Prostatitis is inflammation of the prostate. Currently, urologists tend to believe that prostatitis is not a single disease, but rather a combination of several diseases of the male genital area. This is one of the most common diseases of the male genitourinary tract, and according to experts, the percentage of men suffering from prostatitis in one form or another is constantly growing. The risk of developing prostatitis increases with age.
Causes of Prostatitis
The immediate cause of prostatitis are two factors of equal importance. The first is the appearance of congestion in the pelvis, and, as a result, the prostate, and the second is the addition of an infection. In some cases, however, it is not possible to detect an infectious agent in the tissue of the prostate, presumably in such cases autoimmune processes become the cause of prostatitis, which means that the prostate is attacked by the cells of its own immune system as a result of a malfunction in it.
The predisposing factors for the development of inflammation in the prostate are: weakening of the immune system as a result of infection, hypothermia, stress; hormonal disorders, incomplete ejaculation, lack of exercise, food preferences (addiction to fried, fatty, smoked, spicy food), frequent urinary retention. Irregular sex life is considered to be one of the most common causes of prostatitis.
Types of prostatitis
Currently, the international classification of prostatitis has been adopted, which is the most complete and covers all types of inflammation:
- Category I. Acute prostatitis;
- Category II. Chronic bacterial prostatitis;
- Category III. Non-bacterial chronic prostatitis / chronic pelvic pain syndrome - a disease in which infection is not detected, lasting more than 3 months;
- Subcategory III A. Syndrome of chronic inflammatory pelvic pain (leukocytes are determined in the secret of the prostate);
- Subcategory III B. Syndrome of chronic non-inflammatory pelvic pain (there are no leukocytes in the secret of the prostate);
- Category IV. Asymptomatic chronic prostatitis (leukocytes are present in the secret of the prostate, the patient has no complaints, the disease is detected by chance).
- Pelvic and genital pain;
- Urinary tract disorders that include a sluggish stream, intermittent stream, incomplete emptying of the bladder, frequent urination, etc;
- Disorders in the genital area.
- Analysis of secretion of the prostate;
- digital rectal exam;
- transrectal ultrasound of the prostate;
- Ultrasound of the kidneys and bladder;
- a blood test for PSA (prostate antigen);
- general blood analysis;
- general urinalysis;
- Urinalysis for genitourinary infections before and after prostate massage;
- Uroflowmetry (urination test).
Symptoms of prostatitis
There is the so-called "prostatitis triad", the three most common symptoms of prostatitis. These include:
It should be noted that not all three symptoms of prostatitis are mandatory, in addition, acute and chronic prostatitis progress in different ways.
Symptoms of acute prostatitis: severe, sharp pain in the area of the prostate, given to the rectum, perineum, testicles, lower back; General deterioration, fever, headache and muscle pain, general weakness; Violation of urination up to acute urinary retention as a result of prostate edema and compression of the urethra.
Symptoms of chronic prostatitis: pain in the prostate area, but less intense than with acute prostatitis; Urinary tract disease, sexual dysfunction: incomplete erection, short-term erection, accelerated ejaculation, etc. Chronic prostatitis can be wavy when periods of exacerbation are replaced by periods of relief, or it can be persistently mild.
In contrast to other inflammatory diseases, when a chronic process is the result of untreated acute inflammation, chronic prostatitis is often primarily chronic when the patient has difficulty determining the onset of the disease.
Diagnosis of prostatitis
To diagnose prostatitis, the following studies are carried out:
The main aim of diagnosis is to identify the cause of prostatitis, since therapeutic measures depend on it. Another diagnostic challenge is ruling out prostate cancer.
Treatment of prostatitis
Acute and chronic prostatitis of bacterial origin is treated with antibacterial drugs. In acute prostatitis, strong doses of antibiotics are prescribed even before the results of the bacterial culture are available, since the acute process requires immediate action. In the complex, anti-inflammatory nonsteroidal drugs are prescribed, which also have an analgesic effect.
Chronic prostatitis is treated based on the underlying cause. For non-bacterial prostatitis, strengthening, immunomodulatory drugs are generally taken. Treatment of prostatitis is carried out with mandatory participation in physiotherapeutic procedures: laser therapy, magnetic therapy, electrophoresis of drugs, ultrasound, etc.
Urologists say that treating prostatitis with medical means alone will only provide temporary relief, since treating prostatitis will be ineffective without changing your usual lifestyle. It is necessary to abandon bad habits, lead an active lifestyle, get rid of hypodynamia, avoid stagnation in the small pelvis with the help of special gymnastics, spend less time in the car, walk more, and also get enough rest.
It is also important to improve your sex life, have it regularly, and eat well. Chronic prostatitis is prone to relapse, so lifestyle changes should be permanent. Only in this case will the treatment of prostatitis lead to a complete cure.
Treatment of prostatitis with folk remedies
For the treatment of prostatitis, folk methods are widely and successfully used, especially for the treatment of chronic prostatitis. They have a softer effect than drugs, but they are still quite effective and cause fewer side effects, so the treatment of prostatitis with folk remedies can be carried out for a long time until the symptoms of the disease are eliminated.
Folk remedies for the treatment of prostatitis often use herbal teas with anti-inflammatory and antibacterial effects: chamomile tea, sage leaves, marigold flowers, etc. Medicinal herbs are also used in the form of tinctures and balms. Honey and bee products are used as tonic. Beeswax is perfect for wraps in the treatment of chronic prostatitis and replaces paraffin wax. Echinacea tincture is used as a mild immunostimulating agent, for the same purpose some types of honey are successfully used.