Prostatitis is a disease based on inflammatory lesions of the prostate tissue (prostate) that presents with a variety of symptoms. Since the prostate is located only in men, the disease is only observed in half of the population.
Cause (cause) of inflammation
There are many factors that contribute to the development of the disease. The most common of these are:
- The presence of foci of infection in the body (tonsillitis, tonsillitis, bronchitis, gonorrhea, tuberculosis, etc. )
- External genital trauma.
- Soft tissue damage in the pelvic area.
- The body is often hypothermic.
- Physical activity levels are weak.
- Urinary retention.
- Semen secretion is stagnant due to the presence of irregular sex life.
- overweight.
- A sedentary lifestyle.
- Chronic inflammatory processes in the organs of the genitourinary system (pyelonephritis, urethritis, orchitis, cystitis, epididymitis)
- hormone imbalance.
- Intestinal disorders, manifested as violations of food passages (constipation, diarrhea)
- Inflammatory processes present in the rectum (proctitis, anal fissures, hemorrhoids, paraproctitis)
- Have a history of sexually transmitted diseases.
- pressure.
- smokes.
- Abuse of alcohol.
- Vitamin deficiency.
- Overworked.
- violent sexual behavior.
- Immunodeficiency.
causative agent of disease
The most common microorganisms that contribute to the development of prostate inflammation are the following:
- Escherichia coli (about 80%)
- Pseudomonas serratia.
- Klebsiella.
- Proteus.
- Enterococcus.
- Staphylococcus aureus.
Classification of Pathological Processes
In medicine, several classifications have been employed to describe the course of prostate infection.
Clinical-pathological-etiological classification:
- Acute prostatitis.
- Prostate abscess.
- prostatitis.
- Chronic prostatitis.
- Granulomatous inflammation of the prostate.
- Congestive prostatitis.
- Sclerosis of the prostate.
- prostatitis.
- Atypical forms of chronic prostatitis.
- Autonomic prostate disease.
In addition, the diseases described are differentiated by categories:
- Grade 1 - acute prostatitis.
- Grade 2 - Chronic bacterial prostatitis.
- Grade 3a - Chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome with signs of inflammation.
- Grade 3b - Chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome without signs of inflammation.
- Grade 4 - asymptomatic chronic prostatitis.
Types and forms of disease
According to the above classification, it can be determined that the main types of prostatitis are:
- Spicy.
- chronic.
Acute inflammatory processes, depending on the degree of damage to the prostate tissue, are divided into several forms:
- Cartager.
- follicles.
- Substantial (diffuse).
The catarrhal form is characterized by a mild, superficial inflammatory process affecting the acini of the prostate. Consequently, the patency of the latter's excretory duct is disturbed. This leads to the accumulation of prostate secretions. The prostate enlarges and becomes edematous.
The follicular form of acute prostatitis is the next stage in the development of the pathological process. As a result, individual lobules of the prostate are affected and purulent contents form in them.
In the parenchymal form, the inflammation covers the entire tissue of the prostate. It becomes edematous and very painful. In the context of parenchymal prostatitis, a prostate abscess may develop.
No well-articulated form of chronic pathology is currently found in the medical literature.
stage of disease
Although there is no apparent form in the chronic process, this pathology is divided into several stages.
The first is the substitution change phase. It manifests as a mild effect of inflammation on prostate tissue. If treatment is started in time (at this stage), the disease stops quickly. Usually, no recurrence of the disease is observed.
If the patient does not receive treatment, the proliferative change phase begins. During this time, prostate tissue grows to suppress inflammation. This is followed by the third stage - fiber hardening changes.
There is a lot of tissue growth and it replaces healthy cells. But the resulting tissue does not have the same properties as healthy prostate tissue. Because of this, a person begins to relapse with the disease, and it acquires a long-term course.
symptom
Acute pathology is manifested by the following clinical symptoms:
- Body temperature rises to 38 - 40°C.
- The overall situation deteriorated.
- Chills.
- Pain above the uterus, perineum, anus, glans.
- Discomfort when urinating and/or having a bowel movement.
- Slow bowel movements and flatulence.
- Increase the urge to urinate.
- Urinary retention.
- Increased excitability.
Chronic prostatitis is characterized by the following symptoms:
- Lower abdominal discomfort.
- Erectile Dysfunction.
- irritability.
- There is a white discharge from the penis.
- Increase the time of sexual intercourse.
- Decreased urine flow.
- Incomplete bladder emptying.
Complications of the pathological process
In the absence of timely initiation or an inadequate course of treatment, the development of acute pathology may take a different direction.
In the first case, acute inflammation of the prostate goes into a chronic process. The latter is characterized by changes in exacerbation and remission periods. Chronic prostatitis is difficult to cure, and usually, you have to accept it and prepare for the next exacerbation.
If the inflammatory process develops very rapidly, then it can lead to the formation of a prostate abscess. In other words, a large abscess has formed in the prostate tissue. The most common treatment for a prostate abscess is surgery.
Bacteria from lesions can enter the bloodstream because the prostate has a very good blood supply. If this happens, a person can develop a very scary complication - sepsis. It is very difficult to defeat sepsis, and therefore, in the presence of this disease, the mortality rate is very high.
Because the seminal vesicles are located next to the prostate, untreated conditions can cause male infertility. Furthermore, the glands are closely related to the testis, where sperm are formed.
Inflammation of the prostate can cause the urethra to narrow. Due to the fit of the latter with the urethra, inflammation of the prostate can spread to the urethra. This causes scar tissue to form in the urethra and reduce its diameter.
In addition to spreading the inflammatory process to the urethra, it can also spread to the bladder. As a result, patients may experience recurrent (recurrent) cystitis. If infected urine returns from the bladder to the kidneys, then this can lead to the development of pyelonephritis.
treatment of disease
It is worth noting that the treatment of prostatitis must be comprehensive. In the treatment of acute prostatitis need to adhere to the following points:
- It is impossible to fight the inflammatory process of the prostate without the use of antibiotics. The attending physician must identify the causative agent of the disease and prescribe medication to eliminate it. It is best if your doctor prescribes several antibiotics at the same time.
- Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. They have good analgesic properties and reduce inflammation. It is recommended that these drugs be taken not only in tablet form, but also in the form of suppositories for rectal use.
- Detoxification treatment can be performed when the general condition is severe or when the body temperature is elevated.
- When a patient's prostate abscess is diagnosed, surgical intervention is required.
In order to recover from chronic inflammation of the prostate, the following are necessary:
- Prostate massage (performed by a urologist only)
- Drugs that improve prostate metabolism.
- Take non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.
- Immunomodulatory drugs.
- physiotherapy.
- Sedative drugs.