What is prostatitis? This is an inflammatory disease of the prostate. Only men have prostate, so at first glance the disease is only relevant for them, but in fact it also affects the life of a regular sexual partner.
Causes of disease
What causes prostatitis? There is a myth that prostatitis can be caused either by bacteria or by hypothermia. In reality, things are a little different. There are always bacteria in the prostate, and hypothermia is only a predisposing factor that can cause inflammation.
When hypothermia occurs, there is a violation of blood microcirculation, which worsens the flow of blood to the pelvic organs. As a result, the amount of blood around the prostate changes. There are fewer blood cells to fight the bacteria and they can no longer cope with the load. It turns out that hypothermia causes the development of an inflammatory process and is an indirect cause of the development of prostatitis.
Chronic and acute disease
How is acute and chronic prostatitis manifested? Symptoms of acute prostatitis are manifested by sharp pain, high temperature, painful urination with weak pressure. With chronic prostatitis, it is more difficult. His symptoms can easily be confused with simple weakness, so the patient believes that nothing terrible is happening: he sat somewhere cold, was tired or ate something.
The following manifestations of chronic prostatitis symptoms are known:
- aching pain in perineum;
- agonizing pain that spreads to the scrotum;
- agonizing pain in the lower abdomen, which spreads to the sacrum, coccyx and penis;
- difficult urination during prostatitis is characterized by weak or normal pressure, but sometimes this symptom is not pronounced;
- Some patients have problems with erection, which are mostly psychological in nature, because no direct connection between prostate inflammation and potency disorders has been established.
Preventive measures
How often should you have sex to avoid prostatitis? What is prostatitis prevention?
The prostate produces the so-called prostate secretion - a viscous liquid that contains components that are also present in sperm. The liquid part of the semen is the secretion of the prostate and the secretion of the seminal vesicles, which are located behind the prostate. At a young age, a man always has a morning erection, which is followed by the production of prostate secretions. If intercourse does not occur, it accumulates day by day. This leads to stagnation, which then causes a slight increase in the size of the prostate and pain - a nagging pain occurs in the perineum.
Nature intended that every erection ends in ejaculation. I woke up 30 times a month - 30 erections, which means 30 sexual relations! In urology, there is a generally accepted opinion that an average of 22 ejaculations are needed to prevent prostatitis, but these are again only recommendations. In practice, this is sometimes very difficult to achieve, and all people have different needs for sex.
What tests should be done?
What tests should be done if you have or suspect prostatitis? First of all, this is a general blood test, as well as a general urine test.
During the consultation, the urologist performs a detailed examination, during which a digital rectal examination is performed. The doctor examines the prostate, touches it, assesses pain, consistency and elasticity. In this case, prostate secretions are collected for analysis.
Prostatitis testing indicates:
- Assessment of the number of leukocytes. The more of them, the more active the inflammatory process.
- Study of prostate secretion for bacterial culture. It allows you to determine which bacteria are causing the inflammation, in what quantity they are present, and which drugs work against them, and which are completely useless.
- Swabs for sexually transmitted infections.
- Transrectal ultrasound examination. This is the most informative procedure that allows you to get information about the state of the prostate, its structure and volume.
How long does it take to treat prostatitis?
It all depends on the type of prostatitis. An antibiotic must be prescribed for an illness caused by bacteria. Due to the peculiarity of the porous structure of the prostate and the specific blood supply of this organ, treatment with antibiotics and other drugs lasts 28 days.
The blood supply to the prostate is located on the periphery, so during the 20 days of taking the antibiotic, a cumulative effect occurs, and only from the 20th to the 28th day does the drug reach the desired therapeutic concentration. That is why it is important to take the medicine for the entire period recommended by the doctor.
Other drugs
Apart from antibiotics, they also prescribe medicinesthe following medicines:
- Probiotics that restore intestinal microflora.
- Antifungal drugs. Taking antibiotics reduces the activity of the immune system, and fungal diseases (most often candida albicans or thrush) begin to appear in men, even if they have only one sexual partner.
- Vitamins.
- Preparations for improving blood microcirculation.
- Antiplatelet agents that thin the blood. They are prescribed to ensure that the blood supplies the tissues well and carries the prescribed medicine to them.
Treatment without drugs
- Prostate massage helps to overcome congestion.
- First, the massage purely mechanically pushes out the mucus and bacteria accumulated in the prostate.
- Second, it improves blood supply and lymphatic drainage.
- Physiotherapy and hardware treatment. Vibrolaser magnetic therapy gives good results. The laser improves the permeability of cell membranes for drugs, they penetrate the prostate, and under the influence of magnets, lymphatic drainage improves, which is enhanced by vibration therapy.
What will happen if it is not treated?
If prostatitis is not treated, then:
- The risk of male infertility increases. Prostate secretion is an integral part of sperm, so bacteria and all waste products of bacteria spoil its quality. Sperm become less active and there is a fight for nutrients (fructose, citric acid, zinc) between bacteria and sperm. As a result, spermatozoa become weak and lose their ability to fertilize.
- Different adhesive processes can form in the vas deferens. This leads to the fact that spermatozoa are simply not released and do not enter the egg.
- Regular pain may occur. Sometimes some patients are lucky, so for a while nothing bothers them and they think that the disease has gone away by itself. But then the symptoms return and become more severe.
"Don'ts" and "don'ts" for prostatitis
What can you eat?
- Salty is possible, but without abuse (adding a little salt to food).
- Alcohol - possible in minimal quantities (a glass of wine or 50 g of cognac, whiskey in the evening).
- Coffee - 1-2 cups per day is allowed, in large quantities it is prohibited, because coffee leads to vasoconstriction and deterioration of blood microcirculation.
Is it possible to have sexual intercourse?
If ejaculation itself does not cause painful sharp sensations, then it is possible, even necessary, to have a sexual life. If sexual contact causes pain or discomfort, it is better to refrain from sexual activity during treatment.
Is it possible to visit baths, saunas, hammams?
Here, everything will depend on the stage of prostatitis. If this is an acute process with fever, then there is no need to visit such places. If the treatment of prostatitis proceeds normally and there are no alarming symptoms, visiting the bathhouse or swimming pool in doses is not prohibited. But you must reduce the stay in the steam room, as well as in cold water, to a minimum.
Is physical activity necessary?
You can't do without physical activity at all, feasible physical activity is the best assistant in the treatment of prostatitis. The main thing is not to expose the body to increased stress from training. You can walk, run, squat, etc.
As for the bike, not everything is clear. Doctors do not recommend this sport for men (except for short walks). When a man sits on a bicycle, blood vessels in the pelvic and perineal area are compressed and blood flow is disrupted. There is no direct link, but when it comes to prevention, we try to rule out all possible factors, even if they are not directly influencing.
Should I treat my sexual partner?
The partner needs treatment only if a sexually transmitted infection is detected. Namely, prostatitis is not transmitted through sexual contact, so the partner usually does not need treatment, although a gynecologist's examination would not hurt.