Causes, prevention and treatment of prostatitis

What is prostatitis? This is an inflammatory disease of the prostate. Only men have prostates, so at first glance this disease may seem to be associated only with men, but in fact it can also affect the lives of normal sexual partners.

disease cause

What causes prostatitis? There is a misconception that prostatitis can be caused by bacteria or hypothermia. In fact, the situation is somewhat different. Bacteria are always present in the prostate, and hypothermia is just a trigger for inflammation.When hypothermia occurs, blood microcirculation is disrupted, worsening the blood supply to the pelvic organs. As a result, the amount of blood surrounding the prostate changes. There are fewer blood cells to fight bacteria, and they can no longer bear the load. It turns out that hypothermia triggers an inflammatory process and is an indirect cause of the development of prostatitis.

Chronic and acute diseases

What are the symptoms of acute and chronic prostatitis? Symptoms of acute prostatitis include severe pain, high fever, painful urination, and weak pressure. Chronic prostatitis is even more difficult. Its symptoms are easily confused with simple discomfort, so the patient thinks that nothing terrible has happened: he is sitting in a cold place, is tired, or has eaten something.Symptoms of chronic prostatitis are known to include the following:

• Perineal pain;
• Persistent pain radiating to the scrotum;
• Persistent pain in the lower abdomen that radiates to the sacrum, coccyx, and penis;
• Urinary disturbances during prostatitis are characterized by weak or normal pressure, but sometimes this symptom is not manifested;
• Some patients experience erection problems, which are often psychological, as a direct relationship between prostate inflammation and sexual dysfunction has not been established.

Precaution

How often should you have sex to avoid prostatitis? What are the prevention methods for prostatitis?The prostate produces what is called prostatic secretion - a viscous fluid that contains components also found in sperm. The liquid part of semen is the secretion of the prostate and the seminal vesicles located behind the prostate. When men are young, they will always have morning erections, accompanied by the production of prostate secretions. If intercourse doesn't happen, it builds up day after day. This can lead to stagnation, which can lead to a slight increase in prostate size and pain - a persistent pain in the perineum.Nature intended that every erection would end in ejaculation. I wake up 30 times a month - 30 erections, which means 30 intercourses! Urology generally agrees that an average of 22 ejaculations are needed to prevent prostatitis, but these are only suggestions. In practice, this is sometimes difficult to achieve, and everyone's sexual needs are different.

What tests are needed?

What tests should you have if you have or suspect you have prostatitis? First of all, this is a general blood test, and a general urine test.During the consultation, the urologist will perform a thorough examination, during which a digital rectal examination will be performed. The doctor examines the prostate, feels it, and assesses pain, consistency, and elasticity. In this case, prostate secretions are collected for analysis.Prostatitis examination shows:

• White blood cell count assessment. The higher the number, the more active the inflammatory process.
• Study of prostate secretions for bacterial culture. Allowing you to identify which bacteria cause inflammation, their numbers, and which drugs can fight them and which drugs are completely useless.
• Get a smear test for sexually transmitted infections.
• Transrectal ultrasonography. This is the most informative procedure, allowing you to obtain information about the condition, structure, and volume of your prostate.

How long does it take to treat prostatitis?

It all depends on the type of prostatitis. For illnesses caused by bacteria, antibiotics must be taken. Due to the peculiarities of the porous structure of the prostate and the specific blood supply of this organ, treatment with antibiotics and other drugs is continued for 28 days.The blood supply to the prostate is peripheral, so there is a cumulative effect over the 20 days of taking antibiotics, and only on days 20 to 28 the drug reaches the desired therapeutic concentration. This is why it is important to take the medication for the entire period recommended by your doctor.

Other medicines

In addition to antibiotics, they also prescribe medicationThe following medicines:

• Probiotics that restore intestinal flora.
• Antifungal drugs. When taking antibiotics, the activity of the immune system decreases and fungal diseases (most commonly Candida albicans or thrush) begin to appear in men, even if they have only one sexual partner.
• vitamins.
• Preparations for improving blood microcirculation.
• Antiplatelet drugs that thin the blood. They are prescribed to ensure a good supply of blood to the tissues and to deliver prescribed medications to the tissues.

non-pharmacological treatment

• Prostate massage helps overcome congestion.
• First, massage purely mechanically squeezes out accumulated mucus and bacteria from the prostate.
• Secondly, blood supply and lymphatic drainage improve.
• Physical therapy and hardware therapy. Vibration laser magnetic therapy has good effects. Lasers increase the permeability of cell membranes to drugs, they penetrate the prostate, and under the influence of magnets, lymphatic drainage is improved, which can be enhanced by vibration therapy.

What will happen if it is not treated promptly?

If prostatitis is left untreated:

• Increased risk of male infertility. Prostatic secretions are the building blocks of sperm, so bacteria and all their waste products can destroy their quality. Sperm become less active and there is competition between bacteria and sperm for nutrients (fructose, citric acid, zinc). As a result, the sperm become weaker and lose their ability to fertilize.
• Various adhesive processes may develop in the vas deferens. This results in the sperm not being released at all and not entering the egg.
• Frequent, ongoing pain may occur. Sometimes some patients are lucky and nothing bothers them for a while and they think the disease has gone away on its own. But then the symptoms returned and became more severe.

Prostatitis "Do's" and "Don'ts"

What can you eat?

• Saltiness is okay, but don't overuse it (add a little salt to your food).
• Alcohol - in small amounts (a glass of wine or 50 grams of brandy, whiskey per night).
• Coffee - 1-2 cups are allowed per day, but large amounts are prohibited because coffee can cause vasoconstriction and worsening of blood microcirculation.

Can I have sexual intercourse?

If ejaculation itself does not cause a painful sharp sensation, then having sex is possible and even necessary. If sexual contact causes pain or discomfort, it is best to discontinue sexual activity during treatment.

Can I go to the bathhouse, sauna, hammam?

Here everything depends on which stage of prostatitis is present. If you have an acute fever, there is no need to go to these places. If the treatment of prostatitis is carried out as usual and there are no alarming symptoms, it is not prohibited to take the dose and go to a bathhouse or swimming pool. But you need to minimize your time in the steam room and cold water.

Is physical activity necessary?

It is impossible to do without physical exercise at all. Feasible physical exercise is the best assistant in the treatment of prostatitis. The main thing is not to subject the body to greater stress from training. Can walk, run, squat, etc.As for the bike, not everything is clear. Doctors don't recommend this exercise for men (unless it's just a short walk). When a man sits on a bicycle, the blood vessels in the pelvis and perineum are compressed and the blood supply is disrupted. There is no direct relationship, but when it comes to prevention, we try to rule out all possible factors, even if they don't directly affect it.

Do I need to treat my sexual partner?

Treatment of the partner is only required if an STI is detected. In fact, prostatitis is not spread through sexual contact, so partners usually don't need treatment, although an exam by a gynecologist won't hurt.