Inflammation of the prostate gland is one of the most common urological problems in men of all ages. Bacteria and viruses predominate among the causes of inflammation in the prostate.
What is bacterial prostatitis?
Currently, the classification distinguishes several forms of bacterial prostatitis:
- Acute inflammation of the prostate.The main feature of the disease is the severity of clinical manifestations and complaints of the patient, as well as abnormalities in laboratory tests. But despite the acute form, the prognosis is favorable. 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.This happens when, against the background of manifestations of an acute illness, the patient resorts to self-medication or does not initially complete the prescribed course of treatment. In certain situations, this may initially be the wrong treatment tactic. As a result, a significant part 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 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 also possible.
- Chronic type of disease.Chronic prostatitis is almost always a neglected, untreated or improperly treated disease. Most of the symptoms are constantly noticeable discomfort. Any adverse conditions quickly cause exacerbation with deterioration.
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, difficulty urinating in small portions, imperative (sudden) urges to urinate, weakening of the urine stream, and sometimes to complete retention of urination).
A very important symptom is pain in the perineum, groin, scrotum, lower abdomen. If initially the pain accompanies only the process of urination, after some time it can irritate constantly, including at rest. In addition to the manifestations of pain, the patient has a decrease in sexual desire and worsening of erection.
It is with these signs of bacterial prostatitis that the patient comes to a specialist urologist. The doctor will order blood and urine tests, and in most cases this may be enough. 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 a digital examination. At the same time, prostate massage is not performed due to the risk of provoking the spread of infection.
The urologist makes a diagnosis based on laboratory tests and the patient's complaints. He then prescribes treatment, which usually includes:
- Antibiotic therapy with broad-spectrum drugs. If there is evidence of 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. In severe pain, they are often combined.
- Antispasmodics and drugs that improve urine flow.
- Topical preparations aimed at activating the mechanisms of resistance. One of the most prescribed are preparations with an extract from the tissues of the prostate gland, which stimulate local immunity and resistance, as they contain organotropic biologically active molecules.
This list of therapeutic measures, followed by medical prescriptions and prevention, guarantees full recovery.
Subacute inflammation of the prostate
The subacute form in the initial stage does not differ from the acute one. However, it is formed due to incomplete or intermittent treatment. At the same time, the patient's vigilance is lulled to sleep by the fact that the most severe symptoms disappear, such as fever, which most often disappears completely. But other symptoms - dysuric disorders, intimate disorders, 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 gradually becomes chronic. Very often, any weakening of the immune system leads to exacerbation of the process with the development of the clinical picture. Treatment of subacute prostatitis is based on:
- Antibiotic therapy with mandatory determination of the susceptibility of microorganisms.
- Painkillers and most often with a long period of action.
- Antispasmodics and drugs that improve urine flow. In this case, longer courses are needed, as some of the changes become difficult to reverse.
- Preparations for topical application with activation of local immune and organotropic mechanisms of resistance. One of the most commonly prescribed are preparations containing prostate tissue extract.
For subacute prostatitis it is extremely important to complete the course of treatment and to conscientiously follow all the necessary recommendations. In this case, there is a chance to cure the disease and prevent it from turning into a chronic form, which will be impossible to get rid of.
Chronic prostatitis
This clinical form of the disease can occur in different ways. With exacerbation, the clinical picture becomes similar to an acute form of inflammation of the prostate gland, and outside the exacerbation there are constantly minimal symptoms.
Leading signs of bacterial prostatitis in remission:
- Dysuric disorders. Most often they are represented by a decrease in the rate of urinary flow in the form of a slow attenuated jet. There is no feeling of complete emptying of the bladder. Characteristic is the frequent urge to urinate in small portions, especially at night - this symptom is called nocturia.
- Disorders of the intimate sphere. In this case, there is discomfort during intercourse, and pain may be observed during ejaculation. An important sign of the disease is the reduction of the quality of the erection, as well as the reduction of the ability to conceive, to complete infertility.
- Chronic pain syndrome. It is constantly present, reduces the quality of life of men and negatively affects his activity and ability to work. At the same time, factors such as hypothermia, physical activity, stress often increase pain.
In exacerbation of chronic disease, the treatment of bacterial prostatitis does not differ 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 period of action.
- Antispasmodics and drugs that improve urine flow. Prolonged intake in sufficiently large doses is often necessary, as the existing changes are practically irreversible and permanent. The main task in this case is to reduce the severity of dysuric phenomena.
- Drugs for bacterial prostatitis with local action with organotropic and organoprotective mechanism of resistance. One of the most prescribed drugs are products with an extract from the tissues of the prostate gland.
Proper prevention of any form of bacterial prostatitis
Currently, experts identify three main areas of prevention that help initially reduce the risk of the disease, and in its 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 the tissues of the gland with irregular sexual activity;
- Frequent change of partners during unprotected intercourse;
- Long pause in sexual life or excessive, disabling sexual activity;
- Mechanical rough stimulation of the urethra, especially dangerous due to microtrauma and direct bacterial infection;
- General and local hypothermia;
- Low physical activity and mostly sedentary lifestyle;
- Physical exhaustion, exhausting physical activity;
- Genital trauma.
Primary preventionaimed at preventing the onset of disease. An important role here is given to ensuring personal and intimate hygiene, normalization of physical and sexual activity, avoidance of stressful situations and hypothermia of the perineum.
Secondary preventionaimed at the most complete cure of the infectious process. The best result is a full recovery. The more correctly the treatment is chosen and the more responsible the man is to follow 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 purpose is to prevent exacerbations of the disease.
Not all of the above preventive measures can always provide full protection against exacerbations. Recently, drugs that increase the level of local immunity have appeared and are actively used. This increases the resilience of prostate tissue. Some of the preparations are of plant origin. They work thanks to plant analogues of hormonal compounds. However, the degree of effectiveness of these drugs is still being studied and has not been fully proven.
Preparations based on tissue extracts from animals have a more substantial evidence base. Organic compounds that are perfectly suitable for the human body. Among them, suppositories and ampoules of bovine prostate 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, there is an increase in the protective reserves of the gland itself. In addition, resistance increases and the prostate is supplied with the necessary biologically active molecules. In this way, strengthening at the "minimum resistance point" is achieved.