Contents
Vesiculitis is a disease of the genitourinary system in men, characterized by inflammation of the seminal vesicles, one of the important elements of the reproductive function.
This disease most often develops due to the presence of a source of infection in other neighboring organs of the genitourinary system: the prostate, the epididymis or the urethra. In addition, vesiculitis can develop after suffering from a common infectious disease (cold or flu). Also, due to a significant decrease in immunity, pathogenic bacteria can penetrate the seminal vesicles even due to the presence of a dental problem or other distant source of infection.
Types and symptoms of vesiculitis
There are two forms of vesiculitis: acute and chronic. Most often, the disease occurs in a chronic, sluggish form, giving relatively mild symptoms.
The chronic form is the result of not treated in a timely manner, or not completely acute vesiculitis. For this reason, when you find the first symptoms of the disease in yourself, it is recommended not to self-medicate, but to seek help from a qualified specialist. Only a doctor can prescribe a comprehensive, most effective therapy. Independent struggle with the problem in the vast majority of cases gives only the appearance of its elimination. Incorrect medication drives the infection deeper, turning vesiculitis from an acute to a chronic form, which is much more difficult to treat.
Acute vesiculitis is accompanied by the following symptoms:
- Bilateral or unilateral (observed more often) pain in the groin and lower abdomen. Unpleasant sensations become more intense with defecation and with a full bladder.
- Painful erection and ejaculation. Prolonged pain after the completion of intercourse.
- Premature ejaculation (short intercourse).
- Deterioration in the quality of orgasm, or even its absence.
- The presence of bloody inclusions in semen, a change in its quantity (decrease or increase in ejaculate volume) and quality.
- Increased viscosity of sperm, up to clots, lumps.
- Urination disorder.
- Discharge of pus with urine and semen.
- Increase in general body temperature, chills, fatigue, malaise, headaches.
In chronic vesiculitis, the patient observes pain in the perineum, rectum and pelvis. These sensations can be permanent or occur only during urination, defecation, ejaculation. There may also be problems with erection and ejaculation. In some cases, chronic vesiculitis occurs in the complete absence of any symptoms. This is a rather dangerous condition, since if the disease is not treated, then the processes occurring in the seminal vesicles under the influence of infection can lead to infertility.
Causes of vesiculitis, ways of infection
As mentioned earlier, vesiculitis is often the result of diseases of the genitourinary system in men or the flu, sinusitis and other problems. In the first case, the infection penetrates into the seminal vesicles from neighboring organs and the causative agents of the disease are sexually transmitted infections. It is for this reason that it is not recommended to have a promiscuous sex life, which significantly increases the risk of getting an STI. In the second case, the infection that caused the general disease of the body enters the seminal vesicles through the blood.
Factors that increase the risk of developing vesiculitis:
- A sedentary, sedentary lifestyle that contributes to the formation of congestion in the pelvis.
- Malnutrition, which causes frequent constipation and a general decrease in immunity.
- Rare or vice versa – too active sex life, regular use of coitus interruptus as a method of contraception.
- The presence of sources of chronic infection: sinusitis, caries, etc.
- Injuries to the pelvic organs.
- Subcooling.
Diagnostics
Vesiculitis is diagnosed by conducting a whole range of laboratory tests. The doctor may suspect the presence of the disease based on the patient’s complaints, as well as after passing a general blood and urine test. An increased content of leukocytes in the blood and an accelerated ESR indicates the presence of an inflammatory process in the body. The same applies to urinalysis: an increase in the number of leukocytes and erythrocytes, the presence of mucus – all these are symptoms of inflammation.
The final diagnosis is established on the basis of research:
- Digital rectal examination.
- Rectal ultrasound of the prostate and seminal vesicles. Allows you to detect such pathological changes as: an increase in seminal vesicles, swelling, thickening and unevenness of their walls.
- Spermogram. With vesiculitis, the amount of ejaculate changes, the rate of its liquefaction slows down, and the number of active spermatozoa decreases.
- Bakposev secretion of seminal vesicles. Allows you to identify the pathogen and its sensitivity to antibiotics.
Treatment of acute vesiculitis
The acute form is treated mainly in a hospital, but in some cases, home treatment is possible. In the presence of elevated temperature, the patient must comply with bed rest, up to its normalization.
Acute vesiculitis requires properly selected medication and physiotherapy.
The patient is prescribed the following medications:
- Antibiotics. They are selected taking into account the sensitivity of the pathogen.
- Anti-inflammatory drugs. Allow to reduce pain and inflammation in the tissues.
- Laxative. Reduces pain during bowel movements and facilitates the process of bowel cleansing.
In the presence of a pronounced pain syndrome, the doctor prescribes painkillers in the form of rectal suppositories.
Physiotherapeutic procedures for vesiculitis are prescribed to improve blood circulation in the tissues affected by the disease and normalize metabolic processes. They can be carried out only after the main symptoms of the disease (fever, chills) have passed.
Accelerating and improving the effectiveness of the treatment of acute vesiculitis contribute to:
- Warming up the perineum.
- Microclysters with warm infusions of medicinal herbs.
- Sitz baths with warm decoctions of medicinal herbs.
The patient can be prescribed procedures for ultrasound, laser therapy, magnetotherapy, electrophoresis and massage.
In addition to taking medications and performing procedures, the patient should follow a diet that will prevent the occurrence of constipation. It is advisable to eat a sufficient amount of vegetables and fruits, fish, dairy products, natural juices.
For the period of treatment of vesiculitis, it is necessary to abandon products that increase gas formation in the intestines and have an irritating effect on the genitourinary system.
These products include:
- canned, fried, smoked, fatty foods;
- sour berries and fruits;
- carbonated drinks;
- coffee and strong tea;
- cabbage and beans;
- spice.
With the development of complications of vesiculitis and the filling of seminal vesicles with pus, surgical treatment is prescribed by draining the purulent contents. If the form of the disease is very severe, it may be necessary to remove the problematic organ. Otherwise, the lack of proper medical care can lead to a general infection of the body!
Treatment of chronic vesiculitis
Treatment of chronic vesiculitis, despite the apparent “lightness” of the patient’s condition, is a long and rather complicated process.
The complex is selected by the attending physician, taking into account the patient’s condition. It includes medication, physiotherapy, diet and lifestyle changes for the patient. Moreover, it is extremely important not only to complete the entire course of therapy, but also to evaluate its effectiveness, to exclude the presence of infection in the body. For this purpose, a repeated (control) examination is carried out every 4-6 weeks.
If chronic vesiculitis is not treated thoroughly, the disease will soon make itself felt again.
Drugs for chronic vesiculitis:
- Antibiotics. They are selected taking into account sensitivity (according to the results of bakposev).
- Anti-inflammatory drugs.
- Alpha blockers. To eliminate problems with urination.
- Preparations for immunocorrection (to increase the body’s resistance to infections).
The complex treatment of the chronic form includes the same physiotherapeutic procedures as the treatment of the acute form.
In general, the principles of treatment of both forms of the disease are similar. The main difference lies in the principle of the use of antibiotics. In chronic vesiculitis, they are drunk in alternating courses, with the obligatory change of the main active substance.
Prevention of vesiculitis
To prevent the development of vesiculitis, it is necessary to treat the underlying disease, as well as follow a number of recommendations: • Prevention. In those situations where there is no confidence in the health of the partner, a condom should be used during sexual intercourse. Sexual infections very often lead to the development of vesiculitis, and it is far from always possible to diagnose and eliminate them in time. In some cases, they are hidden. • Physical activity. A sedentary lifestyle leads to stagnation in the pelvic organs, as a result – problems with potency, inflammatory processes, including the development of vesiculitis. If the lifestyle involves prolonged sitting, then it is necessary to allocate time for regular charging. There are special complexes that prevent the formation of congestion in the pelvis. • Food. It is necessary to limit or completely eliminate: smoked meats, highly salted, spicy, pickled dishes, canned food. You also need to moderate your alcohol intake. It is important to include more fresh vegetables and fruits in the diet. • Sexual activity. Prolonged abstinence negatively affects men’s health. Therefore, it is important to have sexual intercourse regularly, but without fanaticism, since sexual hyperactivity is as harmful as lack of sex. • Health status. Strengthen general immunity, try to avoid hypothermia, physical fatigue, lack of sleep. • Chronic diseases. Early detection and treatment of diseases of the genital organs. To do this, it is necessary to regularly, at least once a year, undergo an examination.
Accompanying illnesses
Vesiculitis in an isolated form, i.e. by itself is quite rare. The close location of organs and their direct connection with each other contributes to the spread of infection. Often this disease is accompanied by the following problems:
- Prostatitis is an inflammation of the prostate gland.
- Epididymitis is an inflammatory disease of the epididymis.
- Urethritis is inflammation of the urethra.
- Varicocele is an enlargement of the veins of the spermatic cord.
For this reason, when one disease is detected, it is recommended to conduct a comprehensive examination, which will identify all existing problems and prescribe appropriate treatment.