We have selected 22 basic questions about prostatitis and its treatment. All answers are written by our leading male health expert, andrologist. We hope this article will help you and give you the necessary answers to your questions.
Symptoms of prostatitis: pain, burning, discharge, stinging, incontinence
Symptoms for prostatitis most often consist of 3 types:
- urinary incontinence: difficult, frequent, nocturnal urination.
- Pain symptoms: pain in the perineum, lower abdomen, groin. Pain can radiate (give) to the scrotum or sacrum.
- mixed form, in which there are urinary disturbances and pain.
What causes prostatitis?
With bacterial prostatitis
Infections entering the prostate gland from neighboring organs:
- urethra;
- Bladder
- through the blood and lymphatic vessels of distant inflammatory foci (tonsillitis, sinusitis, caries).
The most common bacteria detected in prostatitis are: Escherichia coli, Klebsiella, Proteus, Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus.
The role of sexually transmitted infections is discussed: chlamydia, mycoplasma, Trichomonas.
The activity and, consequently, the manifestation of the inflammatory process depends on the nature of the microorganism, on the state of the pelvic organs, their blood circulation, concomitant diseases and other predisposing factors.
With non -bacterial prostatitis
Stagnation plays an important role. Violation of blood flow causes edema, exudation of prostate tissue and creates conditions for the development of inflammatory processes that are not associated with bacterial agents.
STDs and prostatitis
The question of the involvement of sexually transmitted infections in the development of prostatitis is widely discussed in scientific medical circles. There is no consensus on this matter.
We consider ourselves proponents of a direct link between infection, onset and course of prostatitis.
Why is prostatitis dangerous?
Prostatitis does not pose a threat to the patient's life, the process is chronic and worsens the quality of life.
The onset of prostatitis. How to determine? The first signs
The first signs of prostatitis are changes in the nature of urination: difficult, frequent urination, frequent desire to urinate, especially at night. Discomfort during urination and pain of varying intensity in the groin area.
Age Prostatitis? Is this a disease of young people and / or the elderly?
Prostatitis is an inflammatory disease, so it can occur at any age. But adenoma or prostate hyperplasia is an age -related disease in men after age 50 and is associated with the development of benign prostate tumors.
Chronic prostatitis. Is it possible to cure?
The presence of a diagnosis of chronic prostatitis implies the presence of changes in the structure of glandular tissue, which last a lifetime. Like any chronic disease, prostatitis proceeds with alternating periods of deterioration and remission-periods when the patient is not worried about anything. With the right treatment and lifestyle, the remission period can be very long, and complaints never bother the patient again.
Bacteria and other types of prostatitis
There are various classifications, the most commonly used developed by the U. S. Institutes of Health in 1995:
- Category I.Acute prostatitis.
- Category II.Chronic bacterial prostatitis.
- Category III.Non -Bacterial Prostatitis / Chronic Pelvic Pain Syndrome - without obvious signs of infection and lasting for 3 months or more.
- Subcategory III A.Chronic inflammatory pelvic pain syndrome (with leukocytes in prostate secretion and excretion of pathogens).
- Subcategory III B.Chronic non -inflammatory pelvic pain syndrome (no leukocytes in prostate secretion).
- Category IV.Asymptomatic prostatitis (with leukocytes in the prostate secretion, but without complaints).
To facilitate understanding, the classification can be presented in 3 types:
Acute prostatitis- persistent with severe pain, fever, urinary disturbances. The secretion of the prostate is a large number of leukocytes, which indicate a clear inflammatory process. It occurs, as a rule, for the first time in a particular patient. If these symptoms occur in patients with chronic prostatitis, then it is referred to as exacerbation of chronic prostatitis.
Chronic bacterial prostatitis- Symptoms that bother the patient periodically, as a rule, are less pronounced than acute prostatitis. When diagnosing an increase in leukocytes in the secretory of the prostate, it is possible to identify the causative agent of inflammation.
The most problematic for diagnosis isnon -bacterial prostatitis, or calledchronic pelvic pain syndrome. . . This is due to the fact that the complaint is very similar to prostatitis, but is associated with diseases of other organs and systems, where it is impossible to detect signs of inflammation and pathogenic bacteria: pelvic muscle spasm, impaired interaction between the bladder muscle and its sphincter, anatomical disorders -narrowing (narrowing) of the urethra, leading to inflammation due to increased pressure in the lobules of the prostate gland.
Who treats prostatitis - an andrologist or a urologist?
Prostatitis is treated by urologists and andrologists.
An Andrologist is a urologist who specializes in male reproductive and reproductive diseases.
Methods and treatment regimens for prostatitis
All treatment regimens for the prostate gland consist of medications:
- anti-inflammatory
- antibacterial
- biogenic stimulants
- drugs that increase the contraction of the prostate and bladder while relaxing the sphincter.
Good results are obtained with the simultaneous appointment of drugs and physiotherapy (prostate massage, complex for the treatment of prostatitis).
What tests are given for prostatitis?
Fordiagnosis of prostatitisconsultation of a urologist (andrologist) is required to collect patient complaints, medical history, prostate secretion microscopy and diagnostic ultrasound.
For diagnostics, transrectal ultrasound of the prostate gland (TRUS) and prostate secretions obtained after prostate massage were used for microscopic examination.
In addition, inoculation of prostate gland secretions on bacterial flora with determination of the sensitivity of seed microflora to antibiotics can be used.
Surgical and surgical interventions for prostatitis
With prostatitis, surgery is practically not used. With the exception of prostate abscess - a process in which a focus with purulent contents is formed.
Is it possible to cure prostatitis on your own?
With the presence of severe symptoms, it is better to be treated by a specialist, time factors play a big role in treatment, because the longer the inflammation lasts, the greater the likelihood of irreversible changes in the organ.
But it is better to do prevention yourself, no doctor will do it for you.
Avoid hypothermia, congestion during long sitting, sexually transmitted infections, irregular sexual activity - all these are ways for effective prevention of prostatitis.
Medications for prostatitis: finalgon, vitaprost, prostamol, ceftriaxone, doxycycline, omnix and others
Drugs for the treatment of prostatitis are divided into groups according to the mechanism of action:
Antibacterial agents (antibiotics)prescribed only if there is a diagnosis: chronic bacterial prostatitis. Fluoroquinolones, macrolides and the doxycycline group are the most commonly used.
Alpha blocker:prescribed to relieve urinary problems, increase bladder contraction and relieve its detrusor.
Large groupbiogenic stimulants and herbal preparations: candle.
Effective treatment is possible only with a correct diagnosis, as there is no universal cure for all types of prostatitis. Often, patients take medication for the treatment of prostatitis, if they have a completely different disease, but with similar symptoms.
Beans, roots, parsley, cucumber, honey, bees, leeches and other folk remedies for prostatitis
Traditional treatment methods have a right to exist, but you have to understand that it is very difficult to choose the folk method that suits you. Upon request, search engines provide 70 million results for the treatment of prostatitis with folk methods.
No one has scrutinized people’s methods for effectiveness. The fact that it helps a patient with such treatment (and whether it helps) does not mean it will help you.
Exacerbation of prostatitis after treatment. Forgiveness, relapse
All chronic inflammatory processes have a period of exacerbation and remission, when the patient is not worried about anything. The duration of remission can vary and depends on many factors, including whether the patient is undergoing prophylactic treatment. Patients who periodically undergo preventive treatment without waiting for a deterioration in well -being, as a rule, have a much rarer severity.
Massage the prostate gland at home. Is massage always needed for prostatitis?
Prostate massage can also be done at home if you are married to a urology nurse. Any medical manipulation has its own subtleties and nuances. Only a doctor can determine the symptoms for this procedure, so for some diseases: prostate adenoma (in the presence of acute urinary retention), prostate massage is not desirable, and in the case of tumors, it is contraindicated.
Alcohol and prostatitis
Alcohol, by itself, does not cause the development of prostatitis, but is a factor that increases congestion and swelling of the prostate gland and, thus, contributes to its development.
Sex life and prostatitis
There is a direct relationship between the intensity of sexual activity and prostate disease. With prolonged abstinence in the prostate, stagnation occurs, which worsens metabolic processes, and disrupts blood microcirculation, contributing to the development of inflammatory processes. Regularity is more important for prostate health than the intensity of sexual intercourse. Excessive sexual intercourse, especially with different partners and not protected from infection, is the fastest way to prostatitis.
Does prostatitis affect women?
Of course, there are effects on the health of a woman with prostatitis in a partner. The prostate, along with the seminal vesicles, produces a fluid component of sperm, which, during intercourse, enters the partner’s genital tract. The main danger may be the presence of sexually transmitted infections or bacterial prostatitis, which can trigger inflammatory diseases in women.
Pregnancy and prostatitis
Because the prostate gland produces a portion of sperm fluid that contains nutrients for sperm, prostatitis often causes a decline in sperm quality, which makes it difficult to conceive.
Prevention. What to do to prevent prostatitis?
Prevention is directly related to the patient’s climate and profession.
Prevention of prostatitis is about avoiding and minimizing the factors that contribute to the development of prostatitis. It is necessary to avoid hypothermia, substitute sedentary work with periods of physical activity. A regular sex life is important for prostatitis.