What is prostatitis? This is an inflammatory disease of the prostate. Only men have a prostate gland, therefore, at first glance, the disease 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 due to bacteria or hypothermia. In reality, things are a little different. There are always bacteria in the prostate, and hypothermia is just one predisposing factor that can trigger the appearance of inflammation.
When hypothermia occurs, there is a violation of blood microcirculation, 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 handle 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 illness
How does acute and chronic prostatitis manifest? The symptoms of prostatitis in the acute form are felt by sharp pains, high fever, pain when urinating with slight 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 chronic prostatitis are known:
- severe pain in the perineum;
- dull pain radiating to the scrotum;
- dull pain in the lower abdomen, radiating to the sacrum, coccyx and penis;
- impaired urination in prostatitis is characterized by weak or normal pressure, but sometimes this symptom is not expressed;
- Some patients experience erection problems, which are most often of a psychological nature, since a direct relationship between inflammation in the prostate and potency disorders has not been identified.
Preventive measures
How often should you have sex to avoid prostatitis? What is the prevention of prostatitis?
The prostate produces 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, located behind the prostate. 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 causes a slight increase in the size of the prostate gland and pain - a dull ache in the perineum occurs.
Nature intended every erection to end in ejaculation. I woke up 30 times a month - 30 erections, which means 30 intercourse! 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 everyone has different sexual needs.
What tests need to be done?
What tests should be done if you have prostatitis or are suspected 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 exam is performed. The doctor examines the prostate, touches it, assesses pain, consistency and elasticity. In this case, prostate secretion is collected for analysis.
Testing for prostatitis suggests:
- Assessment of leukocyte count. The more there are, the more active the inflammatory process will be.
- Study of prostate secretion for bacterial culture. It allows you to identify which bacteria cause inflammation, in what quantity they are present and which medications 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 state of the prostate gland, its structure and volume.
How long does it take to treat prostatitis?
It all depends on the type of prostatitis. For diseases caused by bacteria, an antibiotic must be prescribed. Due to the peculiarities of the porous structure of the prostate gland 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, therefore, during 20 days of antibiotic use, there is a cumulative effect, and only from the 20th to the 28th day does the drug reach the desired therapeutic concentration. Therefore, it is important to take the medicine for the entire period recommended by your doctor.
Other drugs
In addition to antibiotics, they also prescribethe following medications:
- Probiotics that restore intestinal microflora.
- Antifungal medications. 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 delivers the prescribed medication to them.
Non-drug treatment
- Prostate massage helps overcome congestion.
- Firstly, the massage squeezes out the mucus and bacteria accumulated in the prostate in a purely mechanical way.
- Secondly, 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 to drugs, they penetrate the prostate and, under the influence of a magnet, improve lymphatic drainage, 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, therefore bacteria and all bacterial residues impair its quality. Sperm become less active and there is a fight 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 can form in the vas deferens. This leads to the fact that sperm are simply not released and do not enter the egg.
- Regular dull pain may appear. Sometimes some patients are lucky and for some time nothing bothers them and they think that the disease has regressed on its own. But then the symptoms return and become more severe.
"What to do" and "what not to do" for prostatitis
What can you eat?
- Salty is possible, but don't overdo it (add a little salt to the food).
- Alcohol – possible in minimal quantities (a glass of wine or 50 g of cognac, whiskey per night).
- Coffee - 1 to 2 cups per day are allowed, in large quantities it is prohibited, as coffee leads to vasoconstriction and worsens blood microcirculation.
Is it possible to have sexual relations?
If ejaculation itself does not cause painful and sharp sensations, then it is possible, even necessary, to have a sexual life. If sexual contact causes pain or discomfort, it is best to abstain from sexual activity during treatment.
Is it possible to visit baths, saunas, hammams?
Here everything will depend on the stage at which the prostatitis is. If this is an acute process with fever, there is no need to visit these places. If the treatment of prostatitis proceeds normally and there are no alarming symptoms, it is not forbidden to visit the bathhouse or the pool in doses. But it is necessary to reduce the stay in the steam sauna to a minimum, as well as in cold water.
Is physical activity necessary?
It is impossible to do without any physical activity, viable physical exercise is the best aid 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 only in the form of short walks). When a man rides a bicycle, the blood vessels in the pelvic and perineal region are pressed and the blood supply is interrupted. 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 it.
Do I need to treat my sexual partner?
Treatment is necessary for the partner only if a sexually transmitted infection is detected. In fact, prostatitis is not transmitted through sexual contact, so treatment for the partner is usually not necessary, although an examination by a gynecologist will not hurt.