Prostatitis is the most common urological disease in men over 45 years of age.According to statistics, every second man faces one or another form of inflammation of the prostate.The disease is characterized by urinary disorders and pain.The advanced form of the disease is a serious and unsolvable problem, so prostatitis treatment should be started on time.
Common causes of disease
To understand what kind of disease prostatitis is and why it occurs, you need to understand the functioning of the prostate gland.This hormone-dependent organ performs the most important function - it ensures the viability of spermatozoa after ejaculation, which allows them to move smoothly to the egg.This function is provided by a special secretion, which is mixed with the substance and makes up about a third of the volume of seminal fluid.
The causes of the disease can be divided into general, which increases the risk of inflammation, and specific, characteristic of a certain form of inflammation.
The disease develops for the following reasons:
- lack of regular sex life;
- hypothermia;
- organ infection;
- bad habits;
- obesity;
- Constipation
- physical inactivity;
- cardiovascular diseases;
- stress
Lack of regular sexual life leads to the development of stagnant processes, which provokes inflammation.For normal functioning, the prostate gland must be regularly and completely emptied, which can only be achieved through sexual intercourse.During masturbation, incomplete emptying of the lobules of the organ occurs, which cannot change the natural secretion of the prostate, as during full sexual intercourse.
Hypothermia of the lower body causes irritation of the prostate gland.This weakens the general immune system and can cause opportunistic microorganisms that are always present in the human body to enter the prostate.Infection of the prostate gland occurs in several ways:
- with blood flow, in the presence of a chronic source of infection in the body;
- with lymphatic flow, infectious inflammation of the pelvic organs;
- With reverse reflux of urine or ejaculation, genital infections, cystitis and kidney diseases.
Bad habits indirectly affect the development of prostatitis.It is a fact that natural changes occur in the prostate with age.After about 50 years, the release of male hormones slows down and the size of the prostate increases.This causes the metabolic processes to slow down, and under the influence of a number of negative factors, including smoking and alcohol abuse, swelling occurs in the body.A non-inflammatory disease associated with enlargement of the prostate gland due to natural aging has similar symptoms and is called adenoma or benign prostatic hyperplasia.
Another factor that causes the disease in men is obesity.Metabolic disorders slow down all processes in the body.This disrupts the normal trophism of the prostate, disrupts the blood circulation of the organ and stagnates the secretion of the prostate.As a rule, fat men lead a sedentary lifestyle and do not follow proper nutrition.Physical inactivity provokes the deterioration of blood circulation in the pelvic organs, and poor nutrition causes constipation.
Defecation disorder, long-term accumulation of feces in the intestines puts pressure on the prostate and irritates the organ.During a bowel movement, solid stool passes through the rectum and damages its walls.In a certain place, the prostate gland is almost adjacent to the rectum, so when defecation becomes difficult, the organ becomes irritated, which under certain conditions can be one of the reasons for the development of prostatitis.In addition, during constipation, blood circulation in the pelvic organs is disturbed, which provokes the development of swelling in the prostate gland.
Cardiovascular diseases and stress weaken the body.Both in the first and second cases, blood circulation is disturbed, including in the pelvic organs.During diseases of the cardiovascular system, the transport of oxygen to the cells of the organ deteriorates, and stress disrupts all metabolic processes and weakens the immune system.Vascular diseases that negatively affect prostate function also include varicose veins.
None of the listed reasons, except for infectious diseases, is a fundamental factor in the development of the disease.The discussed reasons are only risk factors and do not determine the development of prostatitis, but increase the risk of this disease.As a rule, prostatitis in men develops in the presence of several risk factors.In addition, each type of disease has its own provoking factors.
Types of disease
Knowing the causes and types of the disease will help you understand exactly what prostatitis is in a broad sense.In general, there are two main types of inflammation in the prostate gland - infectious and non-infectious prostatitis.
Infectious prostatitis is an acute inflammatory process in the prostate gland caused by an infection of the organ.This form of the disease is characterized by pronounced symptoms, significantly worsens the patient's quality of life, but is treated quite successfully if the patient consults a doctor in time.The causes of such inflammation are various viruses, bacteria and fungi.The pathology develops rapidly in a few days and is characterized by general deterioration of health and fever.
With an infectious disease, foci of inflammation appear in the prostate tissue.There are several forms of this disease, which differ in the degree of involvement of the prostate tissue in the inflammatory process.Infectious prostatitis can be manifested as local purulent foci and prostate abscess.
Non-infectious prostatitis is the result of lack of regular sexual activity, systemic blood circulation disorders and swelling of the pelvic organs.Non-infectious inflammation develops slowly and is often manifested in a chronic form.This type of disease is characterized by moderately severe symptoms and a long course, but episodes are possible when all symptoms worsen and the signs of non-infectious prostatitis resemble an acute inflammatory process.
According to statistics, chronic prostatitis is diagnosed in 80% of patients in urological clinics.Acute infectious inflammation occurs only in every fifth patient.At the same time, chronic non-infectious prostatitis is a more age-related disease, since the average age of patients is 45-60 years, and infectious inflammation is more often diagnosed in sexually active young people.
Infectious causes of prostatitis
Prostate is the most important male organ and during its inflammation prostatitis develops.The infectious form of the disease is a serious problem that young people often face.The reason why infectious prostatitis is "rejuvenating" is promiscuity and early initiation of sexual activity among young people.
Often the cause of infectious inflammation is:
- chlamydia;
- Gardnerellosis;
- trichomoniasis;
- gonorrhea.
All these bacteria are sexually transmitted.Prostate health is threatened by the peculiarity and the main danger is the asymptomatic course of these diseases in men.If women can detect and treat the disease caused by sexually transmitted bacteria in time, then the listed diseases in men very rarely show specific symptoms.As a result, the bacterium "lives" in the body for a long time and damages the genital organ.Under the influence of a number of factors (decreased immunity, hypothermia, stress), the bacterium enters the prostate gland in the urethra.Due to the structural features of the organ, the inflammatory process develops very quickly.
Sexually transmitted infections cause inflammation in about 10% of cases of infectious prostatitis.In other cases, the cause is opportunistic microorganisms that are always present in a man's body:
- coli;
- Pseudomonas aeruginosa;
- staphylococcus;
- Streptococcus.
Prostatitis, provoked by opportunistic microorganisms, develops rapidly and is often severe.For example, if the causative agent of the disease is staphylococcus, ulcers will form on the prostate and the risk of developing an abscess is high.Prostate infection with these microorganisms occurs hematogenously when there is a focus of infection in the body.These pathogens can enter the prostate when urine backs up from the urethra due to cystitis or infectious kidney diseases.
Fungal prostatitis is isolated separately.This pathology is very rare, but it is difficult to treat.The cause is fungi of the genus Candida albicans.This fungus is an important part of the normal microflora of the human intestine and mucous membranes, but for many reasons it can cause the development of inflammation.This happens due to an increase in the population of fungi.Infection with pathogenic microflora of the prostate usually occurs in the presence of genital candidiasis (thrush) in men.This disease can occur due to immunodeficiency, but it is also transmitted sexually.Fungal prostatitis is asymptomatic for a long time, and when the first signs appear, treatment is complicated by the fact that the pathogenic microflora quickly develops resistance to the effects of drugs.Fungal prostatitis often becomes chronic.
Causes and features of the development of non-infectious prostatitis
After detecting signs of prostatitis, it is important to consult a doctor in time and identify the type of disease.Non-infectious prostatitis can be the following result:
- Irregular sex life;
- blood circulation disorder;
- bad habits;
- physical inactivity.
Usually, the disease develops due to the simultaneous action of all the above factors.The average age of patients with non-infectious prostatitis is 45 years.
Doctors agree that the high prevalence of infectious prostatitis is due to the modern rhythm of life.Today, most men are engaged in sedentary work, which negates physical activity.Physical inactivity is increasing due to lack of time for sports.This causes problems in the spine, which hinders blood flow to the lower body.An unbalanced diet causes constipation, which further disrupts prostate trophism.The situation is aggravated by the lack of a regular sex life, which is due to the lack of a permanent partner or a simple lack of time.The development of the disease is caused by chronic diseases and pathologies of the cardiovascular system, for example, hypertension, which affects men over 40 years old.If we add to this constant stress and smoking, a typical portrait of a man suffering from non-infectious prostatitis appears.
Features of this disease:
- moderate symptoms;
- erectile dysfunction;
- deterioration of fertility;
- long course.
Non-infectious prostatitis very often becomes chronic.The disease is difficult to treat with medicines, if the man is not willing to revise his lifestyle and give up bad habits.
Factors of aggravation of the disease are unbalanced diet, frequent stress, lack of timely treatment.The exact symptoms and signs of prostatitis depend on the form of inflammation.
Diagnosis of the disease
If a man experiences discomfort, ejaculation problems or pain, he should consult a doctor as soon as possible.
Before the examination, the doctor examines the patient and analyzes the complaints.Be sure to inform the doctor about the presence of fever and symptoms of intoxication - this will help you choose the right examination tactics.
The following are used to diagnose functional disorders of the prostate:
- prostate massage;
- organ ultrasound and TRUS;
- general and biochemical blood test;
- urine test;
- Ultrasound of the bladder and kidneys;
- Prostate secretion analysis;
- PSA analysis.
The primary examination indicated for all men except for suspected acute bacterial prostatitis is prostate massage.The procedure is painless, but causes psychological discomfort.Massage involves the doctor inserting a finger into the patient's anus and feeling the prostate.A preliminary diagnosis can be made by the nature of changes in the outline of the organ, its density and size.In this case, the prostate is stimulated, as a result of which a few drops of prostate secretion are released from the urethra.This material is sent to a laboratory for analysis.Such research allows us to determine:
- the presence of an inflammatory process;
- nature of inflammation;
- pathogen;
- Sensitivity of pathogens to antibiotics.
During acute bacterial inflammation, when a man has a high fever and there is a risk of abscess or purulent organ damage, massage is contraindicated.At the beginning of the development of moderate inflammatory or infectious prostatitis, the doctor feels the prostate very carefully, avoiding strong pressure and intense stimulation.
A urine test helps to identify the type of pathogen during acute inflammation.The fact is that particles of prostate secretion remain in the urethra, and during urination they are washed out of the urethra.The analysis allows you to separate prostate discharge from urine and determine the type of inflammatory agent.