Causes and symptoms of chronic prostatitis in men

Chronic prostate inflammation occurs in men of any age.In most cases, the catalyst is an infectious factor: Trichomonas, staphylococci and gonococci.Bacteria that enter the body cause inflammation of the urethral canal, the prostate itself.

The chronic form of prostatitis is usually asymptomatic.The disease itself is determined only after the transition to an acute form.Late diagnosis is also explained by the fact that the first symptoms of chronic prostatitis in men are often ignored.

Statistics show a constant “rejuvenation” of the disease.Increasingly, patients aged 30 turn to urologists.

Chronic prostatitis - what is it?

The prostate is located under the bladder.The main functions are reduced to protecting the urinary vesica from the entry of seminal fluid, as well as the production of prostate secretion, a necessary component of male semen.Inflammation of glandular tissue, caused by infection, congestion and other factors, gradually becomes permanent.

Chronic prostatitis leads to degenerative changes.The tissue structure gradually deforms.Often, against the background of inflammation, stones appear in the ducts.Some types of prostatitis cause the development of cancer.

An international classification system has been developed to facilitate differentiation between different prostate diseases.

Chronic prostatitis - causes

It is generally accepted that prostate inflammation is caused by two main factors: bacterial and abacterial.

The first is associated with the entry of pathogens and infections into the patient's body.Most often, the catalyst is sexually transmitted bacteria.

The second cause of occurrence is not associated with an infectious agent.The catalyst for inflammation can be:

• Hypothermia of the body.
• Hormonal imbalances associated with aging and irregular sex life.
• Bad habits.
• Injuries to the pelvic organs.
• Stagnation caused by metabolic disorders and a sedentary lifestyle.

After prostatitis has been diagnosed, the root cause of chronic prostatitis must be determined.The course of therapy is prescribed based on what exactly caused the inflammation.Bacterial and non-infectious prostatitis are treated differently.

Urologists name several additional factors that aggravate the situation and influence the severe course of the disease:

• Sexual abstinence.
• Inferior ejaculation (choice of interrupted sexual intercourse as a contraceptive method).
• Stress.
• Bad habits – alcohol abuse and smoking.
• Poor nutrition.
• Inflammatory diseases suffered in the past.Often, urethritis and cystitis are the cause of chronic prostatitis.

Inflammation is accompanied by destructive changes in the prostate gland, which makes it possible to classify the disease into several categories.

Classification of chronic prostate inflammation

Varieties of prostatitis have received their own ICD-10 code - N41.To clarify the diagnosis and differentiate catalytic infection, a separate classification B95-B97 is used.The symptom assessment scale divides the disease into several groups and subgroups:

• I - acute inflammation, accompanied by a sharp increase in temperature and fever.
• II - chronic prostatitis, caused by an infectious factor.
• III - the class includes a disease in which pelvic pain syndrome begins to manifest itself.It is customary to distinguish two subgroups:
  1. IIIA - there are signs of an inflammatory process.Low fever is maintained.
  2. IIIB – without inflammation.
• IV - prostatitis without symptomatic manifestations.Deviations from the norm are detected exclusively by instrumental diagnostic methods.

According to the ICD code:

• N41.1 is diagnosed with chronic prostatitis.
• N41.8 inflammatory diseases of the prostate.
• N41.9 an exact diagnosis has not been made.

How chronic prostatitis manifests itself - its symptoms

The first signs of chronic prostatitis in men appear at an advanced stage of the disease.Often, initial development has no clinical manifestations.Symptoms, even if present, are temporary, short-lived and of low intensity.

According to clinical manifestations, three stages of development of prostatitis are distinguished:

• Initial indirect signs of chronic prostatitis - as already noted, the onset of the disease is not expressed by clearly distinguishable symptoms.Manifestations are subtle or completely absent.Signs you should pay attention to: burning sensation during ejaculation, decreased potency, pain when urinating.
• Secondary signs of chronic inflammation of the prostate gland - at this stage, pathological changes in the structure of tissues occur, the appearance of scar-like formations and a decrease in genitourinary function.The stage is characterized by a sharp deterioration in potency and urination, increased sweating, severe pain in the pelvic region, lumbar spine and scrotum.
• Signs of an advanced disease - the prostate stops functioning normally.Healthy tissues begin to metamorphose.The gland increases in size.Blood and pus appear in the urine, there is a constant feeling of incomplete emptying of the bladder, and nighttime trips to the bathroom become more frequent.Erectile function decreases so much that we can talk about complete sexual impotence.

In addition to the symptoms characteristic of each stage of development, there are general signs that appear throughout the entire course of the disease.

pain syndrome

Chronic prostatitis at an advanced stage of development has pronounced symptoms.The characteristic clinical manifestations are severe pain that does not disappear on its own and requires the use of analgesics and antispasmodics.

Pain syndrome accompanies the entire period of development of the disease.During the primary signs of prostatitis, discomfort and burning in the urethral canal are of low intensity and therefore often ignored.The pain is often falsely attributed to radiculitis or fatigue.After pain relief or administration of an antispasmodic, the symptom usually disappears.

Over time, the clinical picture becomes more intense.The pain syndrome manifests itself more intensely and remains after taking analgesics.Unpleasant sensations accompany every act of urinating, defecating and ejaculating.

The pain radiates from the spine to the scrotum, sometimes to the limbs, and is accompanied by cramping and numbness.Rashes, itching and burning in prostate tissues and genital areas are a normal reaction of the body to internal inflammation.

Temperature increase

Chronic inflammation of the prostate in the acute form is accompanied by heat and fever.There is a sharp increase in temperature, reaching 39-40°.The indicators are stable.Body temperature does not decrease even after taking antipyretics.

Slow prostatitis is characterized by a low-grade fever.Constant indicators of chronic inflammation, between 37-37.2°.

It is strictly forbidden to reduce the temperature and take medications on your own to reduce external manifestations!

dysuria

The first signs of chronic prostatitis appear in various urinary disorders.Over time, symptoms become more intense, which helps to identify the disease.Manifestations of dysuria:

• Frequent urge to go to the bathroom at night.
• Sensation of incomplete emptying of the bladder.
• Hematuria (blood in urine), purulent discharge.
• Pain during urination.

Clinical signs and the intensity of their manifestation directly affect the diagnosis and require mandatory additional research.Symptoms may indicate other inflammatory diseases of the genitourinary system, hyperplasia and oncology.

Genital organ disorders

Chronic prostatitis leads to the appearance of scar formations that impair blood supply.Lack of nutrients leads to the following manifestations:

• Decreased potency - with chronic prostatitis, sexual disorders are observed.One of the characteristic symptoms is a normal erection, which decreases drastically during sexual intercourse.In the advanced stage, stable power occurs.
• Infertility - after the appearance of scars in the seminal ducts, sperm viability decreases.Inflammation changes the structure and composition of the ejaculate.In the advanced stage, the sperm becomes thicker and lumps appear.
• Pain during sexual intercourse - discharge from the urethral canal is observed.During sexual intercourse, discomfort and painful symptoms are felt, especially during ejaculation.Often, psychosomatic reasons lead to the patient's persistent impotence.

The main symptoms of chronic prostatitis: pain, increased body temperature, dysuria, dysfunction of the genital organs.In the diagnosis, the intensity and duration of the period since the onset of clinical signs, as well as related symptoms, are taken into account.

How to detect chronic prostate inflammation?

Prostatitis does not present symptoms that can accurately differentiate the disease.Some disorders of the genitourinary system have similar symptoms.An accurate diagnosis can only be made after a complete examination of the patient, including laboratory tests and instrumental detection methods of the disease.

Suspecting the presence of disturbances in the functioning of the pelvic organs, the urologist will prescribe a mandatory rectal examination.If tissue changes are detected on palpation, various laboratory tests are prescribed.

Laboratory research methods

Clinical blood and urine tests differentiate the presence of an inflammatory process and can often explain the catalyst for the development of the disease.When making a diagnosis, additional information will be required from the results of the following laboratory tests:

• Cytological and bacteriological analysis of urine.The PSA level is established.Protein levels increase markedly with inflammation of glandular tissue.
• Taking a swab from the urethra.
• Microscopy of prostate secretions - based on the results, dysfunctions in the prostate are determined.Differentiate cancer from chronic tissue inflammation.It is forbidden to sow prostate secretions during the acute period of the disease, accompanied by high body temperature, exacerbation of hemorrhoids or fissures in the anus.
• Testing for STDs (sexually transmitted infections) - one of the common catalysts for prostate inflammation is pathogenic microorganisms.Trichomonas, staphylococci and gonococci can cause the disease.Prostatitis develops during the active phase of bacterial proliferation and after the infection has been cured.

Laboratory tests are a mandatory component of diagnosing prostatitis and subsequently choosing a treatment method.

Instrumental detection of the disease

There are three main methods of testing for prostatitis.Each instrumental diagnostic method provides information about changes in the structure of glandular tissue and has its own indications and contraindications:

• CT scan - MRI is often prescribed to diagnose chronic prostatitis.The study allows you to obtain a layer-by-layer image of the prostate.MRI signs accurately indicate chronic inflammation and also indicate the beginning of tissue degeneration into a malignant formation.Magnetic resonance technology is absolutely harmless, but it has contraindications due to the impossibility of studying patients with pacemakers, metal clamps and shunts (left during surgical operations).
• Transrectal TRUS is an informative method that reliably indicates the presence of inflammation.Ultrasound signs of structural changes in the prostate gland according to the type of chronic prostatitis include: deviations from the norm in volume and size, structure and the presence of pathological formations.Ultrasound techniques are not prescribed for acute inflammation of the rectum, the presence of fissures in the anus or hemorrhoids.
• Ultrasound - transabdominal technique has no contraindications.The method is less informative compared to TRUS and MRI.Ultrasonographic signs make it difficult to determine the space of the abdominal cavity.Diagnostic results are often controversial and require clarification.The advantage of ultrasound is the simplicity and speed of the study.

The accuracy of the ultrasound image largely depends on the experience of the doctor conducting the study.

Differential disease research

After receiving the results of clinical and biochemical studies, the symptoms of chronic prostate inflammation are assessed.Common diagnostic standards have been developed that are valid throughout the world.

To facilitate the urologist's task, the NIH-CPSI symptom index was invented, made in the form of a questionnaire or questionnaire.The doctor fills in the fields in the document and then makes the diagnosis.

There are computer programs based on the NIH-CPSI index.The doctor must fill out a questionnaire and the system will independently perform a summary assessment of the symptoms of chronic prostatitis.The effectiveness of the technique has been proven all over the world.

After calculating the results of the questionnaire, at the time of diagnosis, an additional assessment of instrumental and clinical studies is taken into account: presence of echo signs of chronic prostatitis, increased PSA level, identification of an infectious marker by microscopy of secretions.The more data the urologist has, the more accurate the result will be.

What is dangerous about chronic prostatitis - its consequences

The consequences of chronic prostatitis in men are disturbances in the functioning of the genitourinary system.These include:

• Impotence.
• Acute urinary retention.
• Infertility.

The fibrous changes that accompany advanced disease cause the development of oncology.Normal tissues degenerate into malignant ones.Therefore, preventing functional changes in the prostate to prevent the development of cancer is an extremely important task for the urologist.

When diagnosing, the presence of prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia is taken into account, a harbinger of oncology and fibrous changes.Advanced disease often leads to the need for surgery: prostatectomy.

Diagnosing prostatitis and differentiating the disease from related disorders of the pelvic organs is an important task for doctors and patients.Detecting the first symptoms depends entirely on the man himself.If you experience any discomfort when urinating, decreased erection or persistent low-grade fever, these are reasons to seek professional medical help immediately.Delay is dangerous!