Inflammatory processes in the prostate gland (prostate) are usually called prostatitis. The prostate gland is an exclusively male organ located in the pelvic region under the bladder. It performs several functions: the secret of the prostate is part of the sperm, at the time of sexual arousal, the gland plays the role of a sphincter - it blocks the entrance of the bladder.
Prostatitis: the urgency of the problem
According to American researchers, prostatitis is detected in about 25% of patients with urological problems. And in general, about 9% of the male population of the entire globe suffer from this disease.
In a single country, this pathology covers about 35% of young men, and in 7-30% prostatitis has complicated forms and ranks first among all diseases of the male reproductive system. This is most likely due to the mentality of our population - only a small percentage of men seek qualified medical help on time. More often than not, the signs of prostatitis are ignored until the situation becomes really serious.
Although the disease does not pose a serious threat to life, it can complicate a man's life, lead him into severe depression, deprive him of simple pleasures, and, to an extreme degree, render him sterile.
Acute and chronic prostatitis
According to the classification adopted in 1995 in the United States, prostatitis is divided into the following forms:
- Acute bacterial prostatitis;
- Chronic bacterial prostatitis;
- Chronic abacterial prostatitis;
- Asymptomatic prostatitis.
Acute prostatitis is the result of a bacterial attack on the gland. These can be microbes, viruses, protozoa and even fungi. Treatment of acute prostatitis is based on the use of antibacterial drugs.
Chronic prostatitis, which is not associated with infectious agents, deserves special attention, since it is it that occurs 8 times more often than bacterial prostatitis, has an unknown origin and causes a lot of controversy over the methods of therapy.
So, chronic prostatitis, not associated with infections, has an unclear etiology. A number of factors have been identified that contribute to the slow development of inflammation in the prostate.
- Sedentary lifestyle (truckers, office workers);
- Disorders in intimate life: too rare or too frequent intercourse, interrupted intercourse, sexual perversion;
- Constipation;
- Hypothermia and frequent infectious diseases;
- Sexual infections and the presence of other urological diseases in history;
- Weakened immunity and severe chronic diseases.
Signs of prostatitis: such conflicting opinions of urologists
Acute prostatitis, as a rule, is accompanied by general toxic symptoms: fever, loss of strength, decreased mood, weakness, etc. A man complains of pain in the lower abdomen or back, scrotum or groin. Pain also manifests itself during urination, defecation, after intercourse. A man can detect the discharge of gray or gray-green fluid from the urethra, there is blood in the semen.
If the opinions of urologists coincide with acute prostatitis, then disputes arise with the clinical manifestations of chronic prostatitis.
Most experts consider the main symptom of chronic prostatitis to be erectile dysfunction. We hear about this on TV screens advertising anti-prostatitis drugs. Many men associate their failures in bed with prostatitis, independently prescribing treatment for themselves with advertised drugs.
Doctor oncourologist and researcher at the Institute of Urology believes that this is a far-fetched misrepresentation of the male half in order to promote drugs. In his opinion, chronic prostatitis does not cause erectile dysfunction, and episodes of male impotence are just psycho-emotional blocks and self-hypnosis. Treatment of erectile dysfunction in this case is reduced to a conversation with a psychotherapist.
The doctor notes that recently prostatitis has become a commercial disease on which careless doctors make money. The applicant is diagnosed with a non-existent disease, a lot of diagnostic procedures and expensive treatment are prescribed, and then the patient inspires symptoms on his own, waits for manifestations, and they do not keep themselves waiting.
The indisputable signs of prostatitis are pelvic pain, pain when urinating and after ejaculation. An enlarged, inflamed gland can compress nearby organs, which can lead to constipation and difficulty urinating. The pain after ejaculation is due to the contraction of the ducts, after the release of sperm, and the contraction in the inflamed gland proceeds with pain.
The quality of sexual life is violated: the man notes that he is less interested in sex life, and pleasure has become "erased", there is no sense of satisfaction from intimacy. Painful ejaculations are another reason for refusing intimacy.
The development of infertility with chronic inflammation in the prostate gland is associated with changes in the spermogram, which are inevitable, because the chemical composition of the prostate secretion changes. Sperm count decreases, pathological forms or dead sperm appear.
How to maintain men's health?
The health of a man is in the hands of a competent urologist! As soon as signs of prostatitis are found, it is necessary to see a doctor. The treatment is long and complex. Depending on the etiology, it can include antibiotic therapy, anti-inflammatory and decongestant drugs, peptide regulators, pain relievers, prostate massage, and physiotherapy treatments.
It is believed that married men are less likely to get prostatitis. Regular sex life with one partner does not give a chance for the development of stagnant and inflammatory processes in the gland. Therefore, marriage and loyalty to the spouse, no matter how trite it may sound, is a preventive measure for prostatitis.