What is prostatitis? This is an inflammatory disease of the prostate gland. Only men have a prostate gland, so the disease at first glance is relevant only for them, but in fact it also affects the life of a regular sexual partner.
Causes of the disease
What causes prostatitis? There is a myth that prostatitis can occur either from bacteria or from hypothermia. In reality, things are a little different. There are always bacteria in the prostate gland, and hypothermia is just a predisposing factor that can trigger the onset of inflammation.
When hypothermia occurs, a violation of blood microcirculation occurs, which deteriorates the blood supply to the pelvic organs. As a result, the amount of blood around the prostate changes. There are fewer blood cells that fight bacteria, and they can no longer cope with the load. It turns out that hypothermia provokes the development of the inflammatory process and is an indirect cause of the development of prostatitis.
Chronic and acute disease
How does acute and chronic prostatitis manifest? Symptoms of prostatitis in acute form make themselves felt by sharp pain, high fever, painful urination with weak pressure. With chronic prostatitis it is more difficult. Its symptoms can easily be confused with a simple malaise, so the patient believes that nothing terrible is happening: he sat somewhere cold, was tired, or ate something.
The following manifestations of symptoms of prostatitis in chronic form are known:
- aching pain in the perineum;
- nagging pain radiating to the scrotum;
- nagging pain in the lower abdomen, radiating to the sacrum, coccyx, and penis;
- impaired urination during prostatitis is characterized by either weak or normal pressure, but sometimes this symptom is not expressed;
- Some patients experience problems with erection, which are most often psychological in nature, since a direct relationship between inflammation in the prostate and potency disorders has not been identified.
Preventive measures
How often should you have sexual intercourse to avoid prostatitis? What is the prevention of prostatitis?
The prostate gland produces the so-called prostatic secretion - a viscous liquid that contains components that are also present in sperm. The liquid part of semen is the secretion of the prostate and the secretion of the seminal vesicles, which are located behind the prostate gland. At a young age, a man always has a morning erection, which is accompanied by the production of prostate secretion. If sexual intercourse does not occur, it accumulates day after day. This leads to stagnation, which then causes a slight increase in the size of the prostate and pain - nagging pain occurs in the perineum.
Nature intended that every erection should end in ejaculation. I woke up 30 times in a month - 30 erections, which means 30 sexual intercourses! There is a generally accepted opinion in urology that an average of 22 ejaculations are needed to prevent prostatitis, but again these are just recommendations. In practice, this is sometimes very difficult to achieve, and all people have different needs for sex.
What tests need to be taken?
What tests should be taken if you have prostatitis or suspicion of it? First of all, this is a general blood test, as well as a general urine test.
During the consultation, the urologist performs a thorough examination, during which a digital rectal examination is performed. The doctor examines the prostate, touches it, assesses soreness, consistency, and elasticity. In this case, prostate secretion is collected for analysis.
Testing for prostatitis suggests:
- Leukocyte count assessment. The more there are, the more active the inflammatory process is.
- Study of prostate secretion for bacterial culture. Allows you to identify which bacteria cause inflammation, in what quantity they are present, and which drugs act against them, and which are completely useless.
- Taking a smear for sexually transmitted infections.
- Transrectal ultrasound examination. This is the most informative procedure that allows you to obtain information about the condition of the prostate, its structure and volume.
How long does it take to treat prostatitis?
It all depends on the type of prostatitis. For illness caused by bacteria, an antibiotic must be prescribed. Due to the peculiarities of the porous structure of the prostate and the specific blood supply to this organ, treatment with antibiotics and other medications lasts 28 days.
The blood supply to the prostate is located on the periphery, so during 20 days of taking the antibiotic there is a cumulative effect, and only from days 20 to 28 the drug reaches the desired therapeutic concentration. That is why it is important to take the medicine for the entire period recommended by the doctor.
Other drugs
In addition to antibiotics, they also prescribethe following drugs:
- Probiotics that restore intestinal microflora.
- Antifungal drugs. When taking antibiotics, the activity of the immune system decreases, and fungal diseases (most often candida albicans or thrush) begin to appear in men, even if they have only one sexual partner.
- Vitamins.
- Preparations to improve blood microcirculation.
- Antiplatelet agents that thin the blood. They are prescribed to ensure that the blood supplies the tissues well and brings the prescribed medicine to them.
Non-drug treatment
- Prostate massage helps overcome congestion.
- Firstly, the massage purely mechanically squeezes out the mucus and bacteria accumulated in the prostate.
- Secondly, blood supply and lymph drainage improves.
- 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 a magnet, lymphatic drainage improves, which is enhanced by vibration therapy.
What will happen if left untreated?
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 struggle for nutrients (fructose, citric acid, zinc) between bacteria and sperm. As a result, sperm become weak and lose their ability to fertilize.
- Various adhesive processes may form in the vas deferens. This leads to the fact that sperm simply are not released and do not enter the egg.
- Regular nagging pain may appear. Sometimes some patients are lucky, and for some time nothing bothers them, and they think that the disease has receded on its own. But then the symptoms return and become more severe.
"Do’s" and "don’ts" for prostatitis
What can you eat?
- Salty is possible, but without abuse (add a little salt to food).
- Alcohol – possible in minimal quantities (a glass of wine or 50 g of cognac, whiskey per evening).
- Coffee - 1-2 cups a day is allowed, in large quantities it is prohibited, as coffee leads to vasoconstriction and worsening 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 abstain from sexual activity for the duration of treatment.
Is it possible to visit baths, saunas, hammams?
Here everything will depend on what stage the prostatitis is at. If this is an acute process with fever, then there is no need to visit such places. If treatment for prostatitis proceeds as usual and there are no alarming symptoms, visiting the bathhouse or swimming pool in doses is not prohibited. But you need to reduce your stay in the steam room, as well as in cold water, to a minimum.
Is physical activity necessary?
It is impossible to do without physical activity at all; feasible physical exercise 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 bicycle, not everything is clear. Doctors do not recommend this sport for men (unless only in the form of short walks). When a man sits on a bicycle, the blood vessels in the pelvic and perineal area are pressed and the blood supply is disrupted. There is no direct relationship, but when it comes to prevention, we try to exclude all possible factors, even if they do not directly influence.
Do I need to treat my sexual partner?
Treatment is necessary for the partner only if a sexually transmitted infection is detected. Actually, prostatitis is not transmitted through sexual contact, so treatment is usually not required for the partner, although an examination by a gynecologist would not hurt.