Inflammation of the prostate is one of the most common urological problems in men of all ages. Bacteria and viruses dominate among the causes of prostate inflammation.
What is bacterial prostatitis?
Currently, several forms of bacterial prostatitis are distinguished in the classification:
- Acute inflammation of the prostate.The main characteristic of the disease is the severity of clinical manifestations and complaints of patients, as well as deviations in laboratory tests. But despite the acute form, the prognosis is favorable. In most cases, complete 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, in the background of the manifestations of acute disease, the patient resorts to self-medication or initially does not complete the prescribed course of treatment. In certain situations, this may be the wrong treatment tactic at first. As a result, a significant part of the symptoms gradually disappears, but some manifestations (urination disorders, deterioration of sexual function, discomfort in the genital area) can last and cause discomfort. If not taken in time, the disease becomes chronic with frequent exacerbations. Depending on the characteristics of the infection, the initial development of a subacute form of the disease is possible.
- Chronic type of disease.Almost always, chronic prostatitis is a neglected, untreated or improperly treated disease. Most of the symptoms constantly bring tangible discomfort. Any adverse conditions quickly cause deterioration with deterioration of the condition.
Acute bacterial prostatitis
The disease always begins acutely and develops rapidly. Initially, a general temperature reaction occurs, which often reaches values above 38. 5 degrees. Dysuric disorders appear almost immediately (frequent, difficult urination in small portions, imperative (sudden) urge to urinate, weakening of urine, and sometimes to complete retention of urination).
A very important symptom is pain in the perineum, in the groin, in the scrotum, in the lower abdomen. If in the beginning the pain is accompanied only by the process of urination, then after a while it can be a constant annoyance, including resting. In addition to painful manifestations, the patient has a decrease in sexual desire and worsening of erection.
With these signs of bacterial prostatitis, the patient comes to a urologist. The doctor orders blood and urine tests, and in most cases that may be enough. In the absence of severe pain, prostate secretion can be taken on microscopic examination.
In the acute form of the disease, the characteristic manifestation will be severe pain during the digital examination. At the same time, prostate massage is not performed due to the risk of provoking the spread of infection.
The urologist makes the diagnosis based on laboratory tests and patient complaints. He then prescribes treatment, which usually includes:
- Antibiotic therapy with broad-spectrum drugs. If there are data on the susceptibility of microorganisms, it is possible to choose more effective antibiotics for the patient.
- Painkillers can be prescribed in the form of tablets and in the form of rectal suppositories for topical application. They are often combined with severe pain syndrome.
- Antispasmodics and drugs that improve urine outflow.
- Topical preparations for activation of resistance mechanisms. One of the most prescribed are preparations with extract from prostate tissue, which stimulate local immunity and resistance, because they contain organotropic biologically active molecules.
This list of therapeutic measures, accompanied by adherence to medical regulations and prevention, guarantees complete recovery.
Subacute inflammation of the prostate
The subacute form in the initial phase does not differ from the acute one. However, it occurs 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 usually disappears completely. But other symptoms - dysuric disorders, disorders in the intimate sphere, pain or discomfort in everyday life - remain, albeit with minimal manifestations. Gradually, the patient gets used to not paying attention to them.
The constant slow process is gradually becoming chronic. Very often, any weakening of the immune system leads to a worsening of the process with the development of the clinical picture. Treatment of subacute prostatitis is based on:
- Antibiotic therapy with mandatory determination of susceptibility of microorganisms.
- Painkillers, usually with a long period of action.
- Antispasmodics and drugs that improve urine outflow. In this case, longer courses are needed, because some changes are difficult to reverse.
- Topical preparations with activation of local immune and organotropic mechanisms of resistance. One of the most commonly prescribed are preparations that contain prostate tissue extract.
For subacute prostatitis, it is extremely important to complete the course of treatment and conscientiously follow all the necessary recommendations. In this case, there is a chance that the disease will be cured and prevent its transition to a chronic form, which will be impossible to get rid of.
Chronic prostatitis
This clinical form of the disease can take place in different ways. With exacerbation, the clinical picture becomes similar to the acute form of prostatitis, and outside of exacerbation, minimally expressed symptoms are constantly present.
Leading signs of bacterial prostatitis in remission:
- Dysuric disorders. They are most often represented by a decrease in the speed of urinary flow in the form of a sluggish weakened jet. There is no feeling of complete emptying of the bladder. It is characterized by a frequent urge to urinate in small portions, especially at night - this symptom is called nocturia.
- Injuries to the intimate sphere. In that case, there is discomfort during intercourse, and pain during ejaculation can be noticed. An important sign of the disease is a decrease in the quality of the erection, as well as a decrease in the ability to conceive, all the way to complete infertility.
- Chronic pain syndrome. It is constantly present, reduces a person's quality of life and negatively affects his activity and working ability. At the same time, factors such as hypothermia, physical activity, and 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 susceptibility of microorganisms that cause inflammation.
- Painkillers, usually with a long period of action.
- Antispasmodics and drugs that improve urine outflow. Long-term intake in sufficiently large doses is often required, because the existing changes are practically irreversible and permanent. The main task in this case is to reduce the severity of dysuric phenomena.
- Drugs for local bacterial prostatitis with organotropic and organoprotective resistance mechanism. One of the most prescribed drugs are products with an extract from prostate tissue.
Proper prevention of any form of bacterial prostatitis
Experts currently identify three main areas of prevention that initially help reduce the risk of disease, and in chronic forms reduce the frequency of exacerbations and their severity. This is achieved by reducing the impact of risk factors, such as:
- Stagnation of blood circulation in glandular tissues with irregular sexual activity;
- Frequent change of partner during unprotected intercourse;
- Long break in sex life or excessive, debilitating sexual activity;
- Mechanical rough stimulation of the urethra, especially dangerous due to microtraumatization and direct bacterial infection;
- General and local hypothermia;
- Low physical activity and predominantly sedentary lifestyle;
- Physical exhaustion, exhausting physical activity;
- Genital trauma.
Primary preventionin order to prevent the occurrence of the disease. Here, the role of ensuring personal and intimate hygiene, normalization of physical and sexual activity, avoidance of stressful situations and hypothermia of the perineum is important.
Secondary preventionaimed at the most complete cure of the infectious process. The best result is a complete recovery. The more correctly the treatment is chosen and the more responsible the man is for fulfilling the doctor's prescriptions, the greater the probability of complete recovery.
Tertiary preventionbacterial prostatitis is necessary in situations where the disease has already acquired a chronic form. Its main goal is to prevent the occurrence of exacerbations of the disease.
Not all of the above preventive measures can always provide complete protection against deterioration. Recently, drugs that raise the level of local immunity have appeared and are actively used. This increases the resistance of the prostate tissue. Some of the preparations are of plant origin. They work due to herbal analogues of hormonal compounds. However, the degree of effectiveness of these funds is still being investigated and has not been fully proven.
Preparations based on animal tissue extracts have a more significant evidence base. Organic compounds that are completely suitable for the human body. Among them, suppositories and ampoules from beef prostate tissue extract are most often prescribed. They have a proven level of clinical efficacy in reducing the risk of adverse effects on the prostate. When using these funds, the protective reserves of the gland itself increase. In addition, resistance increases, and the prostate is supplied with the necessary biologically active molecules. In this way, reinforcement at "minimum resistance points" is achieved.