Prostatitis is a specific disease, especially typical of men of reproductive age. It is characterized by acute or chronic inflammation of the prostate gland, the second "heart" of a man.
It is not always easy to recognize the signs of prostatitis in men, especially if the disease has a chronic course, without a previous acute phase. If the process is acute, then in this case the symptoms of prostatitis in men will be quite typical and pronounced.
If a man has the first signs of prostatitis, he should see a doctor immediately. Even a slight malaise, which indicates the development of a disease of the genitourinary system, can have serious complications.
The ability to recognize the first symptoms of the inflammatory process allows you to timely diagnose the pathology and begin its treatment. Therefore, every man should familiarize himself with them in order to avoid serious problems that prostatitis leads to.
The prostate and its role in a man's life
Although the prostate is small, if its function is impaired, a man can have many problems. The prostate is a walnut-sized organ located between the penis and the bladder. The prostate produces a secret that mixes with the sperm to form the complete seminal fluid.
Unlike other prostate conditions, such as prostatic hypertrophy or cancer, which often affect older men, prostatitis can develop at any age, but the incidence peaks between the ages of 30 and 50.
Types of prostatitis
According to the severity of the symptoms, the time of their occurrence and the duration of the disease, two variants of the pathology are distinguished:
- Chronic prostatitis. Symptoms can be subtle and come and go over the course of several months. This is the most common type of prostatitis, and the causes of the inflammation are generally non-infectious.
- Acute prostatitis. In this form, the symptoms of prostatitis in men are severe and develop suddenly. This variant of the disease most often causes a microbial infection, the condition can be serious and requires immediate treatment, until hospitalization.
Chronic prostatitis problems
The causes of prostatitis have been studied for a long time, but the understanding of the essence of the process has been significantly revised in recent years. Chronic prostatitis, sometimes referred to alternatively as chronic pelvic pain syndrome, is characterized by a group of symptoms that can cause a significant deterioration in men's quality of daily life. It is not always possible for a doctor to immediately determine chronic prostatitis, and the subsequent treatment is no less difficult to choose, since it depends on various causative factors and the symptoms of prostatitis in men.
Unlike the approaches used in the past, the diagnosis and subsequent treatment are based on the separation of chronic bacterial prostatitis and other forms of the disease, considered as a multifactorial disease. According to data published in Research and Reports in Urology in 2019, autoimmunity and systemic inflammation, nervous system dysfunctions and psychological causes play a role in the development of chronic inflammation.
For chronic pelvic pain syndrome, various symptoms associated with the urinary, genital, rectum, and perineum organs are typical, and men can often be treated for a long time for other conditions, until eventually inflammation is found to be the problem. the prostate.
Signs of prostatitis in men
If acute inflammation of the prostate occurs, it is relatively easy to recognize it, the manifestations are quite bright and pronounced. The first signs of prostatitis in men include:
- severe pain radiating around the penis, testicles, anus, lower abdomen or lower back. Emptying your bladder can be painful;
- urinary problems, pain when the bladder is full, need to urinate frequently (especially at night), stopped urination, urgent need to urinate, and sometimes blood in the urine;
- against the background of severe swelling of the prostate and severe pain, acute urinary retention is possible;
- malaise, fever, nausea;
- mild and thick discharge from the urethra, odorless.
If these or other signs of prostatitis are detected in men, you should immediately contact a therapist or urologist.
Chronic inflammation: symptoms of prostatitis in men
You can talk about a chronic process if the following symptoms of prostatitis in men have been detected at least in the past three months:
- pain around the penis, testicles, anus, lower abdomen or lower back that is pulling, pressing or aching in nature.
- pain when urinating, frequent or urgent need to urinate, especially at night, or intermittent urination.
- an enlarged or painful prostate on rectal examination, although this may be normal in some cases.
- intimate problems such as erectile dysfunction, pain during ejaculation or pelvic pain after intercourse.
These symptoms can have a significant impact on a man's quality of life. Without treatment, the condition can gradually worsen, symptoms of prostatitis appear more often.
How does the exam take place?
At the first signs of prostatitis in men, it is necessary to contact a urologist who will conduct a complete diagnosis. The doctor will ask in detail all the symptoms and events, the health problems that precede them. Then, an examination of the genitals, abdomen and rectal examination will be performed. The doctor inserts a gloved finger into the rectum to feel the prostate. During the study, discomfort is possible if the prostate gland is enlarged or inflamed. Additionally, blood and urine tests are ordered to look for signs of infection.
How is prostatitis treated?
Prostatitis treatment tactics will depend on the form of the disease: acute or chronic prostatitis.
For acute inflammation, when symptoms are sudden and severe, pain relievers and a course of antibiotics for 2 to 4 weeks are usually given. If acute urinary retention occurs, hospitalization and urgent measures are required: catheterization of the bladder with urine diversion against the background of intensive treatment.
Treatment of chronic prostatitis, when symptoms come and go for several months, is usually aimed at eliminating any discomfort. The doctor may suggest the following procedures:
- pain relievers and anti-inflammatory drugs that eliminate pain and discomfort in the pelvis.
- alpha-blocking drugs that eliminate urination problems. They help relax the muscles of the prostate gland and the base of the bladder.
- Sometimes antibiotics may be prescribed if the microbial nature of the infection is confirmed or if there are indications that an acute process has previously occurred that was not treated.
The goal of treatment for chronic prostatitis is to reduce symptoms to a level that does not interfere with daily activities.