Prostatitis is a disease, which is based on inflammatory lesions of the tissue of the prostate gland (prostate), which is shown by various symptoms. This disease is observed only in the strong half of the population due to the fact that the prostate is located only in the male body.
Etiology (cause) of inflammation
There are many factors that lead to the development of this 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 tissue of the pelvic area.
- Frequent body hypothermia.
- Poor physical activity level.
- Urinary retention.
- Stagnation of seminal secretion, due to the presence of an irregular sexual life.
- Overweight.
- Sedentary lifestyle.
- Chronic inflammatory processes in the organs of the genitourinary system (pyelonephritis, urethritis, orchitis, cystitis, epididymitis)
- Hormonal imbalance.
- Intestinal disorders, which are indicated by violations of the food passage (constipation, diarrhea)
- The presence of inflammatory processes in the rectum (proctitis, anal fissure, hemorrhoids, paraproctitis)
- The presence of a history of sexually transmitted diseases.
- Pressure.
- Smoking.
- Alcohol abuse.
- Avitaminosis.
- Overwork.
- Violent sexual activity.
- Immune deficiency.
disease-causing agent
The most common microorganisms that cause the development of inflammation in the prostate gland are the following:
- Escherichia coli (about 80%)
- Serratia Pseudomonas.
- Klebsiella Pseudomonas.
- Pseudomonas proteus.
- enterococcus.
- Staphylococcus aureus.
Classification of pathological processes
In medicine, several classifications have been adopted that describe the course of infection in the prostate gland.
Clinical-pathomorphological-etiological classification:
- Acute prostatitis.
- Prostatic abscess.
- Prostatism.
- Chronic prostatitis.
- Granulomatous inflammation of the prostate.
- Congestive prostatitis.
- Sclerosis of the prostate.
- Prostatorrhea.
- Atypical form of chronic prostatitis.
- Neurovegetative prostatopathy.
Also, the described diseases are distinguished by class:
- Grade 1 - acute prostatitis.
- Grade 2 - chronic bacterial prostatitis.
- Grade 3 a - chronic prostatitis / chronic pelvic pain syndrome with signs of inflammation.
- Grade 3 b - chronic prostatitis / chronic pelvic pain syndrome without signs of inflammation.
- Grade 4 - asymptomatic chronic prostatitis.
Types and forms of the disease
Based on the classification above, it can be determined that the main types of prostatitis are:
- spicy
- Chronicle.
The acute inflammatory process, depending on the degree of damage to the prostate tissue, is divided into several forms:
- Catarrhal.
- follicular.
- Parenchyma (diffuse).
The catarrhal form is characterized by a slight and superficial inflammatory process affecting the acini of the prostate gland. Because of this, the patency of the last excretory duct is disturbed. This leads to the accumulation of secretions in the prostate. The prostate gland enlarges and becomes edematous.
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 form of parenchyma, inflammation covers the entire tissue of the prostate gland. It becomes edematous and very painful. Against the background of parenchymal prostatitis, an abscess of the prostate gland may form.
A clearly defined form of chronic pathology is currently not found in the medical literature.
Disease stage
Despite the fact that there is no clear form in the course of the chronic process, this pathology is divided into several stages.
The first is the alternative stage of change. It is indicated by a slight inflammatory effect on the prostate tissue. If treatment is started on time (at this stage), the disease stops quickly. As a rule, recurrence of the disease is not observed.
If the patient does not receive treatment, then the stage of proliferative changes begins. During that time, prostate tissue grows to suppress inflammation. Then 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. Because of this, a person begins to repeat the disease, and it acquires a long course.
symptoms
Acute pathology is indicated by the following clinical symptoms:
- Increased body temperature up to 38 - 40 ° C.
- General deterioration.
- shivering.
- Pain on the uterus, in the perineum, anus, glans penis.
- Discomfort when urinating and/or defecating.
- Delayed stool, gas.
- Increased urge to urinate.
- Urinary retention.
- Increased excitement.
Chronic prostatitis is characterized by the following symptoms:
- Discomfort in the lower abdomen.
- Erectile dysfunction.
- Irritation.
- White discharge from the penis.
- Increase the duration of sexual intercourse.
- Weakening the flow of urine.
- Incomplete bladder emptying.
Complications of the pathological process
In the absence of a timely start or insufficient treatment, the development of acute pathology can have a different direction.
In the first case, acute inflammation of the prostate gland flows into a chronic process. The latter is characterized by changes in periods of exacerbation and remission. It is very difficult to cure chronic prostatitis, as a rule, you have to accept it and prepare for the next aggravation.
If the inflammatory process develops very quickly, then it can cause the formation of a prostate abscess. In other words, a large abscess forms in the prostate tissue. The most common treatment for prostate abscess is surgery.
Bacteria from the lesion can enter the bloodstream, as the prostate gland is well supplied with blood. If this happens, a very formidable complication is revealed in a person - sepsis. It is very difficult to defeat sepsis, therefore, the percentage of death, 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 testes, where the formation of spermatozoa occurs.
Inflammation of the prostate can cause narrowing of the urethra. Due to the fit of the latter to the urethra, inflammation from the prostate can spread to the urethra. This leads to the formation of scar tissue in the urethra and a reduction in its diameter.
In addition to spreading the inflammatory process to the urethra, it can spread to the bladder. So the patient may experience recurrent (recurrent) cystitis. If there is a discharge of infected urine from the bladder into the kidney, then this leads to the development of pyelonephritis.
Disease treatment
It is worth noting the fact that therapy for prostatitis must be comprehensive. In the treatment of acute prostatitis requires compliance with the following:
- The fight against the inflammatory process in the prostate is impossible without the appointment of antibacterial drugs. The attending physician must 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. These drugs are recommended to be taken not only in tablet form, but also in suppository form for rectal use.
- In severe general condition or high body temperature, detoxification therapy can be carried out.
- When diagnosing a prostate abscess in a patient, surgical intervention is required.
To recover from chronic inflammation in the prostate gland, the following is necessary:
- Prostate massage (only performed by a urologist)
- Drugs that increase metabolism in the prostate.
- Taking NSAIDs.
- Immunomodulatory drugs.
- Physiotherapy.
- Sedative drugs.