Prostatitis comes in two forms - acute and chronic. When acute inflammation is treated quickly with antibiotics, chronic prostatitis becomes a serious problem in older men, negatively affecting quality of life. Chronic prostatitis can be caused by both infection and congestion of the pelvic organs. The disease requires long-term and complex treatment.
Classification of the disease
Chronic prostatitis in men is divided into two types - congestive (abacterial, congestive) and infectious.
Chronic congestive prostatitis is a consequence of a disturbed trophism of the prostate. The disease develops with heart failure or lack of regular sex life.
Chronic abacterial prostatitis is characterized by moderate symptoms and the absence of an acute pain syndrome. During the analysis, no infectious agents are detected in the secretion of the prostate, so the disease is called bacterial.
Infectious chronic prostatitis is a consequence of untreated bacterial inflammation. The disease begins in an acute form due to infection of the prostate. The disease becomes chronic due to the lack of adequate and timely therapy. Chronic infectious prostatitis is characterized by periodic exacerbations.
Causes of chronic non-infectious prostatitis
When we talk about chronic prostatitis, we usually mean a non-infectious disease caused by a blockage of the pelvic organs. This is due to a violation of the trophism of the prostate - blood flow, lymph flow, outflow of prostate secretions.
This form of illness is directly related to lifestyle and is viewed as an illness of office workers. The main reason for developing congestive prostatitis is physical inactivity.
Some of the factors that predispose to the development of congestive prostatitis include:
- sedentary work;
- lack of regular sports;
- unbalanced diet;
- obesity;
- bad habits;
- varicose veins;
- hemorrhoids;
- irregular sex life.
The disease develops against the background of any conditions, accompanied by circulatory disorders of the lower extremities. Very often prostatitis with obesity occurs when, as a result of increased load on the lumbar spine and lower extremities, the metabolic processes in this zone are disturbed.
If you have to sit all day due to the peculiarities of the job, you have to move at least in the evening.
Bad habits can trigger the development of prostatitis. Smoking destroys blood vessels and disrupts normal blood flow. Due to the physiological characteristics of a person, it mainly affects the blood flow to the lower extremities and the pelvic region.
Sex plays an important role in the functioning of the prostate. The optimal number of intercourse per week for a man over 40 is 3-4. A smaller amount leads to a violation of the outflow of prostate secretion, a larger amount leads to organ impoverishment.
Another cause of congestive prostatitis is heart failure. This disease is characterized by impaired blood flow, including in the pelvic organs.
The reasons for the development of chronic infectious prostatitis
Chronic bacterial prostatitis is a consequence of untreated acute inflammation of the prostate. This form of the disease is characterized by severe symptoms and the presence of pathogens in the secretion of the prostate.
The most common pathogens causing infectious prostatitis:
- E. coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa;
- Staphylococcus and Streptococcus;
- chlamydia;
- ureaplasma;
- Trichomonas;
- Fungal flora.
The infection enters the prostate in three ways: via the bloodstream, the lymph, or the urethra. The last way of penetration of pathogens applies to infections with chlamydia, urplasma or trichomonas.
Reasons for the development of the disease:
- decreased immunity;
- severe hypothermia;
- stress;
- Long-term antibiotic therapy.
Conditionally pathogenic bacteria are always present in the body, and only strong immunity will not allow them to be activated.
Chronic bacterial prostatitis develops from an acute form in the following cases:
- Presence of a chronic focus of infection;
- incorrectly selected antibiotic therapy;
- late termination of treatment;
- weakened immunity.
In most cases, the chronic form of the disease develops precisely due to improper treatment. This happens when the scheme of antibiotic therapy or self-medication was not drawn up correctly. Stopping antibiotics when you are feeling better will prevent the pathogen from being completely destroyed. A decrease in immunity or hypothermia in this case leads to the re-development of the disease.
The most difficult thing to treat is fungal prostatitis, which is caused by yeast-like fungi. This pathogen quickly develops resistance to antifungal drugs, making treatment difficult and increasing the risk of developing a chronic form of the disease.
Disease symptoms
With chronic prostatitis, the symptoms are mild, but with a decrease in immunity or after stress, the disease worsens.
The most common symptoms of chronic prostatitis in men are:
- urination disorder;
- heaviness in the prostate;
- weakening of potency;
- The urge to use the toilet at night.
When chronic prostatitis worsens, pain in the bladder and perineum is noted. The frequency of urination to the toilet can reach 10 per hour. At the same time, the flow of urine is weak, it is necessary to strain the muscles to urinate, but the process itself does not bring relief, and after a few minutes repeated urges appear.
The symptoms and treatment of chronic prostatitis depend largely on the type of inflammation. With congestive prostatitis, erection problems are common. This is due to impaired blood circulation. Ejaculation can occur quickly or be absent due to the thickening of the prostate secretion.
Infectious inflammation of the prostate or chronic bacterial prostatitis may cause pain when urinating and burning sensation in the urethra after ejaculation. Such symptoms are accompanied by irritation of the urethral mucosa by disease-causing agents contained in the secretion of the prostate.
Prostatitis and erectile dysfunction
An inflammation of the prostate is not visible to the eye, the symptoms of chronic prostatitis have no visible manifestation, but relate to internal disorders. One of the characteristic symptoms of the disease is a weakening of the erection.
Erectile dysfunction in congestive prostatitis develops in several stages. The disease itself can progress for a long time without pronounced symptoms, and signs of prostatitis appear only with a severe weakening of the immune system.
Bacterial inflammation of the prostate can be suspected due to changes in the erection. At the beginning of the development of the disease, an increase in effectiveness is noted. The man is aroused quickly, but ejaculation comes quickly too. This is due to a change in the viscosity of the secretion of the prostate. Discomfort may occur during ejaculation, but pain is characteristic of infectious, but not congestive, prostatitis.
This causes a number of mental health problems that make the disease worse. Erectile dysfunction due to problems with blood circulation is exacerbated by fear of a sexual partner, which, against the background of prostatitis, can lead to the development of impotence.
Urinary tract disease
Problems with urodynamics are observed with all forms of prostatitis.
Chronic abacterial inflammation is characterized by the need to urinate at night. It is caused by swelling of the prostate that worsens at night. There is a weakening of the urinary pressure and the need to tighten the muscles of the pelvic floor in order to be able to urinate. At the same time he feels heaviness and fullness in the bladder, and occasionally cramps may occur. Because of the frequent urge to go to the bathroom at night, sleep disorders and insomnia occur. All this affects the mental state of the man and further exacerbates the course of the disease, since against the background of stress, immunity decreases and metabolic processes slow down.
Men often complain of cramps in the lower abdomen, which is explained by the increased tone of the bladder muscles. As a rule, severe symptoms of prostatitis are noted with a decrease in immunity. Without an exacerbation of the disease, the pain syndrome can be completely absent.
Congestive prostatitis is characterized by severe prostate edema. The contours of the organ become indistinct, the prostate itself swells and enlarges. In this case, there may be a feeling of fullness in the rectum and increased discomfort during bowel movements. Urination problems are due to the compression of the urethra by a swollen prostate.
Why is prostatitis dangerous?
The consequences of chronic prostatitis depend on several factors:
- Age of the patient;
- severity of symptoms;
- current duration;
- the effectiveness of drug therapy.
The longer a man lives with chronic prostatitis, the more serious the consequences of the disease. In most cases, the urinary system is affected. With bacterial prostatitis, a kidney infection is possible if the urine flows back. This is due to the entry of pathogens into the urethra during ejaculation.
Constant irritation of the bladder and urethra can lead to inflammation. Against the background of prostatitis, cystitis and urethritis of various types are often diagnosed.
With chronic prostatitis, the consequences affect the man's psycho-emotional state. Violation of potency, frequent urge to use the toilet, discomfort in the bladder - all this leads to the development of stress. Prostatitis can be an indirect cause of neurosis and depression.
A disorder of the nervous system against the background of constant discomfort in the urogenital organs leads to a decrease in immunity and a deterioration in all metabolic processes in the body. Thus, prostatitis leads to nervous disorders, which in turn aggravate the course of the disease, and the circle is closed.
Constant discomfort, violation of potency, inability to sleep - all of these have a strong effect on the quality of life.
Disease diagnostics
If you suspect inflammation of the prostate, you should consult a urologist or andrologist. The following diagnostic methods are used to make a diagnosis:
- rectal palpation of the prostate;
- Ultrasound and TRUS of an organ;
- kidney ultrasound;
- prostate secretion analysis;
- PSA blood test.
The need for further examinations is determined after palpation of the rectal organs. This procedure is also known as prostate massage. The doctor inserts two fingers into the rectal opening and feels the prostate. The inflammation manifests itself in a change in the organ structure, the heterogeneity of the tissues and the contours of the prostate. During the massage, the organ is stimulated and the secretion of the prostate is eliminated from the urethra. It is collected for further analysis. The analysis of the prostate secretion shows:
- amount of lecithin grains;
- leukocyte and erythrocyte count;
- presence of pathogenic microorganisms;
- Presence of fungal microflora.
This allows not only to determine the type of inflammatory process, but also to identify the causative agent in infectious prostatitis.
Ultrasound and TRUS are done to rule out stones in the prostate rather than to diagnose prostatitis, as the method is not very informative, unlike the analysis of secretions.
A PSA blood test is prescribed to rule out oncopathology in the prostate. It also detects inflammation or prostate adenomas. How chronic prostatitis is treated depends on the test results and the type of inflammation.
Treatment functions
The treatment regimen for chronic prostatitis is a combination of drugs, physical therapy and folk methods. Treatment is complemented by a change in lifestyle - adjustment of the menu, giving up bad habits, regular exercise and sex life.
It is important to understand that treatment for chronic prostatitis takes at least six months. In addition to drugs to relieve inflammation, men are prescribed long-term rehabilitation therapy, which is necessary to normalize the functioning of the prostate.
Medicines
How chronic prostatitis can be cured depends on the form of the disease. Drugs for chronic prostatitis include:
- antibiotics or anti-inflammatory drugs;
- rectal suppositories to normalize trophism;
- Immune stimulants and general health promoting agents.
Antibiotics are used to treat chronic prostatitis in men, but only if it is an infectious inflammation of the prostate. How to treat infectious prostatitis in men depends on the pathogen and the success of the previous course of therapy. For acute bacterial inflammation, in most cases, macrolide antibiotics are prescribed. They effectively suppress the activity of pathogens and have a broad spectrum of activity. In case of non-compliance with the treatment regimen or the improper choice of drugs, the microorganisms that caused inflammation quickly develop resistance to macrolides, which largely determines the transition of the disease to a chronic form.
Fluoroquinolones are effective antibacterial agents against microbial prostatitis. They have a pronounced anti-inflammatory effect against a large number of pathogenic microorganisms.
Despite the fact that fluoroquinolones do not have natural analogues, which is the reason for the lack of resistance of pathogenic microorganisms to the action of the drug, it is necessary to carefully follow the treatment regimen chosen by the doctor. Otherwise, the drug will be ineffective and antibiotic therapy will have to be repeated.
Antibacterial drugs and tablets are not used to treat chronic non-infectious prostatitis. With congestive prostatitis, inflammation is caused not by microbes, but by a violation of trophism. Hence, it is inappropriate to use antibiotics for treatment. They use anti-inflammatory drugs instead. They are used in short courses to reduce inflammation and swelling. The drugs are prescribed in suppositories or injections. Treatment lasts an average of a week, the drug is administered rectally at night or intramuscularly once a day. For severe inflammation, the drug can be used twice a day.
Anti-inflammatory drugs are not antibiotics. The tablets are successfully used to relieve the inflammatory process in non-infectious or congestive prostatitis. On average, doctors prescribe two tablets a day for 5 days, and then transfer the patient to therapy with phytopreparations that improve prostate atrophaism.
In the case of severe urinary disorders, treatment is supplemented by drugs from the alpha-blocker group. These drugs relax the bladder, reduce muscle tone, and allow urine to flow normally. Drugs of this group are taken in short courses with one tablet a day. Treatment with alpha blockers rarely lasts longer than a week.
After the inflammation subsides, congestive (cognitive) and infectious prostatitis is treated with drugs that normalize the trophism of the prostate. Medicines contribute to:
reduce inflammation at- ;
- pain relief;
- normalization of urination;
- Increase in potency.
For chronic prostatitis, these drugs are used for at least two weeks. They come in the form of rectal suppositories. The recommended dosage is one candle a day at night.
Propolis suppositories are recommended to restore local immunity. They relieve inflammation, improve blood circulation and the outflow of prostate secretions, and significantly increase immunity, which prevents prostatitis from getting worse. Medicines come in the form of small suppositories that are injected into the rectum at night.
In addition, your doctor can recommend suppositories with ichthyol. They relieve inflammation and reduce prostate swelling.
Preparations based on Echinacea extract are recommended as a general tonic for prostatitis. They strengthen the immune system and prevent the development of exacerbations of prostatitis. With the appearance of neuroses and insomnia against the background of prostatitis, the doctor may recommend sedatives.
Physiotherapy for chronic prostatitis
The causes of chronic prostatitis are poor blood flow to the pelvic organs. To accelerate the restoration and restoration of prostate trophism, physiotherapeutic methods are often used:
- magnetic field therapy;
- electrophoresis;
- shock wave therapy;
- acupuncture.
Acupuncture (acupuncture) and leech therapy (hirudotherapy) differ from non-traditional methods.
There are many home physiotherapy methods. The most popular are special devices. They generate alternating magnetic fields that have a positive effect on metabolic processes and remove congestion in the pelvic organs.
Darsonvalization can also be used at home. This is a microcurrent effect that improves metabolic processes. You can purchase home treatment equipment from any medical equipment store. However, it is recommended that you consult your doctor first.
The prostate massage is used to treat prostatitis. It is carried out by a specialist in a medical facility. By stimulating the organ, you can get rid of swelling and discomfort and relieve stagnation of prostate secretions. The course of treatment consists of 10-15 procedures.
Folk Remedies
Whether chronic prostatitis is treated depends on the therapeutic measures. Traditional medicine will help complement drug treatment.
Homemade suppositories are used to reduce inflammation in the prostate. To make candles, you need 200 g of fat base, 40 ml of propolis extract. The base is melted in a water bath, propolis is slowly poured into it, stirring constantly. When the product takes on a uniform color, it is poured onto cling film and packaged in the form of a sausage. The mass should be refrigerated for an hour to cool. When the product has cooled, it is cut with a knife into equal torpedo-shaped pieces approximately 5 cm long and 2 cm in diameter. These candles should be stored individually wrapped in the refrigerator. The recommended dosage is one suppository in the rectal opening at bedtime. The duration of treatment is 2-3 weeks.
You can also make candles with pumpkin seed oil and honey. The proportions are 200 g base, 50 ml oil and 3 tablespoons honey. As a base, you can take beeswax, lanolin, cocoa butter. Such suppositories relieve inflammation, improve prostate function and increase immunity.
To cure chronic prostatitis at home, you can use various infusions and decoctions. One of the most effective remedies is parsley juice. 3 large spoons must be taken daily.
Traditional medicine recommends consuming 30 g of pumpkin seeds daily. They contain many nutrients that are necessary for the normal functioning of the prostate.
Another effective treatment is a mixture of pumpkin seeds, walnuts, and honey. To prepare the medicine, you should take 100 peeled seeds and the same number of walnut kernels, put them in a convenient container and pour 500 ml of honey. The product is kept in the refrigerator for 4 days to be infused. Then 4 large spoons are taken daily.
Surgical treatment
Whether chronic prostatitis can be cured permanently depends on the severity of the disease and the age of the patient. With frequent exacerbations, you need to constantly take drugs.
Surgical treatment of prostatitis is not performed in most cases. Perhaps the application of radical measures - complete removal of the prostate. Such an operation is carried out only when the prostate is not performing its functions due to chronic inflammation and drug treatment is ineffective. Removal of the prostate is also carried out at the risk of oncology.
Interestingly, the effects of prostatitis are usually seen in men over 65 of age. In this case, a number of difficulties arise in the treatment:
- diseases of the cardiovascular system;
- contraindications to taking medication;
- many side effects.
Many men who have had prostatitis for more than 10 years insist on surgery. This is usually associated with poor drug tolerance and a large number of side effects. Doctors say that surgery is the last resort and with the right approach, prostatitis can be cured using conservative methods.
Prevention and prognosis
Having found out what chronic prostatitis in men is and how dangerous it is, the immediate question arises whether the disease can be completely cured.
Patient reports show that chronic prostatitis can be cured, but it will take a long time. The course of treatment lasts an average of six months or more. Urologists agree that adequate therapy, lifestyle changes, and a balanced diet will all help get rid of inflammation.
The most common symptoms of exacerbations and repeated inflammation after prolonged remission are men who do not follow the doctor's recommendations but are treated according to the advice of friends. It is important to understand that the success of treatment therapy depends on properly selected drug therapy. Can lead to an exacerbation or re-manifestation of signs of chronic prostatitis:
- unsystematic use of medication;
- failure to comply with the doctor's recommendations;
- stop treatment after the first improvement;
- bad habits;
- lack of physical activity.
Choosing drugs yourself often leads to a deterioration in wellbeing. This is especially true with infectious inflammation, in which the patient independently selects antibiotics without a test.
A common mistake men make is to stop treatment when the first improvements appear. In this case, the inflammation does not go away, but only decreases for a while. With a decrease in immunity or hypothermia, the disease makes itself felt again.
In addition to medication, prostatitis requires a change in lifestyle. It is important to give up bad habits, normalize diet and do sports. For prostatitis, it is recommended to do yoga, exercise therapy, and swimming. Any workout that involves the pelvis will benefit from it. Men with this condition, especially sedentary work, should do 10-minute exercises every day and complete a full workout several times a week. It is also necessary to have sex during treatment for chronic prostatitis, as regular ejaculation will help reduce prostate edema.
The success of prostatitis treatment depends on timely diagnosis. If you experience problems urinating, you should consult a urologist as soon as possible.