Acute prostatitis in men: causes, symptoms and methods of treatment

Acute prostatitis is the most common disease among men. It is most often diagnosed between the ages of 30 and 50 in nearly 60% of the male population.

In the acute form of prostatitis, an inflammatory process develops in the prostate gland. For the treatment of this stage of the disease, several groups of drugs are used, prostate massage, physiotherapy. The most important thing in treatment is to prevent the transition of the pathology to a chronic form.

Acute prostatitis in men and reasons for its development

Acute prostatitis is the development of an inflammatory process in the prostate gland caused by the penetration of the infection.

The disease is accompanied by swelling and suppuration in the tissues of the prostate.

This is the most common disease among men, which is accompanied by disorders of sexual function and fertility, disorders of the psycho-emotional state and social maladjustment.

healthy and inflamed prostate with prostatitis

Forms of acute prostatitis

The development of acute prostatitis goes through 4 stages, which are simultaneously its forms:

  • catarrhal;
  • follicular;
  • parenchymal;
  • abscesses.

The disease begins with the development of catarrhal inflammation, which causes changes in the mucous and submucosal layer of the excretory ducts of the gland. Edema of the walls of the ducts causes the stagnation of mucopurulent secretions in the follicles of the prostate. The inflammatory process begins to progress, causing focal suppuration of the lobules of the prostate gland. Acute follicular prostatitis is formed.

Multiple damage to the lobules of the gland, a structural change in the tissues of the prostate and the development of a purulent inflammatory process in them leads to the next stage of the disease - the parenchymal.

When many foci of inflammation merge into one large one, an abscess of the prostate gland is formed. There is the possibility of opening it into the urethra, perineum, rectum or bladder cavity.

The reasons for the development of the disease

The following factors can cause acute prostatitis in men:

  • Infectious processes in the genitourinary system. Infectious agents (gram-negative and gram-positive) can penetrate into the tissues of the prostate: Escherichia coli, Proteus, staphylococci, streptococci. In many cases, the acute form of the disease can be caused by causative agents of urogenital infections, such as: ureoplasmosis, chlamydia, mycoplasmosis, gonorrhea, candidiasis, etc.
  • Infectious processes entering the urethra through the urethra. Microbes can enter prostate tissue through the excretory ducts of the prostate gland which open into the urethra. That is why any type of bladder inflammation is accompanied by acute prostatitis in men.
  • Infectious processes that enter the gland through the blood. The penetration of infection into the prostate through the blood supply system is due to its widely developed system of arterial and venous fusion. Microbes in this case are transported through the circulatory system from distant foci of purulent inflammation in such diseases as: tonsillitis, caries, sinusitis, bronchitis, cholecystitis and others.
  • Sedentary lifestyle. As a result of low motor activity, stagnation of the juice of the prostate gland is formed. This is facilitated by: long-term work at the computer, rare walks in the fresh air, smoking and drinking alcoholic beverages, rare sex, refusal of active rest.
  • Hypothermia. Long-term exposure to cold on the genitourinary system causes disturbances in the blood supply, which also leads to stagnation of the prostate, which provokes the onset of acute prostatitis.
  • Injury to the pelvic organs and the prostate gland. When an injury is received, the release of the secretion of the prostate gland is difficult, which leads to the development of an inflammatory process, which subsequently provokes acute prostatitis.
  • Medical procedures. An acute form of prostatitis can develop as a result of chemotherapy or radiation therapy, as well as after medical examinations through the urethra.

Symptoms

The clinical picture in acute prostatitis is characterized by the presence of the following signs:

  • Difficulty urinating
  • feeling of incomplete emptying of the bladder;
  • the occurrence of frequent urge to urinate;
  • itching and burning;
  • dull aching pain in the head of the penis, radiating to the anus (as the pathology develops, the pain will become chronic);
  • pain during the act of defecation;
  • increase in body temperature (from 37 to 40 degrees - depending on the stage of development of the disease);
  • decreased sexual desire;
  • erection problems;
  • the content of traces of pus and blood in the urine;
  • deterioration of general well-being.

Treatment

Acute prostatitis, in contrast to the chronic form of the disease, responds well to therapy. Serious complications are very rare.

The most important task of drug treatment is to free the patient from the pain syndrome and the causative agent of the pathology, to restore the normal process of urination.

Drugs used in the medical treatment of acute prostatitis:

  • Antibiotics The main group of drugs in the treatment of acute prostatitis. To choose an antibiotic, the doctor must accurately determine the causative agent of the disease. Most often, a combination of antibiotics is prescribed, when one drug is taken in one course, after which it is replaced with another. This approach minimizes the development of re-inflammation and prevents the transition from an acute to a chronic form of the disease. Antibiotics-fluoroquinolones, tetracyclines, penicillins are successfully used.
  • Diuretics Diuretics are prescribed to facilitate the urination process and reduce stress. Diuretics promote regular and volumetric urine production. Herbal medicines and diuretics are used.
  • Antipyretic. They are used to reduce body temperature, eliminate pain in the joints and head.
  • Antispasmodics. Drugs that relax smooth muscle, relieve spasms. Also, drugs in this group relieve pain and help relieve urination.
  • Alpha blockers. Drugs that relieve spasms well, stimulate and facilitate the removal of urine from the patient.

After removing the main symptoms of the disease, prostate massage and physiotherapy procedures can be further prescribed.

After recovery, you need to lead a healthy lifestyle.

Properly selected treatment and compliance with all doctor's prescriptions will eliminate acute prostatitis and prevent it from becoming chronic.