Prostatitis can affect potency or cause infertility. The success of treatment largely depends on how quickly the treatment was started, therefore a man should independently pay attention to the first signs. Consider how prostatitis manifests itself in acute and chronic forms, and also provide information on clinical manifestations and symptoms.
Signs of acute and chronic prostatitis.
Acute prostatitis occurs most often in men of reproductive age who are sexually active. The first signs of the disease in this case appear unexpectedly, develop quickly and cannot go unnoticed.
With acute prostatitis, a man will feel:
- sharp pain, often stabbing, in the perineum;
- temperature rise to 39 ° C;
- pain when urinating
With a disease, the focus of the inflammatory process in the prostate gland is extensive, therefore, nearby organs may be involved in the pathological process. For example, prostatitis can affect the rectum and cause painful bowel movements.
Chronic prostatitis is most often diagnosed in men of retirement age. The disease can continue without any special symptoms. Sometimes patients complain to the doctor of burning or itching when urinating, they notice a mucous or purulent discharge from the glans penis. Pain in chronic prostatitis is absent or insignificant, and the temperature rises to 37 degrees.
Initial symptoms
Doctors identify a series of manifestations that are considered precursors of the disease. They are the signal for a man to visit a doctor in the near future. The six symptoms listed below indicate a problem in the genitourinary system and are therefore combined into one group: dysuric syndrome:
- Urine is excreted in drops, man strives for it.
- The jet is slow, the range is no more than 20 cm.
- Urine splashing, slit or involuntary interruption of the stream.
- Frequent need to use the bathroom at night.
- Pain when urinating
- Feeling of empty bladder.
If there is only one symptom: prostatitis, we are most likely not talking. However, if a man can notice two or three signs in himself, this is a reason to consult a doctor. Most likely, he has started an inflammatory process in the prostate.
The doctor will make a more accurate diagnosis after rectal exam, TRUS, laboratory methods, which together make up a complete exam. Based on the results of these measures, the treatment is also selected, so self-medication is strictly prohibited.
Urination problems may indicate prostate cancer, so the tactics of therapy will be fundamentally different.
Certain manifestations are not always indicative of prostatitis; they can indicate any other inflammatory process in the genitourinary system. However, when they do appear, there are reasons to be cautious. Consider how a man will feel if he has a swollen prostate.
Violation of urination
In a patient with acute prostatitis, the urination process is disturbed. Typically, a man can feel up to 15 urges to relieve a small need per day, this is due to the drinking regimen. Average indicators: 4-5 times. However, with prostatitis, the picture changes. A man may feel the urge twice as often, but the volume of urine will not increase. This means that the kidneys are working 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 ischuria (inability to go to the bathroom) is also possible.
Temperature rise
The first sign of acute prostatitis will be an increase in temperature to feverish levels (38-39 degrees). This symptom is especially characteristic of purulent prostatitis and is a harbinger of septic shock. As a severe infectious process progresses, the body temperature can drop to 35-36 ° C.
In some cases, this condition can be life-threatening. It is especially dangerous for men with disseminated intravascular coagulation syndrome (disseminated intravascular coagulation).
The appearance of blood in the urine.
This symptom is most often detected in a laboratory study of urine, less often visually by the man himself. This is a dangerous manifestation of prostatitis, which is very difficult to fight. The cause of hematuria (the scientific name of the trait) can be:
- the location of the blood vessel in the area of the purulent inflammatory process;
- the development of prostate cancer or adenoma;
- trauma to the urethra or prostate on examination.
Also, such a manifestation is possible with calculous prostatitis, when stones and sand damage the gland tissue. Fortunately for men, hematuria with prostatitis is very rare.
Groin pain syndrome
Acute prostatitis, as well as cases of complications in the chronic form, can be accompanied by pain of a different nature, from moderate to severe. This is not the first sign of prostatitis, but it cannot be ignored. The following types of discomfort are distinguished:
- sharp, stabbing pains;
- pain or pressure sensations;
- itching and burning (most often with chlamydial prostatitis).
In some cases, men may also feel pain in the anus. It increases with bowel movements, in a sitting position, and disappears if the man is at rest.
Laboratory signs of the disease.
It is possible to say that a man has started prostatitis only after laboratory tests of blood and urine, as well as according to the results of ultrasound, CT, MRI and palpation. There are several known signs by which it is possible to establish inflammation in an organ:
- the appearance of leukocytes in the blood and urine;
- identification of pathogenic microflora in urine and prostate secretions;
- an increase in the number of leukocytes against the background of a decrease in the number of lecithin grains in the juice of the prostate;
- pain in the prostate area during digital rectal examination;
- an increase in the size of the gland on TRUS images, the presence of areas with greater echogenicity.
Also, the presence of inflammation in the body can be judged by other parameters: an increase in ESR in blood tests, a change in the leukogram, the presence of immobile sperm in the ejaculate.
Various bacteria can be found in urine: Trichomonas, Chlamydia, E. coli, etc.
From the instrumental methods, in addition to the TRUS, the examination of X-rays with contrast can be involved. On images of the prostate in different projections, signs of inflammation will be clearly visible - areas with disorders in the structure of tissues.
conclusion
From a practical point of view, the following first signs of prostatitis are important for a man: violations of urination and pain in the perineum. If the temperature rises at the same time, we can speak of acute bacterial prostatitis.
In any case, you need to make an appointment with a doctor, undergo an examination, and only then start treatment. It is forbidden to choose your own therapy on his own, focusing only on unpleasant manifestations.