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What is prostatitis
To all the boys in childhood, both mothers and grandmothers said: do not sit in the cold, you will catch a cold THERE! Where it is there and that such a terrible thing will happen because of this, of course, we did not understand then. And happy is he who does not know about it even now.
Prostatitis is an inflammation of the prostate gland. It is on the road from our bladder to the penis. The urethra passes through it. If the gland becomes inflamed, the channel is compressed and such a simple thing as going to the toilet becomes very painful, long and painful.
There are three types of prostatitis.
- acute prostatitis;
- chronic prostatitis;
- chronic pelvic pain syndrome.
Symptoms of acute prostatitis
You may be diagnosed with prostatitis if you have the following symptoms:
- it hurts to urinate
- just moving away from the toilet, you rush back again, because you feel that not all urine has come out,
- you constantly want a little, even at night,
- while it hurts and burns between your legs,
- high temperature, throws you into the heat, then into the cold.
Symptoms of chronic prostatitis
“Chronic prostatitis can be similar to other diseases,” explains Head of the Department of Urology and Andrology, Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University, Doctor of Medical Sciences Sergey Kotov. – Chronic prostatitis appears after several acute ones, especially if they are not treated. You may not have a fever, but you may feel discomfort in your perineum or lower abdomen. Sometimes these complaints may appear after sex, arousal, or vice versa disappear.
Symptoms of Chronic Pelvic Pain Syndrome
Chronic prostatitis also includes a whole group of problems called “chronic pelvic pain.” In terms of pain and discomfort, this is very similar to prostatitis, but the examination does not reveal any infection or inflammation of the prostate gland – the prostate. This is the largest group of patients! To establish an accurate diagnosis and treatment in such cases, sometimes it is necessary to consult not only a urologist, but also the help of a neurologist, a pain specialist, a psychotherapist, and in severe cases even a psychiatrist.
– In patients over 45-50 years old, similar symptoms – frequent, difficult and painful urination – can be caused by adenoma or prostate cancer, warns Head of the Urology Department, Candidate of Medical Sciences Sergey Savelyev. – If such symptoms are present in a patient, many people, succumbing to the “advertising” of prostatitis in the media, may not go to the doctor, treat prostatitis at home and miss such more serious diseases as adenoma and cancer. Patients may also think that they have prostatitis, but in fact it can be osteochondrosis, sciatica, and even rectal cancer!
Causes of Prostatitis
Acute prostatitis occurs due to infection. You can pick it up during casual sex without a condom. But other options are also possible.
Normally, we are all covered in germs. They live on us and multiply, but we do not even notice it. Man has learned to live with microbes and even benefit from it. For example, the stick that lives in our intestines helps to digest food and better absorb vitamins and nutrients. And everything is going well, as long as we have order with immunity. But once it is weakened, completely harmless bacteria can multiply too much and penetrate where they should not.
This happens if you:
- froze (even while fishing, even going home in the rain with wet feet);
- underwent unsuccessful medical manipulations, for example, they took a swab from the urethra and brought something in, or simply scratched it and the bacteria that are in the urine entered the wound;
- decided to try something new in sex, for example, anal sex without a condom, or tried to shove something into your penis for the sake of thrills (there are real cases);
- drank a lot of alcohol, and it extinguishes the immune system both directly and helps bacteria get into the wrong place due to dilated veins and stagnant blood – the prostate gland swells, the normal outflow of urine is disturbed and it is easier for bacteria to infiltrate the prostate.
Also, from drinking you can be drawn to sexual exploits (and there are infections, do you remember?) Or you will fall asleep after a friendly booze in the cold in the park, entrance, hallway (underline as much as you can).
Why is prostatitis dangerous?
– Acute prostatitis, if it is not properly treated, can reach an abscess – an accumulation of pus in the prostate gland, – Sergey Kotov explains. – This, in turn, without treatment can lead to sepsis – blood poisoning, if in a simple way. If acute prostatitis occurs frequently, it can lead to scarring of the prostate gland, to a deterioration in the quality of sperm.
Regular exacerbation of prostatitis with improper treatment can lead to chronic pelvic pain. The nervous system begins to react to any changes in that area, as if there is prostatitis. A person goes to the doctor, he is once again prescribed antibiotics and anti-inflammatory drugs, but they do not help, since there is no inflammation and infection! Treatment does not help – the person begins depression. He closes on his problem, it seems to him that it hurts constantly. And then it is necessary to involve not only a urologist, but also other specialists, up to a psychiatrist, in the treatment.
“Of course, patients are worried about pain and other unpleasant sensations that prevent you from living a normal life,” Sergey Savelyev adds. – But to say that chronic prostatitis is dangerous in some way … Globally, it does not threaten life and health. There is a misconception that with prostatitis there will be problems with erection. But in general, the prostate has nothing to do with erectile function.
Treatment of prostatitis
– Acute prostatitis requires immediate treatment to a urologist! As a rule, you need to go to the hospital, everything is so serious, – Sergey Savelyev warns. – If you delay, an abscess of the prostate gland may begin (roughly speaking, an abscess may form), you will have to undergo an operation and then treatment is extremely long and unpleasant. Don’t hesitate to see a doctor!
There has been a lot of unreasonable talk about chronic prostatitis lately, there are advertisements about remedies for prostatitis, many people are trying to make money on this topic. This is a very “convenient” diagnosis, they even write off a headache on it. “My head hurts? Oh, it’s probably from prostatitis.” In no case should you treat prostatitis at home! Treatment is long and complex. If it is not treated correctly, the prostate becomes a focus of chronic infection, which then spreads throughout the body.
– If the diagnosis is correct, and the therapy is chosen correctly, then prostatitis responds well to treatment, – explains Sergey Kotov. “But if we’re dealing with chronic pelvic pain, standard antibiotics and anti-inflammatory drugs won’t help. The process is more complicated and long, but everything is curable. No need to lose heart and think that as a man he will have only problems. Psychological attitude is very important in treatment!
By the way, how often do you need to see a urologist?
– Young men, if necessary, only when symptoms appear, – Sergey Savelyev answers. – Men after 45 years – 1 time in 12-24 months.
Medical supplies
As you already understood, there are as many as three types of prostatitis. And they are all treated differently.
Treatment for acute prostatitis with medical means is primarily aimed at its cause – infection. Therefore, antibiotics are primarily used to treat acute prostatitis.
Then, to bring down the temperature and relieve pain, antipyretic and anti-inflammatory drugs are used. Often, one drug copes with these roles.
They also prescribe drugs that relieve swelling from the prostate and facilitate the passage of urine through it.
Treatment for chronic prostatitis is also directed against the infection that caused the exacerbation, to reduce inflammation, swelling, to improve the nutrition of prostate tissues and to prevent the formation of connective tissue – by simple scarring or adhesions in the prostate.
By the way, many people think that with prostatitis they do surgery. But it’s not.
– In the global sense, operations for prostatitis are not performed. Unless we are talking about an abscess (abscess) of the prostate in acute prostatitis. Then it is opened and drained, Sergey Savelyev explains. – Remove the entire prostate only for cancer. If the patient has a so-called “cold”, i.e. a previously formed abscess that was not treated or was not detected for one reason or another in acute prostatitis, but the patient globally recovered, then it is possible to perform a TUR operation – transurethral resection of the prostate in a delayed manner.
If we are talking about chronic pelvic pain, then the treatment is completely different and is selected in each case, depending on the cause that caused it. The options here are already limitless.
Folk methods
The most popular folk method of treating prostatitis is heating. In a bathhouse and various infrared lamps, a bag of heated sand and newfangled devices supposedly treating with laser radiation and microcurrents.
Warming up can really relax the prostate a little and relieve pain. But, since we already know that the main cause of prostatitis is an infection, warming up has no effect on it. Bacteria even more pleasant to multiply in comfortable conditions.
Another popular lately folk remedy for prostatitis is propolis. The Internet is simply replete with recipes on how to make propolis candles for prostatitis yourself.
Propolis does have a slight antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory effect. Many people like to suck it for sore throats and sore throats. But it is clear that with severe inflammation and to fight such an infection that causes prostatitis, it is too weak.
How to treat prostatitis at home
– By ourselves – no way. At home, you can follow the doctor’s recommendations and take prescribed drugs, explains Sergey Savelyev. – A good effect is given by microclysters with decoctions of herbs as part of complex treatment along with antibiotics and anti-inflammatory drugs. But which collection to apply in your case, you need to decide together with the doctor, since everything is very individual and there may be an allergy to one of the components.
It is also very important to follow a diet with prostatitis! In acute prostatitis or exacerbation of chronic, it is necessary to exclude all those products that have a stimulating effect on the body – alcohol, coffee, spices, etc.
Also on the Internet, numerous folk methods for the treatment of prostatitis are described. The most popular methods for treating prostatitis at home on the Internet are pumpkin seeds, burdock root, pear fruit and leaf, parsley, onion, tea with honey, propolis, chestnuts, bear (red) root, horsetail grass and other herbal remedies.
– Globally, all of the above is nonsense. You always want to sell it to a naive layman, – explains Sergey Savelyev. – And he, in turn, does not like to make efforts to preserve his health. How convenient it is to entertain yourself with the thought that by eating pumpkin seeds, you will be cured of all diseases. Cheap, fast, tasty and with minimal effort. It doesn’t happen!
By the way, not that the method of treatment, but rather a way to prevent prostatitis is regular sex. During sex, the blood supply increases, the secretion of the prostate gland in the semen is erupted – this is very good for combating congestion! It will not help to cure, but for the prevention of prostatitis – that’s it! Just do not forget to protect yourself from sexually transmitted infections if you have sex with different partners. And yes, masturbation is worse in this regard – it does not have such a strong increase in blood flow as during sex.