating the pathogenic microflora and improving the general condition. Overall, movement in this direction is designed to prevent death or the development of complications.
Anti-infection
If during testing it is determined that infectious prostatitis is caused by bacteria (most commonly), the use of antibacterial agents should become the basis of therapy. . If only such treatment is started, then the state of health will improve in 2-3 days. However, for this, the drug must be selected correctly. The duration of medication is also important - it can be up to a month, depending on the specific drug and the extent of prostate damage. Treatment cannot be interrupted.
In addition to the type of pathogen, the doctor must take into account a number of other factors.
- Individual characteristics of the patient, the condition of the heart, liver and kidneys.
- If possible, make a choice in favor of a stronger drug that overshadows such bacteriostatic agents.
- The effect of antibacterial treatment should be bactericidal, that is, to destroy the pathogen, not to stop its growth in the tissues of the prostate gland.
It is for these reasons that infectious prostatitis cannot be treated on its own. Without medical training and without the skills to interpret diagnostic measures, it is almost impossible to choose the right antimicrobial agent. Delays, like mistreatment in this case, can cost lives.
Symptomatic treatment
Pain is so intense in infectious prostatitis that standard analgesics and antispasmodics may become useless. In such exceptional cases, for pain relief, a doctor may prescribe a short-term anesthetic.
Can also be specified:
- Diuretics (if acute urinary retention is not present) to prevent cystitis.
- Laxatives (if constipated) to relieve pressure on the prostate.
- Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.
- Alpha blockers - to normalize the process of urination.
- Muscle relaxants to reduce pelvic floor muscle spasms.
If acute urinary retention has begun during infectious prostatitis, a urinary catheter may be placed in the patient.
If, during treatment, the patient's health is not clearly improved, this is reason to perform additional TRUS to rule out a possible prostate abscess. In suspected cases, a biopsy of prostate tissue may also be performed. If the diagnosis is confirmed, the patient undergoes emergency surgery to open and drain the abscess. Antibiotic therapy will not be canceled in this case.
Risk of infectious prostatitis
If a man consults a doctor in a timely manner and without violating his prescriptions, recovery almost always occurs. In some variations of the development of events, it is possible to turn into a chronic form or to develop chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CPPS).
Other possible consequences:
- pyelonephritis or cystitis;
- blood poisoning;
- the formation of holes.
Infectious prostatitis responds well to treatment if it is started promptly. For this, a man must listen to his state of health. If pain begins in the perineal area along with a simultaneous rise in body temperature in the anus and difficulty urinating, you should see your doctor immediately. Using folk remedies and following the advice of a friend or wife can end in disaster.