Prostatitis is an inflammatory process that develops in the prostate gland. Theoretically, there is a risk of developing it at any age, regardless of age.
However, men are more susceptible to diseases affected by the following factors:
- Sedentary lifestyle;
- Long-term sexual abstinence or, conversely, excessive active sex life;
- Frequent constipation. Please keep in mind that only regular stool disorders can cause prostatitis, not episodic constipation;
- Hypothermia. You don't have to swim in ice water for hours to get prostatitis, you just have to sit on a cold rock or stay in the cold for a long time in inappropriate clothes;
- Chronic inflammatory diseases (eg, chronic bronchitis) or an untreated focus of infection in the body (caries, tonsillitis);
- Chronic and acute urological or previous venereal diseases (urethritis, gonorrhea);
- Sedentary work. First of all, these are those who are constantly forced to sit at work without the opportunity to get up and warm up (drivers, computer operators);
- Any condition that can stifle the body's immune system. These include inadequate or inadequate nutrition, physical and emotional overload, constant sleep deprivation, chronic stress).
All of the above factors are especially dangerous if the man is over 50 years old. Indeed, at this age, the hormonal background changes significantly, immunity decreases, various diseases appear, and in addition, at this age, few men lead an active lifestyle. For these reasons, all men over the age of 50 should see a urologist every six months for prophylaxis.
How does the disease begin?
As a rule, the first sign of the development of prostatitis is an unpleasant or even painful sensation when urinating. Sometimes you have to get up several times a night to go to the bathroom. At this stage of the disease, consult a doctor less, although treatment at this stage will be short-term and effective.
After a while, sharp cutting, pulling, or shooting pains appear in the groin or perineum, and sometimes the pain spreads to the penis or anus. Urine becomes frequent and painful, and urine becomes more cloudy. Pain may be seen during bowel movements.
In addition, body temperature can rise, and sometimes men find drops of clear white fluid coming out of the urethra. As a rule, most men consult a doctor during this period of the disease.
What happens if prostatitis is not treated?
If you do not consult a doctor and start treatment after the above symptoms, the disease will develop further. The temperature can rise up to 40 degrees, the pain is very severe, urination is very painful, urine flow is disturbed (a thin stream or drops flow from the urethra). The longer prostatitis is treated, the more likely it is to develop acute urinary retention and acute renal failure. Prostatitis-like symptoms are also present in cystitis and prostate cancer, so they need to be examined in a timely manner.
Diagnostics
After contact with a urologist, an examination of the prostate through the rectum and analysis of prostate gland secretion is performed. This procedure is not very pleasant and sometimes not painful, especially in the later stages of the disease. Sometimes men do not want to go to the doctor.
But in fact, the sooner you go for an examination, the less painful it is. In addition, palpation of the prostate itself is already a treatment because it helps to remove the blockage.
In the laboratory, glandular secretions are cultured in the nutrient medium, the sensitivity of the microflora to antibiotics is determined and urine analysis is performed. An ultrasound is also performed to confirm the diagnosis. Often, the treatment of prostatitis is not difficult for a urologist to undergo timely treatment.
Early stages of prostatitis are treated at home. The patient is prescribed antibacterial drugs, baths, compresses and other thermal procedures in the perineum, painkillers and prostate massage. The treatment lasts for about 10 days. You should not eat spicy foods and alcohol during treatment.
Symptoms and treatment of chronic prostatitis
In chronic prostatitis, there is a decrease in pain in the perineum after walking or light exercise, there is a burning sensation when urinating. Men often do not sleep well and are irritable.
If left untreated, chronic prostatitis can lead to pelvic inflammatory disease and even infertility. Reflexology and prostate massage are added to the above treatment. It is recommended that the patient lead a more active lifestyle, eliminate spicy foods and alcohol from the diet.
Trust the doctors
You should not try to diagnose yourself without consulting a doctor. After all, only a urologist will be able to choose the optimal treatment regimen for you based on the test results.
When you treat yourself, you take antibiotics "blindly. "This can lead to a chronic form of the disease. If the disease continues to progress, hospitalization may be necessary. The course of therapy in a hospital will last 1-2 weeks, maybe longer.
Be sure to see a urologist every six months to prevent complications.
Prophylaxis
Prevention of prostatitis is based on the following recommendations:
- If you will stay in the cold for a long time, choose suitable clothes;
- Eat regularly and completely;
- Lead an active lifestyle, do sports;
- Use laxatives for constipation;
- Have sex regularly, preferably with a regular partner.
Many men suffer from prostatitis. This article provides basic information about the disease and explains the need to visit a urologist regularly.