Prostatitis is a disease based on an inflammatory lesion of the tissue of the prostate gland (prostate), which is manifested by a variety of symptoms. The disease is observed only in a strong half of the population due to the fact that the prostate is located only in the male body.
Etiology (causes) of inflammation
Many factors lead to the development of the disease. The most common of them are:
- The presence of a focus of infection in the body (tonsillitis, tonsillitis, bronchitis, gonorrhea, tuberculosis, etc. )
- Trauma to the external genitalia.
- Damage to the soft tissues of the pelvic region.
- Frequent hypothermia of the body.
- Low level of physical activity.
- Urinary retention.
- Stagnation of seminal secretion, due to the presence of irregular sex life.
- Overweight.
- Sedentary lifestyle.
- Chronic inflammatory processes in the organs of the genitourinary system (pyelonephritis, urethritis, orchitis, cystitis, epididymitis)
- Hormonal imbalance.
- Disorders of the intestine, manifested by a violation of the passage of food (constipation, diarrhea)
- The presence of an inflammatory process in the rectum (proctitis, anal fissure, hemorrhoids, paraproctitis)
- Presence of a history of sexually transmitted diseases.
- Stress.
- Smoking.
- Alcohol abuse.
- Avitaminosis.
- Overwork.
- Violent sexual activity.
- Immunodeficiency.
causative agents of the disease
The most common microorganisms that cause the development of prostate inflammation are:
- Escherichia coli (about 80%)
- Serratia Pseudomonas.
- Klebsiella Pseudomonas.
- Proteus Pseudomonas.
- enterococcus.
- Staphylococcus aureus.
Classifications of disease processes
In medicine, several classifications have been adopted to describe the course of infection in the prostate.
Clinico-pathomorphological-etiological classification:
- Acute prostatitis.
- Prostate abscess.
- Prostatism.
- Chronic prostatitis.
- Granulomatous inflammation of the prostate.
- Congestive prostatitis.
- Prostate sclerosis.
- Prostatorrhea.
- Atypical forms of chronic prostatitis.
- Autonomic prostatopathy.
Also, the described disease is differentiated by classes:
- 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 the disease
Based on the above classifications, it can be determined that the main types of prostatitis are:
- Spicy.
- Chronic.
The acute inflammatory process, depending on the degree of damage to the prostate tissue, is divided into several forms:
- Catarrhal.
- Follicular.
- Parenchymatous (diffuse).
The catarrhal form is characterized by a slight superficial inflammatory process that affects the acini of the prostate. Due to this, the patency of the excretory ducts of the latter is disturbed. This leads to the accumulation of secretions inside the prostate. The prostate grows and becomes oedematous.
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 are formed in them.
In the parenchymal form, the inflammation covers all the tissue of the prostate. It becomes edematous and very painful. Against the background of parenchymal prostatitis, a prostate abscess may form.
Clearly expressed forms of chronic pathology are currently not found in the medical literature.
Disease stages
Despite the fact that there are no pronounced forms during the chronic process, this pathology is divided into several stages.
The first is the step of alternative changes. It is manifested by a slight inflammatory effect on the prostate tissue. If treatment is started in a timely manner (at this stage), the disease very quickly stops. As a rule, relapses of the disease are not observed.
If the patient does not receive treatment, the stage of proliferative changes begins. During this, the prostate tissue grows in order to suppress the inflammation. Later comes the third stage - fibrosclerotic 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. Due to this, a person begins to relapse the disease and acquires a long course.
Symptoms
Acute pathology is manifested by the following clinical symptoms:
- An increase in body temperature up to 38 - 40 ° C.
- Deterioration of general condition.
- Chills.
- Pain above the uterus, in the perineum, anus, glans penis.
- Discomfort during urination and/or defecation.
- Delayed stools, gas.
- Increased urge to urinate.
- Urinary retention.
- Increased excitability.
Chronic prostatitis is characterized by the following symptoms:
- Discomfort in the lower abdomen.
- Dyserection.
- Irritability.
- Whitish discharge from the penis.
- Increase the duration of sexual intercourse.
- Weakening of the urine stream.
- Incomplete emptying of the bladder.
Complications of the disease process
In the absence of a timely start or improper treatment, the development of acute pathology can have different directions.
In the first case, acute inflammation of the prostate turns into a chronic process. The latter is characterized by a modification of the periods of exacerbations and remissions. It is very difficult to cure chronic prostatitis, as a rule, you will have to accept it and be ready for the next exacerbation.
If the inflammatory process develops very quickly, it can lead to the formation of an abscess in the prostate. In other words, a large abscess forms in the prostate tissue. The most common treatment for a prostate abscess is surgery.
Bacteria from the lesion can enter the bloodstream, since the prostate is very well supplied with blood. If this happens, a very formidable complication is revealed in a person - sepsis. It is very difficult to overcome sepsis, therefore, the percentage of deaths, in the presence of this disease, is very high.
Untreated disease can lead to the development of male infertility due to the fact that the seminal vesicles are located next to the prostate. Also, the gland is closely related to the testicles, in which the formation of spermatozoa occurs.
Inflammation of the prostate can lead to a narrowing of the urethra. Due to the fit of the latter to the urethra, inflammation of the prostate can spread to the urethra. This leads to the formation of scar tissue in the urethra and a decrease in its diameter.
In addition to spreading the inflammatory process to the urethra, it can spread to the bladder. Thus, the patient may experience recurrent (recurring) cystitis. If there is a discharge of infected urine from the bladder into the kidney, this leads to the development of pyelonephritis.
Disease treatment
Particular attention should be paid to the fact that the treatment of prostatitis should be comprehensive. In the treatment of acute prostatitis, the following points should be observed:
- Fighting the inflammatory process in the prostate is impossible without the appointment of antibacterial drugs. The attending physician should determine the causative agent of the disease and prescribe a drug to destroy it. It is better when the doctor prescribes taking several antibiotics at the same time.
- Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. They have a good analgesic effect and reduce inflammation. It is recommended to take these drugs not only in the form of tablets, but also in the form of suppositories for rectal use.
- In case of severe general condition or high body temperature, detox therapy can be performed.
- When diagnosing a prostate abscess in a patient, surgery is required.
In order to recover from chronic inflammation of the prostate, the following are needed:
- Prostate massage (performed only by a urologist)
- Drugs that improve metabolism in the prostate.
- Take NSAIDs.
- Immunomodulating drugs.
- Physiotherapy.
- Sedative drugs.