Prostatitis can affect potency or cause infertility. The success of treatment depends largely on how quickly treatment is started, so the man should pay attention to the first symptoms independently. Review how acute and chronic forms of prostatitis manifest themselves, as well as provide information on clinical manifestations and symptoms.
Symptoms of acute and chronic prostatitis
Acute prostatitis most commonly occurs in men of sexual reproductive age. In this case, the first signs of the disease appear unexpectedly, develop rapidly and can not be ignored.
Men with acute prostatitis will feel:
- sharp, often throbbing pain in the perineum;
- increase in temperature to 39 ° C;
- pain when urinating.
With a disease, the focus of the inflammatory process in the prostate gland is extensive, so nearby organs may be involved in the pathological process. For example, prostatitis can affect the rectum, resulting in painful bowel movements.
Chronic prostatitis is more commonly diagnosed in men of retirement age. The disease can continue without any specific symptoms. Sometimes patients complain of burning or itching during urination, feeling mucous or purulent discharge from the glans penis. In chronic prostatitis, the pain is either absent or insignificant, and the temperature rises to 37 degrees.
Early symptoms
Doctors identify a number of manifestations that are considered a harbinger of the disease. They are a signal for a person to go to the doctor in the near future. The six symptoms listed below indicate a problem in the genitourinary system and are therefore grouped together - dysuric syndrome:
- Urine is excreted in the form of drops, the man makes an effort to do so.
- The jet is slow, the range is not more than 20 cm.
- Discharge of urine, interruption of flow or involuntary interruption.
- The desire to use the toilet often at night.
- Pain during urination.
- Feeling of an empty bladder.
If there is only one symptom - prostatitis, most likely we are not talking. However, if a man may notice two or three symptoms, this is a reason to see a doctor. Most likely, an inflammatory process has begun in the prostate gland.
The doctor will make a more accurate diagnosis after a rectal examination, TRUS, laboratory methods, which together with a comprehensive examination. Based on the results of these measures, treatment is also selected, so self-medication is strictly prohibited.
Urinary problems can indicate prostate cancer, and then the tactics of therapy will be fundamentally different.
Certain manifestations are not always an indication of prostatitis, but may indicate any other inflammatory process in the genitourinary system. But there is reason to be careful when they appear. Think about how a man would feel if he had inflammation of the prostate gland.
Disorders of urinary excretion
In a patient with acute prostatitis, the process of urination is impaired. Normally, a man can feel up to 15 calls a day to eliminate a small need, depending on the drinking regimen. Average indicators - 4-5 times. But with prostatitis, the picture changes. Men can feel the call twice as often, but the volume of urine will not increase. This means that the kidneys work smoothly, but the walls of the bladder are compressed by the prostate.
Narrowing of the prostatic urethra causes stranguria. This is a pathological condition in which a man feels severe pain when urinating. The development of Ishuria is also possible (inability to go to the toilet).
Temperature rise
The first sign of acute prostatitis will be a rise in temperature to febrile levels (38-39 degrees). This symptom is especially characteristic of purulent prostatitis and is a harbinger of septic shock. Body temperature may drop to 35-36 ° C as the severe infectious process progresses.
In some cases, this condition can be life-threatening. It is especially dangerous for men with disseminated intravascular coagulation syndrome (disseminated intravascular coagulation).
Appearance of blood in the urine
This symptom is more often detected in the urine laboratory study, less often visually by the person himself. This is a dangerous manifestation of prostatitis, which is very difficult to fight. The cause of hematuria (scientific name of the feature) can be:
- location of blood vessels in the region of the purulent-inflammatory process;
- development of prostate cancer or adenoma;
- damage to the urethra or prostate during the examination.
Also, such a manifestation is possible with calcium prostatitis, when the tissue of the stone and sand glands is damaged. Fortunately, hematuria with prostatitis is very rare for men.
Inguinal pain syndrome
Acute prostatitis, as well as chronic complications, may be accompanied by moderate to severe pain. This is not the first sign of prostatitis, but it should not be ignored. The following types of anxiety are distinguished:
- fever, sharp pains;
- feelings of pain or pressure;
- itching and burning (more often with chlamydial prostatitis).
In some cases, men may also feel pain in the anus. With bowel movements, it increases in the sitting position and disappears when the man is at rest.
Laboratory signs of the disease
It is possible to say that a man started prostatitis only after blood and urine laboratory tests, as well as on the results of ultrasound, CT, MRI and palpation. There are several known signs that you can identify inflammation in an organ:
- appearance of leukocytes in blood and urine;
- identification of pathogenic microflora in urine and prostate secretion;
- increase in the number of leukocytes against the background of a decrease in the number of lecithin grains in the juice of the prostate gland;
- pain in the prostate region during rectal examination;
- Increased gland size in TRUS images, the presence of areas with increasing echogenicity.
Also, the presence of inflammation in the body can be assessed by other parameters - an increase in ESR in blood tests, changes in the leukogram, the presence of inactive sperm during ejaculation.
Various bacteria in the urine - trichomonas, chlamydia, E. coli, etc.
Among the instrumental methods, in addition to TRUS, contrast X-ray examination may be involved. Signs of inflammation will be clearly visible in the images of the prostate in different projections - areas with a violation of tissue structure.
The result
From a practical point of view, the following first signs of prostatitis are important for men - disorders of urination and pain in the perineum. At the same time, if the temperature rises, we can talk about acute bacterial prostatitis.
In any case, it is necessary to make an appointment with a doctor, undergo an examination and only then begin treatment. It is forbidden to choose your own therapy, paying attention only to the unpleasant manifestations.