The majority of the male population explains many of the problems of prostatitis: erectile dysfunction and decreased libido, infertility and aggression against intimacy. In some cases, chronic prostatitis can also explain prolonged temperature increases to 37. 5°C. And such temperatures may indicate very dangerous pathological processes in the body, including neoplastic properties.
People are so terrified by this diagnosis that they become neurotic, a disease that is psychosomatic in nature and requires proper treatment. For the treatment to be successful, it is necessary to understand exactly why the pathology occurs and to develop the correct treatment plan.
Symptoms of chronic prostatitis
Most of the time, the disease has no overt clinical symptoms and only a decrease in the standard of living is noted. The disease is classified as class II according to the NIH International Classification. The pathology is caused by bacteria, which means it is impossible to get rid of the disease without special medical treatment. No folk remedies—teas, tinctures, and beverages—can cure the disease, they just require the patient’s time. Chronic bacterial prostatitis occurs when the pathology lasts for more than three months and does not exceed 10% of all inflammatory diseases. This is the most common type of persistent male UTI.
important.Diabetics must be treated promptly to maintain adequate blood sugar levels. As a result of this therapeutic manipulation, the risk of pathological appearance is reduced.
Pathogenesis and etiology
Chronic bacterial prostatitis is mainly caused by Escherichia coli, but there are also individual cases with chlamydia and various mycoplasmas as pathogenic microorganisms. Microbes enter the prostate either descending or ascending through the urethra, but medical science also describes options for blood-borne or lymphatic-borne infections. Hardening of the glandular tissue is possible if you go without treatment for a long time - a very dangerous complication that has negative consequences and is difficult to treat.
diagnosis method
Correct diagnosis plays a decisive role in the treatment process, minimizing the possibility of complications and allowing you to fully recover from the pathology. Diagnosis occurs in several stages, each of which should be treated with great care. Symptoms include complaints of health problems and dysuria. The clinical examination complicates the inconsistency of symptoms, whose features and combinations often vary individually.
- medical records.The patient should describe all his discomforts in as much detail as possible. May be pain in lower abdomen and urethra. There may be rectal discomfort, difficulty urinating, phantom urination. It is very important that the patient does not avoid the doctor for casual sex, hypothermia. Doctors clarify the existence of diabetes. In some medical facilities, patients are asked to fill out a questionnaire. It lists the clinical symptoms of the disease and scores the intensity and frequency of its occurrence. Special scales give doctors an objective view of the pathology clinic.
- palpation.During palpation, doctors roughly determine the extent of prostate enlargement, examining the tissue for pain, asymmetry, and heterogeneity.
- Laboratory diagnosis.Provide the most valuable and accurate information for the correct diagnosis of chronic bacterial prostatitis. For analysis, urine samples were collected before and after prostate massage. The samples are two glasses that determine the number of white blood cells and bacteria before and after the massage. There is another laboratory test method, during which the white blood cell content in the semen is checked. In addition, all patients underwent urethral smear examination.
- Instrument diagnosis.It is not always used since chronic prostatitis has no typical changes. But it allows doctors to visualize the heterogeneity of glandular tissue.
- Differential diagnosis.Let you distinguish between chronic prostatitis and chronic urethritis. Diagnosis is based on four glass samples.
If the final diagnosis is difficult, the patient may be referred to another doctor:
- The otolaryngologist must ensure that the patient does not have chronic tonsillitis;
- The dermatologist must confirm that chronic prostatitis has a staphylococcal etiology, in which pustular lesions may appear on the skin;
- When identifying odontogenic pathogens of chronic inflammation of the prostate, a dental examination of the oral cavity is recommended.
During the examination, pathology with similar clinics should be completely excluded. These may be sexually transmitted diseases, inflammation of the anorectal area, urogenital infections. The most difficult cases are neoplastic tumors. Appropriate treatment of the pathology is based on the data obtained from a thorough examination of the patient.
Causes of chronic prostatitis
In most cases, chronic prostatitis occurs as a result of improper treatment of the acute form. Many patients cannot tolerate the entire course of treatment and stop treatment with little improvement in health. Furthermore, the possibility of pathology increases due to the following factors.
- messy sex life.This refers not only to changes in sexual partners, but also to long-term abstinence.
- Frequent and prolonged exposure to perineal trauma.Professional biking or horse riding, sedentary work, etc. can cause permanent damage to nearby soft tissue and blood vessels. As a result, the function of the prostate is impaired and an inflammatory process may occur due to infection.
- Immune system dysfunction.The body's defenses are weakened due to improper lifestyle, frequent hypothermia, neurogenic and hormonal imbalances.
Methods of treating chronic prostatitis
The ultimate goal of treatment is complete eradication of the pathogen. The procedure can be performed on an outpatient basis, but requires regular consultation with a doctor. The outcome depends not only on the best choice of drug, but also on the patient's own wishes. He must live a correct and active lifestyle, avoiding hypothermia and sun exposure. Regular sexual intercourse has positive effects. After diagnosis, sexual partners must be tested, and if the pathogen is detected, treatment is mutual.
Antibiotics are used to treat chronic prostatitis, and various active substances have their own advantages and disadvantages. The drugs of choice are fluoroquinolones, which are better tolerated by patients. The duration of treatment is at least four weeks and in some cases up to three months. More often, the drug is used orally, injections are rarely used, and only in the context of a specific reaction in the body.
Treatment should be continued for at least 14 days after symptoms of chronic prostatitis disappear.
Complete cure is confirmed by repeated laboratory tests. One month after the completion of the course, samples must be taken, and all indicators should be normal.
used antibacterial drugs
Depending on the patient's actual condition, doctors may prescribe certain antibacterial drugs.
drug group |
advantages and disadvantages |
|---|---|
Fluoroquinolones |
Pharmacokinetics are convenient to use and are similar in all forms of oral and parenteral administration. It accumulates well and is retained by glandular tissue for a long time and is characterized by high bioavailability. These drugs are effective against atypical and typical microorganisms and can also be used to inhibit Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Disadvantages include poor combination with other drugs. In addition, fluoroquinolones have negative effects on the nervous system of patients and can cause photosensitivity reactions. |
Sulfonamides |
In the tissue, the glands accumulate well and remain for a long time. Available in oral and parenteral forms. At an affordable cost to all patients, high activity against a variety of typical pathogens is noted. The disadvantage is that clinical trials have not yet confirmed the drug's effectiveness against Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Enterococcus. Certain types of Enterobacteriaceae do not respond to sulfonamides. It is best to re-diagnose before the appointment, otherwise the treatment measures will not achieve the desired effect. |
Tetracyclines |
They are available in many forms and can be used by all patients. They are very effective against Chlamydia, Ureaplasma and Mycoplasma. No obvious side effects were noticed. Disadvantage - No activity against Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Another problem is that coagulase-negative staphylococci, enterobacteriaceae, and enterococci have little response to the drug. There is a high possibility of side effects including skin damage. Do not take if patient has renal or hepatic insufficiency. |
Macrolides |
Advantages - Very effective against various types of Gram-positive bacteria, proven to be effective against Chlamydia. The glandular tissue fills the drug evenly and remains for a long time. Macrolides are less toxic to the body, so they can be prescribed to patients with kidney or liver problems. The disadvantage is the least effective against Gram-negative bacteria and atypical microorganisms. |
In addition to the main ones, herbal preparations made from extracts of dwarf palms, pollen of various plants and other plants with anti-inflammatory and anti-androgenic properties are recommended. But this can only be used as a supplement to complex treatments.
If a specific indication is found, some patients will be prescribed alphaone- Adrenaline blockers. They reduce dynamic obstruction of the posterior urethra and minimize dysuria.
Common Ways to Affect the Prostate
Modern medicine allows other methods of affecting the glandular soft tissue. This procedure is performed at the same time as or after the end of chronic prostatitis treatment.
Any manipulation of the glands independently is strictly prohibited. Unqualified and unprofessional influence can have serious consequences.
If chronic prostatitis is not treated, new and more complex conditions may develop. For their positioning, the following effects can be specified.
- hot. In most cases, with transurethral microwave therapy, the size of the prostate tissue decreases due to exposure to high temperatures.
- Ultrasound.A very effective way to affect the prostate without pain during the procedure.
- Freeze damage.Low temperature removal of affected prostate tissue.
In all cases, the patient should be aware that the sooner the treatment of chronic prostatitis is started, the easier and faster the pathological process will be eliminated, the less likely it will have serious consequences and the higher the chance of a complete cure. After recovery, the patient resumes a normal lifestyle.
Answers to the most frequently asked questions
The negative consequences of prostatitis, including chronic prostatitis, frighten the male population. The vast majority of unfounded fears can be explained by extremely low medical knowledge, an abundance of rumors, and belief in various therapists. How does medical science answer the most common questions?
Can long-term sedentary work cause chronic prostatitis?
Previously, medical professionals used so-called congestive chronic prostatitis when making a diagnosis. Modern diagnostic equipment shows that prostatitis is contagious and inflammatory and that all other physiological factors can only affect the overall health of the body and trigger it. In most cases, the cause of the disease is casual sexual intercourse, during which pathogens are transmitted. Uncomfortable underwear, non-recurring sex, or prolonged abstinence can trigger erection problems. Soft tissue lesions begin to appear in the prostate as a result of stasis or traumatic consequences. But according to the classification of modern medicine, this is not prostatitis, but prostate disease.
Is there a link between chronic prostatitis and cycling?
right here. Rumors that professional horseback riding or cycling has a positive effect on the course of chronic prostatitis are based on the fact that the saddle is constantly massaging the perineum. As a result, the blood supply to the prostate is improved, eliminating the negative effects of chronic prostatitis. In fact, everything is quite the opposite. The saddle severely damages the arteries and disrupts the functional blood supply to the corpus cavernosum. They are located in the penis. As a result, erectile function may be problematic. You need to know that all the recommended gentle massages of traditional eastern medicine are not curative. They are erotic in nature, not therapeutic. They can be used as an additional psychological tool rather than as the main treatment for chronic prostatitis.
The second question arises naturally - why do some urologists strongly recommend rectal massage? Everything here is a little complicated. Use this massage during testing. Previously, it was prescribed as an additional procedure to increase the blood supply to the prostate. Modern diagnostic methods have proven that this massage is ineffective for chronic prostatitis. However, the rectal mucosa has a great risk of damage. Practice has shown that the most effective gland massage is natural ejaculation during intercourse.
Do intimate life problems, lower abdominal pain, and frequent urination always indicate chronic prostatitis?
No, not always, these symptoms may indicate other problems not related to prostate function. In contrast, chronic prostatitis usually develops without obvious symptoms and is discovered incidentally. It must be remembered that prostate adenomas, bladder dysfunction, sigmoid colon problems and neurological disorders have many common symptoms.
Is chronic prostatitis only through physical therapy?
impossible. How not to hope that the disease will eventually go away on its own. Magnetic therapy, laser therapy and other procedures are prescribed as additional methods during complex regimen treatment of chronic prostatitis. All medical measures are described in the protocol and their cancellation is not recommended.
Does chronic prostatitis always require treatment?
Some patients have had the disease for years and, in their opinion, nothing terrible happened during that time. Patients naturally have such questions. Fatal cases of chronic prostatitis have not been recorded in medical practice. But quality of life declines dramatically, and in some cases, prostate sclerosis may occur. In addition, the constant presence of pathological microorganisms in the body suppresses the immune system, which leads to any disease. It is not necessarily related to the function of the prostate.
Adequate medical measures and unquestioned patient compliance with physician recommendations are 100% guaranteed cure for chronic prostatitis. The prerequisites are the correct diagnosis and the best choice of drugs, using complex treatments.