Signs of prostatitis in men: symptoms, description and treatment

26 October 2023

Today, prostatitis plays a leading role in the group of male diseases that are mainly sexually transmitted. Its complications threaten infertility, reduced libido and impotence.

The symptoms of prostatitis are not only pain, urination disorders and inflammation of the sperm cell. The most dangerous consequence of advanced inflammation can be the cancerous degeneration of prostate cancer. While the pathological process diagnosed in time can be easily stopped.

Signs of the disease

If a man notices at least two of the following symptoms of prostatitis, he should immediately consult a qualified professional:

Dysuria with an intermittent, weak stream of urine that is unusually short, causing splashing, difficulty, and pain before urination. The frequent urge to empty the bladder occurs mainly at night.
The pain, which is localized in the lower abdomen, radiates to the scrotum, perineum and rectum.
Sexual dysfunction.
Ejaculation problems, changes in sperm (consistency, quantity).

Acute prostatitis

The disease begins with a sharp increase in temperature (up to 40 degrees), painful headache and fever. The symptoms that appear are accompanied by groin, perineal, back pain, urethral discharge, frequent urination and a constant urge to urinate.

Bladder emptying is delayed and with a burning sensation. The urine itself becomes cloudy and may contain blood. Irritability and fatigue occur.

The result of acute prostatitis can be a complete resolution of the process (if the treatment is started in time). Since changes occur in many pelvic organs, they cannot be left to chance, otherwise the corresponding complications will occur:

Vesiculitis is an inflammation of the seminal vesicles, the cause of the appearance of pus in the sperm, which not only deteriorates the quality of the ejaculate, but also leads to the loss of reproductive functions.
Colliculitis - inflammatory changes in the testes are the cause of severe pain during sex, interruption of orgasm and psychological impotence.
An abscess forming in the body of the prostate, its rupture, and purulent damage to the rectum lead to aggravation of symptoms, serious poisoning of the body, or even death.
Stagnation of the tissues of the prostate leads to changes in its structure, disruption of innervation and blood supply, both in the gland and in nearby organs, disrupting their functioning. The erection becomes insufficient for full sexual intercourse, premature ejaculation and prolonged sexual intercourse without orgasm are observed.
Cicatricial changes in the gland and spermatic cord lead to infertility, decreased sperm quality and sperm motility. The narrowing of the urethra disrupts the normal urination process; bladder obstruction can cause acute urinary retention, requiring urgent surgical care.

Chronic prostatitis

The main characteristic of the disease is the obscurity of clinical symptoms with a long, persistent course of the process. More often, the chronic form occurs independently, as the primary pathology is the stagnation of blood in the vessels (prostatosis), against the background of abacterial prostatitis.

The main symptoms of chronic prostatitis are:

fever;
pain occurs in the scrotum, perineum, anus, back;
urination disorder;
mucous or mucous-purulent discharge from the rectum, urethra, even in the absence of urination or defecation;
erectile dysfunction, painful ejaculation, interrupted sexual intercourse, prolonged intercourse without a feeling of satisfaction.

Inactivity and inadequate treatment of chronic prostatitis can cause complications:

Infertility is the result of chronic inflammation of the bladder, bladder, testicles and their appendages.
Cystitis, pyelonephritis (other diseases of the urinary system) are the result of hematogenous and mechanical spread of microbes.
Blood poisoning.
Permanent decrease in immunity.
Untreated prostatitis can cause cancer in 35-40% of cases.

Diagnostics

The clinical picture of the disease is typical, so the diagnosis is not difficult. Based on the medical history, examination of the patient, laboratory minimum, the urologist performs the following with the most modern medical devices:

Rectal examination of the gland, collection of secretions for examination (culture with determination of antibiotic sensitivity).
UAC, UAM, urine bacterial culture.
Smear test for STDs, UGI test.
Daily control of urination rhythm, measurement of urination frequency (uroflowmetry).
Ultrasound or TRUS is performed for differential diagnosis.
If it is necessary to rule out oncology, a biopsy is taken, urography is performed, and PSA - prostate specific antigen - is determined.
To diagnose infertility, a spermogram is prescribed - an analysis of the ejaculate to determine male fertility.

Based on the results of the patient's examination, an individual scheme is prepared for the complex treatment of prostatitis. When prescribing drugs, the form of the pathology and the presence of concomitant diseases are taken into account. The doctor decides where the therapy will be performed (inpatient or outpatient). The treatment process is carried out with careful laboratory control of the results.

Treatment of acute prostatitis

Acute prostatitis requires bed rest, a special salt-free diet and sexual rest.

Course management methods:

The most effective treatment for prostatitis is etiotropic therapy. If the prostatitis is based on an infection, the priority is a course of antimicrobial agents, which relieves the manifestations of the inflammation.
The pain syndrome is alleviated with painkillers, antispasmodics, rectal suppositories, and microenjections with warm solutions of painkillers. NSAIDs can be used.
The combination of immunostimulants, immunomodulators, enzymes, vitamin complexes and microelements has proven its effectiveness.
Physiotherapy methods are possible only in the subacute stage of the disease. They improve microcirculation and increase immunity: UHF, microwave oven, electrophoresis, laser, magnetic therapy.
Massage is another effective way to influence the prostate. It opens the channels, normalizes blood circulation in the scrotum and pelvis.
Acute renal filtrate retention can be corrected by catheterization and trocar cystostomy.
The purulent process means surgical intervention.
Psychologist consultations.

Treatment of chronic prostatitis

In addition to the long-term (at least one month) effect on the prostate, there is no 100% cure guarantee. Priority is given to herbal medicines, immune correction, changing household habits:

Herbal preparations are widely used in urological practice. They are able to accumulate at the site of the most active pathological process, protect cells from oxidation, remove free radicals, and prevent the proliferation of glandular tissue.
Antibacterial therapy is selected individually, based on the sensitivity of microbes to drugs.
Medicines that enhance immunity not only help in the treatment of prostatitis, but also correct the negative effects of antibiotics, which interfere with the functioning of the immune system.
The pain syndrome can be alleviated by administering alpha-blockers and muscle relaxants.
Prostate massage enables the mechanical removal of "extra" secretions from the gland through the urethra, improves blood circulation and minimizes congestion.
Physiotherapy: laser, magnet, ultrasound, iontophoresis, warm sitz bath or microenema with herbs.
In severe cases, intravenous fluids with diuretics are recommended. This stimulates abundant urine production, prevents the symptoms of poisoning, the development of ascending cystitis and pyelonephritis.
In case of constipation, herbal laxatives are used.
Together with the patient, the urologist and the psychologist work out an individual long-term program of the daily routine, the necessary rest, diet, dosed physical activity and sexual activity.
If the chronic process is resistant to therapy and the outflow of urine is blocked, surgical intervention is prescribed: removal of all affected tissues (transurethral resection of the prostate) or complete removal of the gland with surrounding tissues (prostatectomy). In exceptional cases, it is common, full of impotence and urinary incontinence. Young people are not operated on because it can cause infertility.

Symptoms and treatment of chronic prostatitis

Many men suffer from chronic prostatitis, but they attribute the symptoms to other diseases or waste time on ineffective treatment. From our article, you can learn comprehensive information about this male problem: causes, exact symptoms and diagnostic methods, various treatment methods.

Despite all the successes of modern medicine, diagnosing a disease such as chronic prostatitis causes certain difficulties. This also negatively affects the effectiveness of your treatment.

Causes of chronic prostatitis

The causes of chronic prostatitis vary widely. Among the many negative factors that affect human health, it is difficult to highlight exactly those that provoked the development of the disease. It is often a combination of situations and circumstances that accompany a man's life.

The main causes of chronic abacterial prostatitis are:

rhythm disorder (irregularity) of sexual intercourse;
physical inactivity characteristic of overweight people;
long-term stressful conditions;
predominance of fat-rich foods in the diet;
has a negative effect on the body in hazardous industries.

Chronic bacterial prostatitis is the result of incompletely healed bacterial prostatitis. Or the man ignored the diseases and did not seek help from a urologist. Therefore, no treatment was performed.

Abacterial-type chronic prostatitis develops due to exposure to infectious agents against the background of reduced immunity. Usually, such patients are diagnosed with diseases of the endocrine system.

The factors that trigger the development of chronic bacterial prostatitis are the following:

surgical operations on the prostate (if antibacterial therapy was not performed before the operation);
refusal to use contraception;
lack of the habit of keeping the body clean.

Symptoms of chronic prostatitis

There are many myths circulating today about chronic prostatitis. For this reason, temporary disorders of sexual function can be attributed to this disease. It is common to hear the opinion that the cause of decreased libido and erectile dysfunction is prostatitis, and if it is an older man, then chronic prostatitis.

This is not true, as there are many other causes of sexual dysfunction, and the main symptom of chronic prostatitis is pain. All other signs are considered simultaneous and indirect.

Chronic prostatitis is often confused with pelvic pain syndrome, as the symptoms of these diseases are largely similar. This is due to the formation of myofacial trigger zones near the prostate, which appear as a result of injuries and surgical interventions. Pain in these areas can be mistaken for a symptom of prostatitis.

When diagnosing the disease, complaints of pain and discomfort in the perineum and pelvis lasting at least 3 months come to the fore. The pain is localized near the prostate, radiating to the sacrum, rectum and scrotum. In case of negative factors (carrying heavy objects, excessive physical activity, staying on the feet for a long time), the pain increases.

The characteristic symptom of the disease is premature ejaculation. Patients experience decreased sexual desire and erectile dysfunction. These symptoms are also typical of other urinary tract diseases. Therefore, it cannot be said that these are characteristics of chronic prostate disease.

An important symptom is the fading of orgasm. If the patient begins to notice that the severity of the sensations during ejaculation has disappeared, this is a reason to pay more attention to his health and indicate the need to visit a urologist.

The structure of the inflamed prostate becomes denser, the pressure on the urethra increases, and the quality of urination deteriorates. Patients with chronic prostatitis experience a frequent urge to urinate at night. The process of urinating is accompanied by burning, stinging and pain. Urinary incontinence is common.

Signs of chronic prostatitis can be fully or partially expressed. Much depends on the patient's state of health and the presence or absence of other diseases. Chronic prostatitis is characterized by a wave-like course, with waxing and diminishing symptoms. With this disease, the inflammatory process is not acute.

Laboratory research methods

If chronic prostatitis is suspected, the first thing to do is to find out whether it is bacterial or abacterial. In the first case, it is necessary to identify the pathogen or pathogens and find out which drugs they are sensitive to. For this, laboratory tests of urine and prostate secretions are carried out.

If, 10 days after DRE, the PSA test shows that the level of prostate-specific antigen exceeds 4. 0 ng/ml, this is a reason to refer the patient for a biopsy to rule out an oncological process.

The following research methods are recommended:

scraping from the urethra;
general and biochemical urinalysis;
LHC culture of prostatic secretion.

Treatment of chronic prostatitis

Treatment of chronic prostatitis requires an integrated approach. Medication alone is not enough. Physiotherapy procedures and therapeutic exercises are necessary. In general, chronic prostatitis is difficult to treat and requires a radical revision of lifestyle, change of habits and, in some cases, change of job. Urologists insist that only one set of measures will help to completely get rid of the disease or ensure long-term remission.

Regardless of whether the disease is bacterial or abacterial, prostate congestion has played a major role in its development. The viscous secretion deposited in the ducts of the gland is a favorable environment for the development of pathogenic and opportunistic microorganisms. Therefore, the main focus should be on eliminating stagnation.

The problem can be solved by changing your lifestyle and adding exercise classes to your daily routine.

Exercise complexes have been developed that are suitable for different life situations:

for men who are forced to sit most of the time (drivers, office workers, managers);
for overweight people;
for those who don't have time to do exercises.

After thinking about how to treat chronic prostatitis, you should decide to seriously rethink your approach to your health.

Drug treatment

In case of chronic prostatitis, outpatient treatment is mainly carried out. If the pathological process persists and remission cannot be achieved with this method, hospitalization is recommended. In the hospital, under the supervision of the medical staff, there are many more opportunities to follow the regime and monitor changes in the patient's condition.

Chronic prostatitis in men develops against the background of endocrine disorders. In this regard, 5-alpha-reductase inhibitors and alpha-1 blockers are recommended. They help to normalize hormone levels and eliminate the symptoms of pathology.

An integrated approach involves taking drugs such as:

Methods of treatment of bacterial chronic prostatitis

Bacterial chronic prostatitis is treated with antibiotics. The most effective drug for a given patient is determined by a preliminary laboratory examination of the prostate secretion.

There is no universal drug to suppress and destroy the pathogenic microflora. What works for one patient may not work for another. For this reason, there are many negative opinions about drugs advertised for the treatment of chronic prostatitis.

The drugs recommended for antibacterial therapy are fluoroquinolones. Most bacteria are sensitive to them.

Treatment with herbs

Many people doubt whether chronic prostatitis can be cured with herbs. The answer to this question was obtained during the many years of use of these healing agents in urological practice.

Today, the following treatment complexes are recommended:

All these drugs have a beneficial effect on the functioning of the male urinary system. Effective treatment of chronic prostatitis is possible, provided that urinary tract function is normalized. This task is performed by the components found in herbal medicines. They help reduce the frequency of urges and eliminate sluggish stream syndrome.

Herbal mixtures containing pumpkin extract or pumpkin seeds are recommended for those suffering from chronic prostatitis. The latter have a unique chemical composition and act simultaneously in three directions:

normalizes metabolism;
strengthens the walls of blood vessels;
activates blood circulation in the pelvic organs.

Taking herbal medicines is not considered the main method of treatment. These health-improving agents can be used simultaneously with medication.

It is not a drug treatment

Non-drug therapeutic methods allow you to develop directly on the prostate, increase the concentration of drugs in the tissues and help to eliminate congestion.

Today, non-drug treatment focuses on laser therapy. The possibilities of this technique are wide. As a result of the laser, the following processes take place in the prostate gland:

activation of redox reactions;
blood microcirculation improves;
new capillaries are formed;
pathogenic microflora is suppressed;
The process of cell division is activated, which promotes tissue regeneration.

While researching the effects of laser therapy on patients with prostatitis, one side effect was noted, but positive for the treatment. Those who have completed the course have increased potency, eliminated erectile dysfunction and restored vitality. To achieve this result, a beam of a specific wavelength must be used. Low-intensity laser radiation is usually used to treat chronic prostatitis.

This technique can have many positive effects:

Patients can take part in laser treatment on their own initiative, if it is not prescribed by the attending physician.

Surgical treatment of chronic prostatitis

Chronic prostatitis does not pose a threat to the patient's life, but it can significantly reduce its quality. The most serious complication of this disease is the formation of stones in the tissues of the gland. To get rid of prostatoliths, transurethral resection is used.

The surgical intervention is performed under TRUS control.

If complications such as prostate sclerosis occur, transurethral electrosurgery is performed. If sclerosis of the bladder neck is observed in combination with this pathology, a partial resection of the prostate is performed.

In case of blockage of the fetal and excretory ducts, endoscopic surgeries are recommended to remove the obstruction to the permeability of the secretion. For this purpose, incisions are made in the seminal vesicles and excretory ducts. In the case of an abscess, it is possible to completely remove the gland.

Exercises for the treatment of chronic prostatitis

There are several exercises that effectively stimulate the prostate, which helps relieve congestion. This complex was developed for patients with hip joint problems. Practice shows that these exercises are also useful for those diagnosed with prostatitis. Classes can be held at a convenient time, the complex takes no more than 15 minutes to complete.

Exercise number 1

Lying on an exercise mat, extend both arms.
Bend your knees and pull them towards you, spreading them in different directions at the same time.
Raise your pelvis as high as you can. Repeat 10-12 times.

Exercise number 2

While standing on the mat, perform deep squats.

Repeat 10-12 times.

Exercise number 3

Lie on your stomach.
Lift one leg, then the other. Repeat 10-12 times.

Exercise 4

They lie on their sides.

When performing this sequence of exercises, all movements should be smooth. This is the main condition for achieving a high therapeutic effect.

Treatment prognosis

Few men are able to completely cure chronic prostatitis. Prostatitis often goes into long-term remission. But when the conditions for activating the pathology arise, a relapse occurs. Exacerbation begins with the occurrence of prostate pain. They are often associated with urinary tract disorders. At the first symptoms of a relapse, you should seek professional help.

Patients are recommended to visit the urologist regularly, at least once every six months. The state of the prostate is checked and a PSA test is performed with the same frequency. By systematically monitoring the condition of the gland, the processes that trigger the relapse of the disease can be identified in time. But even in the case of long-term remission, it cannot be guaranteed that it will not be interrupted.

The patient must follow the recommendations in order to prevent the aggravation of the disease. We recommend that you balance your diet by excluding fatty and spicy foods. The use of herbs and traditional medicine must be discussed with the attending physician. With this approach, you can minimize the risk of exacerbation of chronic prostatitis.

Is it possible to cure prostatitis yourself?

In case of severe symptoms, it is worth treating with a specialist, the time factor plays a big role in the treatment, since the longer the inflammation lasts, the greater the probability of irreversible changes in the organ.

But it is better if you do the prevention yourself, no doctor will do it for you.

Avoid hypothermia, stagnation during prolonged sitting, sexually transmitted infections, irregular sex life - all this is an effective way to prevent prostatitis.