Chronic prostatitis - symptoms and treatment

Experts describe the prostate as the most vulnerable organ in men. The most common inflammation of the prostate, which causes a lot of discomfort to the patient. If the inflammatory process lasts more than 3 months, then we can talk about the chronic form of the disease. The problem of treating chronic prostatitis is faced by every third representative of the stronger sex. It is possible to cure the disease, but this requires qualified medical help. You should not delay the complex treatment of a chronic disease, as this provokes the appearance of adenomas and prostatic hyperplasia, as well as a decrease in erectile function.

Doctor's appointment for chronic prostatitis

What is meant by diagnosis

Men usually do not tend to listen to their own well-being, so the inflammatory process in the prostate gland takes on a protracted form. The danger of the disease lies in the fact that it can be completely asymptomatic. First, urethritis develops, and if you do not consult a doctor, complications cannot be avoided. Over time, chronic prostatitis forms in men, the symptoms and treatment of which are individual. Forms of chronic prostatitis:

Surname diagnosis
contagious It occurs due to viral, fungal, or bacterial damage to the prostate. It is revealed by a laboratory analysis of blood and urine.
stagnates It proceeds with pain in the pelvic area, most often it is chronic. Symptoms of a congestive form sometimes resemble signs of an inflammatory process.
Asymptomatic There are no clinical manifestations of inflammation, which is why a man may not see a doctor for a long time. It is possible to identify the disease only when examining the prostate.

Many men are diagnosed with congestive chronic prostatitis (non-infectious etiology). Inflammation in this case affects the secret of the prostate and veins.

Reasons for appearing

The causes of chronic prostatitis are diverse:

  • Prolonged abstinence from intimacy or overly active sex life;
  • The presence of multiple perineal injuries (when riding or cycling);
  • Irrational menu (lack of nutrients and excess of fried, fatty and smoked foods);
  • Repeated infection of genital organs;
  • Reduced immunity;
  • diseases of the urogenital organs;
  • Inactive and sedentary lifestyle;
  • Too tight and tight underwear;
  • Coitus interruptus;
  • phimosis in history;
  • Anal sex without additional protection (condom).

The disease affects both the elderly and men of middle and even young age:

  1. With an inactive sex life, prostatitis occurs due to stagnation of the secretion of the prostate.
  2. Athletes are at risk because they lift weights and are vulnerable to microtrauma of prostate tissue.
  3. Drivers of long-haul flights suffer from congestion in the pelvic organs.
  4. Fans of winter fishing are at risk from constant hypothermia of the body.

Among the most common male diseases, chronic prostatitis accounts for about 20%. Every fifth patient who consults a doctor suffers from a chronic form of the disease. The disease is becoming "younger", because modern men are promiscuous and do not think about their own safety. In order not to think about how to get rid of chronic prostatitis, it is enough to take care of elementary protection against sexually transmitted diseases.

Dizziness in chronic prostatitis

It is worth considering that the chronic form of the disease leads to a violation of penile erection and a decrease in sexual satisfaction during ejaculation. On this basis, fear of intimacy, irritability and self-doubt begin. All this further leads to neurosis for sexual reasons.

routes of infection

Doctors note two ways of infection with an infectious form of prostatitis:

  1. Urinogen (ascending). Certain microorganisms enter the prostate via the urethra. The secret of the prostate is usually sterile, no bacteria are detected on examination. There are cases when microorganisms live in a man's body, but their concentration is not enough for the development of the disease. When the microflora is disturbed, infection of the organ begins, which leads to the development of inflammation. Do not rule out the risk of infection and damage to nearby organs when a man suffers from hemorrhoids or cystitis. In this case, dangerous microorganisms enter the prostate through the lymphatic route.
  2. hematogen. The causative agent of the infection enters the prostate via the bloodstream. The diseases that can provoke this type of infection are diverse: acute influenza, tooth decay, etc. If there is concomitant venous congestion in the prostate, there is a high risk of chronic prostatitis, the treatment of which will take a long time.

Urologists identify two predisposing factors leading to hematogenous infection:

  1. Innate. Anatomical features of the prostate, including changes in the structure of muscle tissue or disorders of the circulatory system.
  2. Acquired. The causes of chronic prostatitis include injuries to the genital organs, craving for alcohol, long smoking, a history of infectious diseases and frequent hypothermia.

The danger of ignoring the disease is that most often the symptoms of chronic prostatitis in men at this stage are absent or insignificant. The patient believes that the disease can be cured with the help of folk remedies, but these methods are ineffective. Treatment regimens are drawn up only by a specialist after a thorough examination and collection of the necessary information.

Warning signals

Symptoms of chronic prostatitis vary depending on the stage of the disease and its form:

Form character
Bacterial (infectious) Feeling weak, chills, fever, muscle aches, pain in the lower abdomen (may be aggravated by sexual intercourse and prolonged abstinence), painful urination, weak jet pressure when urinating, frequent urination at night. Pain can be observed in the thighs, perineum and rectum, which is why signs of chronic prostatitis are confused with hemorrhoids.
Bacteria specific All of the above signs are observed, to which a mucus-like discharge from the urethra can be added.
abacterial Symptoms of congestive prostatitis are difficult to ignore due to the intense pain it causes. It is localized in the perineum and thighs. Discomfort is felt in the head of the penis. The pain is aggravated by the cessation of sexual intercourse, as well as prolonged abstinence from intimacy.

The consequences of chronic prostatitis depend on the duration of the disease:

  • adenoma;
  • Oncology;
  • sclerosis of the prostate and bladder neck;
  • Erectile dysfunction;
  • Infertility;
  • Decreased testosterone levels.

The danger of the disease lies not only in the fact that prostatitis can be confused with another disease. When the acute phase passes, the symptoms of chronic prostatitis disappear and treatment is not carried out. The man no longer worries about his health and does not go to the doctor. However, there comes a time when the signs begin to seriously disturb and interfere with normal life, but the disease has already passed into a protracted phase. Treatment of congestive prostatitis will take much longer if the diagnosis of the disease was not at the first stage.

Doctor prescribes treatment for chronic prostatitis

diagnosis

The symptoms of other diseases are very similar to those of chronic prostatitis. Is it possible to cure the disease without examinations? It is unlikely, since only an accurate diagnosis determines the form and stage of development of prostatitis. Discomfort can be caused by:

  • Tuberculosis;
  • adenoma;
  • Tumor.

Only a full examination can confirm or rule out the diagnosis. There are two types of research:

  • Instrumental;
  • Laboratory.

After a conversation with the patient and anamnesis, the urologist or andrologist will ask you to perform a series of tests:

  • General urinalysis;
  • General blood analysis;
  • analysis of prostate secretion;
  • Blood test for PSA.

A sample of urine is taken three times to get more accurate data on the change in composition:

  • epithelial cells;
  • leukocytes;
  • Pathogenic causative agents of infections;
  • Nonspecific bacteria.

Doctors know what chronic prostatitis is and how difficult it is to diagnose. The modern method of transrectal ultrasound (TRUS) allows you to do just that:

  1. A device with an ultrasound probe is gently inserted into the patient's anus.
  2. Since the prostate is firmly connected to the wall of the rectum, the specialist has a good opportunity to examine the prostate in detail and make an accurate diagnosis.

Conventional ultrasound allows you to determine the change in the density of the prostate, its size, the presence of fibrous foci, abscesses and stones.

Before curing chronic prostatitis, the doctor must verify the diagnosis. If there is the slightest doubt, he can refer the patient to an MRI or CT scan to rule out the presence of a tumor focus. When a man has an infravesical obstruction, an x-ray is needed to determine the cause of the disease.

conservative treatments

Drugs used to treat chronic prostatitis

The treatment regimen for chronic prostatitis is prescribed only by a professional urologist and is selected individually. The doctor takes into account the cause of the disease, the duration of the disease and such a factor as an aggravating pathology. If congestive or infectious prostatitis is at an early stage, treatment can be drug:

  1. antibiotic therapy. Prostatitis can be cured with antibacterial drugs if the bacterial pathogen is detected in the prostate secretion or in the urine. The inflammation should be pronounced. The course lasts no more than 2 months, and the price of chronic prostatitis treatment depends on the prescribed drugs. The dosage of each drug is prescribed individually, and self-medication is fraught with complications. Reviews after the treatment of prostatitis with antibiotics are not always positive, but there are reasons for this. Sometimes the symptoms remain at the end of the course, although the infection has been defeated.
  2. elimination of symptoms. To treat chronic prostatitis in men, drugs that stop pain are often used. The course of therapy may also include the use of antidepressants to reduce anxiety levels.
  3. alpha blockers. A course of these drugs is prescribed if the doctor has diagnosed hypertonia of the muscles of the bladder or increased intraurethral pressure. However, the drugs are ineffective if the patient has pelvic floor myodystrophy or impaired muscle innervation.
  4. Hormone therapy. It is carried out based on the results of a hormonal examination. Androgens and antiandrogens are used.
  5. vitamin therapy. With irrational nutrition, the lack of nutrients is filled by the vitamin-mineral complex. Experts do not recommend replacing it with popular dietary supplements, since "dummies" will not help in any way.
  6. Normalization of uric acid levels. Methods of treating chronic prostatitis with the help of regulators are effective only in the presence of stones in the prostate.
  7. immunostimulants. Prostatitis is treated in this way only in laboratory-confirmed immunodeficiency.

Answering the question of whether chronic prostatitis is curable, we can safely say that with a properly prescribed complex, recovery will come quickly.

Surgical treatment method

Usually the disease does not require surgical intervention, except when the complication poses a threat to the patient's health and even life. Modern surgery practices endoscopic interventions to reduce risks and damage to health. Surgery is essential for:

  • adenoma;
  • sclerosis of the seminal tubercle;
  • stones in the prostate;
  • sclerosis of the prostate.

Effective treatment of chronic prostatitis allows you to do without surgery if a man seeks medical advice in a timely manner. Do not forget that at the stage of exacerbation of the disease, surgical intervention cannot be performed. The need for such a cardinal treatment method is only determined by the surgeon after examining the overall clinical picture.

other treatments

Men often worry that chronic prostatitis cannot be cured with medication. The doctor can really prescribe other methods:

  1. Massage. Do not forget about contraindications and the fact that only a small area of the prostate is available for massage. In the case of hyperplastic changes in the prostate, a massage can lead to acute urinary retention. This, in turn, provokes the further spread of inflammation and the development of sepsis. The massage is also forbidden in venous congestion, prostate cysts and stones in the prostate gland. If you need to get rid of a stagnant secret, it is better to rid the prostate naturally by ejaculation.
  2. Special gymnastics. It is used to strengthen the bladder and increase the intervals between urination. By improving the tone of the sphincter and bladder, you can set a break between toilet urges of up to 5 hours. Gymnastics is ineffective with neurodystrophic changes and myofascial syndrome.
  3. muscle stimulation. With a reduced tone of the pelvic floor muscles, magnetic therapy, phonophoresis, transrectal ultrasound or electrical stimulation are used.
  4. instill. It is practically not used in modern medicine, since the infusion of drugs into the urethra is accompanied by pain, and prostatitis does not heal. The consequences of such treatment can be devastating.

It is more expedient to ask an andrologist or urologist how to treat congestive prostatitis with folk remedies. Popular videos on the Internet are full of videos about the qualitative use of alcohol tinctures and pumpkin seeds, but no method can replace drug therapy. How severe the disease is treated is determined only by the doctor and not the heroes on YouTube.

Useful exercises

A simple set of exercises will improve blood microcirculation in the pelvic area. They can be done in the morning instead of the usual exercise:

  1. Fix your legs shoulder-width apart, raise your arms up and connect them at the back of your head. Inhale - slowly sit down and spread your knees sideways, exhale - return to the starting position.
  2. Join your legs together, hands drop freely along the body. Bend your left leg at the knee and raise it as high as you can. Repeat the same with the right leg. Perform 10 approaches.
  3. Squat down, palms down. Inhale - stand up slowly, spread your arms to your sides. Exhale - return to the starting position.
  4. Lie on your stomach after placing a small ball under it (no larger than a tennis ball). Focus on the floor and roll the ball on the floor with your stomach. Perform 7 approaches.
  5. Lie on your back and bend your knees. Clamp the ball in between. Breathe in - tighten your knees, breathe out - relax. Do 3 sets and eventually increase the number of repetitions up to 9 times.
  6. Sit on the floor and focus on your hands. Put a ball under your buttocks. Try to roll it on the floor with the help of your buttocks and genitals.

Help in the fight against the disease and Kegel exercises, useful not only for women, but also for men.

Probable predictions

Instead of looking for information about living with chronic prostatitis, it makes more sense to make an appointment with a specialist. With timely access to a doctor and a reasonably selected course of therapy, you can improve your health. The question of whether chronic prostatitis can be completely cured cannot be answered unequivocally. It all depends on what methods the doctor prescribed and how closely the patient follows his recommendations.

Experts are very reluctant to make predictions about the further course of the disease. Is chronic prostatitis treated with a guarantee? Full recovery has been noted only in rare cases, since most often the disease occurs in the form of a protracted remission. Normalization of urine and blood parameters is noted, the symptoms completely disappear. However, without following the advice of a doctor, the disease can again cause discomfort and complications.