Inflammation of the prostate gland is one of the most common urological problems in men of any age. Bacteria and viruses predominate among the causes of inflammation in the prostate.
What is bacterial prostatitis?
Currently, several forms of bacterial prostatitis are distinguished in their classification:
- Acute inflammation of the prostate.The main features of the disease are the severity of clinical manifestations and complaints from patients, as well as deviations in laboratory tests. But despite the acute form, the prognosis is good. In most cases, full recovery is possible. Of course, only with proper diagnosis and treatment. And with prevention, the disease may no longer remind itself.
- Subacute form.It occurs when, against the background of acute disease manifestations, the patient uses his own medications, or initially does not fully complete the prescribed course of medication. In certain situations, this may be a treatment tactic that was initially incorrect. As a result, most of the symptoms gradually disappear, but some manifestations (urinary disorders, deterioration of sexual function, discomfort in the genital area) may persist and cause discomfort. If not taken in a timely manner, the disease becomes chronic with frequent exacerbations. Depending on the characteristics of the infection, early development of subacute forms of the disease is also possible.
- Types of chronic diseases.Almost always, chronic prostatitis is a disease that is neglected, untreated or not treated properly. Most symptoms always bring significant discomfort. Any bad condition quickly causes severity with deterioration in condition.
Acute bacterial prostatitis
The disease always begins acutely and develops rapidly. Initially, a general temperature reaction occurs, which often reaches values in excess of 38. 5 degrees. Almost immediately, urinary disturbances occur (frequent, difficult urination in small portions, urging (sudden) to urinate, impaired urine flow, and sometimes up to complete urinary retention).
A very important symptom is pain in the perineum, in the groin, in the scrotum, in the lower abdomen. If at first the pain only accompanies the process of urination, then after a while it can interfere continuously, including during rest. In addition to the manifestations of pain, patients have a decrease in sexual desire and a decline in erections.
It is with signs of bacterial prostatitis that patients come to a urologist. Doctors order blood and urine tests, and in most cases these may be sufficient. In the absence of severe pain, prostate secretions may be taken for microscopic examination.
In the acute form of the disease, the characteristic manifestation will be severe pain during digital examination. At the same time, prostate massage is not performed because of the risk of triggering the spread of infection.
Urologists make diagnoses based on laboratory tests and patient complaints. Then he prescribes treatments, which usually include:
- Antibiotic therapy with broad -spectrum drugs. If there are data on the sensitivity of microorganisms, it is possible to choose antibiotics that are more effective for patients.
- Painkillers can be prescribed in tablet form and in the form of rectal suppositories for topical use. With strong pain syndromes, they are often combined.
- Antispasmodics and medications that increase urine outflow.
- Topical preparations are intended to activate the resistance mechanism. One of the most prescribed is a preparation with an extract from the tissue of the prostate gland, which stimulates local immunity and resistance, as it contains biologically active organotropic molecules.
This list of therapeutic measures, followed by adherence to medical and preventive prescriptions, guarantees a complete recovery.
Subacute inflammation of the prostate
The subacute form in the early stages is no different from the acute one. However, it is formed due to incomplete or interrupted treatment. At the same time, the patient’s alertness is lulled by the fact that the most acute symptoms disappear, such as fever, which most often disappear completely. But other symptoms - disorientation disorders, disturbances in the intimate sphere, pain or discomfort in daily life - remain, even with minimal manifestations. Gradually, patients get used to not paying attention to them.
The constant damp process gradually turns into chronic. Often, any weakness of the immune system leads to a deterioration of the process with the development of the clinical picture. Treatment of subacute prostatitis is based on:
- Antibiotic therapy with mandatory determination of the sensitivity of microorganisms.
- Painkillers, and most often with a long duration of action.
- Antispasmodics and medications that increase urine outflow. In this case, a longer course is required, as some changes become difficult to reverse.
- Topical preparations with activation of local immune and organotropic resistance mechanisms. One of the most commonly prescribed is a preparation containing prostate tissue extract.
It is very important for subacute prostatitis to complete the course of treatment and adhere to all the necessary recommendations carefully. In this case, there is an opportunity to cure the disease and prevent its transition to a chronic form, which is impossible to get rid of.
Chronic prostatitis
The clinical form of the disease can proceed in different ways. With exacerbation, the clinical picture becomes similar to that of an acute form of inflammation of the prostate gland, and beyond exacerbation, minimally significant symptoms are always present.
The main signs of bacterial prostatitis in remission:
- Disorders are traced. Often they are represented by a decrease in the velocity of urine flow in the form of damp weak jets. There is no feeling of complete emptiness in the bladder. Frequent urge to urinate in small portions, especially at night, is characteristic - this symptom is called nocturia.
- Violation of the intimate sphere. In this case, there is discomfort during intercourse, and pain during ejaculation may also be observed. An important sign of this disease is a decrease in the quality of erections, as well as a decrease in the ability to conceive, until complete infertility.
- Chronic pain syndrome. It is always present, reducing a man’s quality of life and negatively affecting his activity and ability to work. At the same time, factors such as hypothermia, physical activity, stress often increase pain.
With the exacerbation of chronic disease, the treatment of bacterial prostatitis is no different from the treatment of acute or subacute forms:
- Antibiotic therapy with mandatory determination of the sensitivity of microorganisms that cause inflammation.
- Painkillers, and most often with a long duration of action.
- Antispasmodics and medications that increase urine outflow. Often, long -term intake in large enough doses is required, as existing changes are almost irreversible and permanent. The main task in this case is to reduce the severity of the traced phenomenon.
- Drugs for bacterial prostatitis of local action with organotropic and organoprotective resistance mechanisms. One of the most prescribed medications is a product with an extract from prostate gland tissue.
Proper prevention of any form of bacterial prostatitis
Currently, experts recognize three key areas of prevention that help initially reduce the risk of disease, and in its chronic form, reduce the frequency of their exacerbation and severity. This is achieved by reducing the influence of risk factors, such as:
- Stagnation of blood circulation in glandular tissue with irregular sexual activity;
- Frequent exchange of partners during unprotected intercourse;
- Long breaks in sexual life, or excessive and debilitating sexual activity;
- Gross mechanical stimulation of the urethra, especially dangerous due to microtraumatization and direct bacterial infection;
- General and local hypothermia;
- Low physical activity and a mostly inactive lifestyle;
- Physical fatigue, strenuous physical activity;
- Traumatization of the genitals.
Primary preventionintended to prevent the occurrence of disease. An important role here is given to ensure personal and intimate hygiene, normalization of physical and sexual activity, avoidance of stressful situations and perineal hypothermia.
Secondary preventionaimed at the most complete cure of the infectious process. The best result is a complete recovery. The more accurately the treatment is chosen and the more responsible the man is for fulfilling the doctor’s prescription, the higher the probability of a full recovery.
Tertiary preventionbacterial prostatitis is necessary in situations where the disease has acquired a chronic form. The main goal is to prevent the progression of the disease.
Not always all of the above precautions can provide full protection against severity. Recently, drugs that increase local levels of immunity have emerged and have been actively used. This increases the resilience of prostate tissue. Part of the preparation is from plants. This acts because of plant analogs of hormonal compounds. However, the level of effectiveness of these funds is still under investigation and not fully proven.
Preparations based on animal tissue extracts have a larger evidence base. Organic compounds that are completely suitable for the human body. Among them, the most commonly prescribed are suppositories and ampoules of bovine prostate tissue extract. They have a proven level of clinical efficacy in reducing the risk of adverse effects on the prostate. When using these funds, there is an increase in the protective reserves of the gland itself. In addition, resistance increases, and the prostate is provided with the necessary biologically active molecules. In this way, consolidation is achieved at the "minimum resistance point".