Prostatitis is one of the most common urological diseases in which an inflammatory process develops that covers the tissues of the prostate. Prostatitis can manifest in men of all ages and is often accompanied by other problems of the reproductive system. The causes of prostatitis in men can be different, and in order to reduce the likelihood of developing this disease, they should be considered in more detail.
Classification
Regarding the development of the pathological process, there are three main forms of prostatitis:
- Sharp.Symptoms appear suddenly and are most pronounced. Therefore, most men with an acute course of prostatitis go to the doctor in the first days of the open course of the process. A typical symptom of the disease are severe low back pain, which occurs against the background of an increase in body temperature to 39 degrees. The most common cause of prostatitis is an infectious focus that can develop in distant organs.
- Chronic.If acute prostatitis is not treated in time, the disease turns into a chronic form. It is characterized by less pronounced symptoms, and the general condition of the patient can be called satisfactory. The temperature drops to normal limits.
- Stagnara.Non-infectious inflammatory process. This is caused by stagnant processes observed in the pelvic organs. The disease is characterized by progressive development with a gradual increase in pathological symptoms. Today, this form of the disease is extremely rare.
The chronic form of the disease is considered very dangerous because most men ignore mild symptoms, delaying a visit to a specialist. With this approach, the development of numerous complications of the disease is possible.
The disease has become "younger" over time, so it can occur at any age.
What causes prostatitis?
This disease develops in a third of men between the ages of 20 and 60. Therefore, unlike many diseases of the genitourinary system, this disease cannot be called age-related. There are many causes of prostatitis in men, the main of which will be discussed below.
Acute and chronic infections
Infectious lesions are the leading cause of prostatitis. When the infection enters the prostate, an inflammatory process develops. Most often, such diseases as gonorrhea and urethritis become provocateurs of these forms of prostatitis.
Pathological processes such as caries, tonsillitis, tuberculosis and so on can cause the development of infectious prostatitis.
In order to cure this form of the disease, it is necessary to eliminate the infectious agent that has become the primary cause of its development. Only after neutralization of the main cause of infection can prostatitis be completely cured.
Stagnation
Every man should have enough sex in his life - otherwise he will not run away from prostate problems.
The lack of a regular sex life can result in the development of prostate congestion. At the same time, the blood circulation in the organ is disturbed, as a result of which the secretion stagnates, which disrupts its functioning. All this can lead to prostate deformation and the development of an inflammatory process.
Regular sexual activity helps to avoid stagnation of prostate secretions. Moreover, experts recommend their patients to refrain from promiscuous relationships by finding a permanent sexual partner.
Sedentary work
In recent decades, there has been an acute trend of transition from manual to mental work. And a sedentary lifestyle is one of the main causes of prostatitis in men.
In addition, a sedentary lifestyle leads to deterioration of the functions of the nervous, endocrine and cardiovascular systems. As a result, prostate cells receive less oxygen, which leads to the creation of optimal conditions for the reproduction of pathogenic microflora.
Although sedentary work is not a direct cause of prostatitis, it creates optimal conditions for prostate infection. Therefore, to prevent prostatitis, the body should provide regular physical activity.
When an active lifestyle is led, a person's blood flow is normalized, the endocrine and nervous systems work better. Therefore, prostate tissues are protected from oxygen starvation.
Prolonged abstinence
In the absence of regular sexual activity, secretion stagnates in the organ. Due to that, the blood circulation in the prostate tissues becomes difficult. The result is the same as leading a passive lifestyle.
Oxygen starvation leads to the fact that in the tissues of the prostate there are ideal conditions for the reproduction of pathogenic microflora. As a result, only a mild infection of the body will be sufficient to ensure the guaranteed development of prostatitis.
Hypothermia
Freezing is a sure path to pathology.
Scientists claim that hypothermia is one of the main provokers of the development of prostatitis. Prostatitis from hypothermia develops for several reasons:
- Hypothermia causes narrowing of blood vessels, which leads to a weakening of tissue nutrition and deterioration of organ function.
- With significant freezing of the body, a person's immune system is weakened. This leads to the fact that the body becomes susceptible to various types of infectious lesions.
Hypothermia becomes especially dangerous for those men who have already developed prostatitis. Even if the disease is treated, it can recur.
To avoid the development of prostatitis, it is necessary to dress warmly during the cold season, in order to avoid sitting on cold and cold surfaces. It is also forbidden to walk barefoot on an insufficiently warm floor.
Other reasons
The development of prostatitis can occur not only for the above reasons, but also under the influence of such factors:
- obesity;
- poor working conditions, in which there is a large load on the perineum or significant tremor;
- hormonal disorders;
- ARVI shifted to his feet;
- Chronic constipation.
The best prevention of this disease would be to avoid the above factors. Men who have previously had prostatitis are especially susceptible to developing this disease.
Who is in danger
Anyone who has previously had prostate problems can face the disease again.
Considering what causes prostatitis, it is necessary to determine the group of people predisposed to its appearance. The following men are susceptible to prostatitis:
- leading a sedentary lifestyle;
- suffering from frequent constipation;
- obese;
- engaged in sedentary work;
- exposed to severe stress and heavy physical work;
- who have irregular sex or frequently change sexual partners;
- had a history of prostatitis;
- suffering from immune disorders;
- alcohol and cigarette abusers.
Developmental characteristics in young and old
Prostatitis in young people can develop due to a number of factors. The main ones are: sedentary work, lack of a full-fledged intimate life, sedentary lifestyle. To minimize the development of this disease, you need to eliminate these factors from your life.
In the elderly, the disease most often develops against the background of the extinction of sexual function. As the body ages, the reproductive system goes through changes, causing it to stop functioning sooner or later. A noticeable decline in fertility is observed in men aged 45-50 years.
In addition, this can happen under the influence of hormonal changes in the body, which reduces the volume of testosterone production. It is these changes that are one of the main causes of prostatitis.
Reasons for transition from acute to chronic stage
Although acute prostatitis is characterized by vivid symptoms, which compels the patient to be examined by a specialist, the chronic form usually has no characteristic symptoms. In most cases, men do not rush to the doctor, noticing mild discomfort. And as a result, the disease develops into more severe forms.
But how does the disease become chronic? The cause of the development of the chronic process is most often insufficiently treated acute form of the disease. In this case, the transition from one form to another occurs under the influence of the following factors:
- Treatment started late.
- Ineffective therapy applied or wrong technique chosen.
- The patient's immune response was significantly reduced.
- There was no treatment for acute prostatitis.
It should be understood that the asymptomatic chronic course of the inflammatory process sooner or later ends in worsening. Then the patient has all the signs of the disease, including severe pain in the perineum and lower back, difficulty urinating and depression of sexual function.
Chronic prostatitis has one important feature: when primary inflammation of the prostate occurs, the innervation of this organ worsens. This, in turn, has an extremely negative effect on his work, often causing autoimmune processes. In this case, the immune system begins to produce antibodies against the prostate tissue. Therefore, even if the primary infection is eliminated, it will not be possible to avoid the progression of such prostatitis.
Symptoms
The main symptom of the development of prostatitis is pain. This indicates that an inflammatory process is developing in the prostate. In this case, the uncomfortable feelings can be of different nature and intensity. Urination causes severe pain.
This disease is especially unpleasant because it is in the acute phase of its development. In the background of severe pain, the patient has sleep disorders, his performance is significantly reduced, just like the overall quality of life.
Pain in prostatitis has the following character:
- localized in perineum, lower abdomen, lower back;
- radiate to the genital area;
- unpleasant sensations are intensified when visiting the toilet, during arousal and in the process of ejaculation;
- is accompanied by sexual dysfunction.
Erection problems are a characteristic symptom of the chronic form of the disease. Due to the fact that such dysfunctions may have different degrees of manifestation, then their therapy has some differences.
It is not uncommon for men to have a delayed erection with prostatitis. Most patients fail to complete sexual intercourse at all or ejaculation is premature. Such disorders negatively affect sperm composition.
Treatment Methods
The specific type of therapy is determined by a specialist based on the characteristics of the course of the disease. In that case, the reasons for the development of this disease should be taken into account. Thus, the main method of treating the acute form of the disease is antibiotic therapy. These medications are taken even if the disease is not bacterial in nature.
Complex treatment for chronic prostatitis is provided. Contains the following procedures:
- drug therapy;
- physiotherapy;
- taking immunomodulators;
- prostate massage.
If chronic prostatitis has a non-bacterial nature, its treatment is carried out by taking non-steroidal drugs. Sedatives are used as an adjunct treatment.
Prevention of prostatitis comes down to an active lifestyle, regular sexual intercourse with a regular partner and timely treatment of infectious diseases.