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 gland.
What is bacterial prostatitis?
Currently, there are several forms of bacterial prostatitis in the classification:
- Acute inflammation of the prostate.The main characteristic feature of the disease is the severity of clinical manifestations and complaints from the patient, as well as deviations from laboratory tests. However, despite its 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 can no longer remind itself.
- Subacute form.Occurs when the patient self-medicates against the background of an acute illness or does not complete the course of medication prescribed earlier. In some cases, this may be the wrong treatment tactic in the first place. As a result, a significant part of the symptoms gradually disappears, but some manifestations (impaired urination, deterioration of sexual function, discomfort in the genitals) may persist and cause discomfort. When not taken in time, the disease often becomes chronic with exacerbations. Depending on the nature 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 cause constant discomfort. Any unfavorable situation quickly escalates as the situation worsens.
Acute bacterial prostatitis
The disease always begins acutely and progresses rapidly. Initially, a total temperature reaction often occurs, reaching values above 38. 5 degrees. Almost immediately, dysuric disorders occur (frequent, difficult urination in small portions, an imperative (sudden) urge to urinate, weakened urine flow, and sometimes to complete urinary retention).
A very important symptom is pain in the perineum, groin, scrotum, lower abdomen. If the pain is initially accompanied only by urination, after a while it can be constantly irritating, including rest. In addition to the manifestations of pain, the patient has a decrease in sexual desire and worsening of erection.
It is with these symptoms of bacterial prostatitis that a patient consults a specialist urologist. The doctor prescribes blood and urine tests, and in most cases this is sufficient. In the absence of severe pain, prostate secretion may be removed for microscopic examination.
A characteristic manifestation of the acute form of the disease will be severe pain during digital examination. At the same time, prostate massage is not performed because it can cause the spread of infection.
The urologist makes a diagnosis based on laboratory tests and patient complaints. He or she will then prescribe treatment that usually includes:
- Antibiotic therapy with broad-spectrum drugs. If there is information about the susceptibility of microorganisms, it is possible to choose more effective antibiotics for the patient.
- Analgesics can be prescribed in tablet form and in the form of rectal suppositories for topical use. They are often combined with severe pain syndrome.
- Antispasmodics and drugs that improve urine flow.
- Local drugs aimed at activating resistance mechanisms. One of the most commonly prescribed drugs is an extract from the tissues of the prostate gland, which stimulates local immunity and resistance, because it contains organotropic biologically active molecules.
This list of therapeutic measures, followed by adherence to medical prescriptions and prevention, ensures complete recovery.
Subacute inflammation of the prostate
At the initial stage, the subacute form does not differ sharply. However, it occurs as a result of incomplete or interrupted treatment. At the same time, the patient's vigilance decreases with the disappearance of the most acute symptoms, such as fever, which in most cases disappear completely. However, other symptoms - dysuric disorders, intimate disorders, pain or discomfort in daily life - remain with minimal manifestations. Gradually, the patient becomes accustomed to ignoring them.
The constant slow process gradually becomes a chronic process. Very often, any weakening of the immune system exacerbates 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 and often long-acting.
- Antispasmodics and drugs that improve urine flow. In this situation, longer courses are needed, as some changes are difficult to reverse.
- Topical drugs that activate local immune and organotropic resistance mechanisms. One of the most commonly prescribed drugs is prostate tissue extract.
It is extremely important to complete the course of treatment for subacute prostatitis and follow all the necessary recommendations in good faith. In this case, there is a chance to treat the disease and prevent it from becoming chronic, it will not be possible to get rid of it.
Chronic prostatitis
This clinical form of the disease can persist in different ways. The clinical picture with exacerbation is similar to the acute form of inflammation of the prostate gland, and minimally expressed symptoms are always present, except for exacerbation.
The main symptoms of bacterial prostatitis in remission:
- Dysuric disorders. Often they are represented by a decrease in the speed of urine flow in the form of a slowly weakened jet. There is no feeling of complete emptying of the bladder. In small parts, especially at night, frequent urination is characteristic - this symptom is called nocturia.
- Disruption of the intimate sphere. This can cause discomfort during sexual intercourse and pain during ejaculation. An important symptom of the disease is a decrease in the quality of erections, as well as a decrease in the ability to conceive until complete infertility.
- Chronic pain syndrome. It is always present, reduces a person's quality of life, has a negative impact on his performance and ability to work. At the same time, factors such as hypothermia, physical activity, stress often increase pain.
Treatment of bacterial prostatitis with exacerbation of a chronic disease is no different from the treatment of acute or subacute forms:
- Antibiotic therapy with mandatory detection of susceptibility of microorganisms that cause inflammation.
- Painkillers and often long-acting.
- Antispasmodics and drugs that improve urine flow. Often long-term administration of large enough doses is required, because the existing changes are virtually irreversible and permanent. The main task in this situation is to reduce the severity of dysuria.
- Drugs for local bacterial prostatitis with organotropic and organoprotective resistance mechanism. One of the most commonly prescribed drugs is products containing extracts from prostate tissue.
Proper prevention of any form of bacterial prostatitis
Currently, experts recognize three main prophylactic areas that help reduce the initial risk of the disease and reduce the frequency of exacerbations and their severity in its chronic forms. This is achieved by reducing the impact of risk factors, such as:
- Stasis of blood circulation in the glandular tissues due to irregular sexual activity;
- Frequent change of partners during unprotected communication;
- Prolonged interruptions in sexual life or excessive, debilitating sexual activity;
- Mechanical rough stimulation of the urethra, which is especially dangerous due to microtrauma and direct bacterial infection;
- General and local hypothermia;
- Low physical activity and mostly sedentary lifestyle;
- Physical exhaustion, tiring physical activity;
- Damage to the genitals.
Primary preventionaimed at preventing the development of the disease. An important role 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 treatment of the infectious process. The best result is complete recovery. The better the treatment is chosen and the more responsible the man is to follow the doctor's instructions, the higher the chances of a full recovery.
Third preventionBacterial prostatitis is necessary in cases where the disease has already acquired a chronic form. Its main purpose is to prevent the disease from getting worse.
Not all of the above precautions can always provide complete protection against exacerbations. Recently, drugs that increase 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 act on plant analogues of hormonal compounds. However, the effectiveness of these funds is still being investigated and not fully proven.
Preparations based on animal tissue extracts have a more solid evidence base. Organic compounds that are completely suitable for the human body. The most common of these are suppositories and ampoules, which are extracts of bovine prostate tissue. They have a proven level of clinical efficacy in reducing the risk of adverse effects on the prostate. There is an increase in the protective reserves of the gland itself when using these funds. In addition, resistance increases and the prostate is provided with the necessary biologically active molecules. In this way, reinforcement is achieved at the "minimum resistance point".