There are different stages of prostatitis. They differ from each other in clinical symptoms and features of the course. The most effective is the treatment of the initial stage of the development of inflammation of the prostate gland. At this stage, the disease does not have time to greatly affect the functioning of the genitourinary system. The later a man with prostatitis turns to a doctor for help, the lower his chances of a full recovery.
what is prostatitis
Prostatitis is an inflammatory process that has appeared in the prostate gland. More than half of the older male population is personally familiar with this disease. Doctors distinguish several forms of the disease, each of which proceeds in its own way. When making a diagnosis, urologists specify the type of prostatitis found in a patient. The inflammation can be bacterial or nonbacterial. Both pathologies negatively affect the functioning of the gland and neighboring organs.
The pathological process has 2 types of flow:
- Spicy;
- Chronic.
The initial symptoms of acute prostatitis appear from the first days of the disease. Its severity increases if a man does not try to cope with inflammation. The chronic course is characterized by the absence of obvious symptoms of malaise. Therefore, this form of prostatitis is usually detected during a routine examination by a urologist.
Acute prostatitis, even at the initial stage, has vivid symptoms, while chronic prostatitis does not manifest itself for a long time.
Chronic disease stages
Chronic prostatitis is divided into several stages, which follow one another if a man does not try to fight the disease. It can be dormant for several years. In this case, the pathology is periodically exacerbated. Remission and relapse of the disease gradually replace each other.
It depends only on the actions of the patient how long he will treat the disease, what stage he will be able to reach and whether he will be able to fully recover.
1 stage
The initial stage of the prostate is considered the safest for health. That is why doctors recommend starting treatment at this stage. But the difficulty lies in the fact that, at first, the disease does not cause much discomfort. A man does not even always know that he is sick. If for various reasons the patient was unable to overcome the pathological process in the prostate gland, he will proceed to a more difficult stage. And so it will continue until the agent causing the infection is stopped by the therapy.
First degree prostatitis is characterized by symptoms that will be mild:
- Body temperature rises to 38 degrees. After some time, it can increase to the 40 degree mark;
- Severe pain is felt in the area of the hip joints;
- There is discomfort during bowel movements;
- The member slows down;
- In the process of urinating, you may notice mucus that is colorless;
- Pain appears during urination;
- The urethra becomes narrower, so you have to strain to empty your bladder;
- At night, frequent urges to go to the bathroom begin to bother;
- Intercourse becomes shorter.
All these signs are a good reason to visit a specialist. They will tease a man up to 3 years. It is during this time that the course of the first stage of the disease is usually observed.
The symptoms of inflammation of the prostate come and go, since at this stage the disease manifests itself in waves. It will seem to a man that the disease has receded, but after a while she betrays herself again.
Very often, patients do not finish the initial stage of inflammation in the prostate gland. Because of this, the disease becomes chronic. It is very difficult to deal with this form of pathology. The treatment will take a long time and require the investment of large sums of money. At the same time, there is no guarantee that the disease will regress upon completion of the therapeutic course.
A urologist can detect the initial stage of prostatitis in a patient if he undergoes a series of diagnostic procedures. The disease is detected through such studies:
- palpation of the rectum;
- Collection of secretions and sperm;
- General analysis of urine and blood;
- sperm analysis;
- Prostate ultrasound.
Analysis of the results of the investigation will allow the specialist to determine the disease and its cause. If the prostatitis turns out to be infectious, the man will be offered to take antibiotics and other drugs that will help restore the affected prostate tissue and normalize its performance. A non-infectious form of inflammation also needs drug therapy. This treatment will be based on immunomodulatory drugs, dietary supplements and rectal suppositories with anti-inflammatory action.
If the initial stage of the disease continues without aggravation, the patient is also prescribed physiotherapy along with a diet.
At an early stage, inflammation of the prostate responds well to treatment.
2 stages
Second degree prostatitis is accompanied by a temporary weakening of symptoms. Many men perceive this condition as a recovery. They postpone visits to the doctor or fail to pay due attention to therapy. But a decrease in the inflammatory process with such a diagnosis is a bad sign. During the first stage of the disease, there was an increase in the size of the prostate due to the active division of its cells. As a result, scars form on the walls. Blood vessel ruptures lead to interruption of the blood supply to the prostate gland.
The second stage of prostatitis is often accompanied by the following symptoms:
- Violation of biological rhythms;
- Nervousness;
- pain when urinating;
- heart failure;
- exacerbation of sciatica;
- The disappearance of the orgasm;
- Lack of sexual desire.
At this stage of prostatitis in men, it is difficult to correctly determine the specific localization of the pain syndrome. Initially, the pain is felt at the location of the prostate. It then spreads to all areas of the small pelvis.
Patients with stage 2 prostatitis are recommended to take immunostimulating drugs and attend physiotherapy procedures. So that the situation does not get more complicated, they must avoid hypothermia, abandon bad habits and normalize their diet.
It is very important to have a healthy lifestyle.
3 stages
The third stage of development of inflammation in the prostate brings the most problems. In this case, a man is diagnosed with a chronic form of prostatitis. At this stage, there is a serious change in the tissues of the prostate. They begin to die quickly. The scars formed in the past stages strongly squeeze the bladder. This causes the development of urinary retention, which is an extremely dangerous complication.
Prostatitis in 3 degrees of development leads to the appearance of pathological changes in the kidneys and bladder. The danger lies in the fact that they are irreversible. At this stage, men often complain of sciatica.
The last stage of the development of the disease has the following symptoms:
- frequent urge to urinate;
- Severe pain when urinating;
- Weak urine stream;
- Cutting in the region of the kidneys;
- Lack of sensation of complete emptying of the bladder after going to the bathroom.
The last stage of chronic prostatitis is considered the most dangerous. In this stage, the cells that die are replaced by connective tissue. This change leads to a decrease in the size of the prostate gland and a narrowing of the urinary tract. Due to the fact that the system does not work properly, a man develops cystic formations. He also develops impotence.
Since in the later stages of the disease the symptoms of it are very pronounced, the patient's life is greatly complicated. The constant pain haunts him day and night. Very often, for the first time, men turn to a urologist precisely because of such obvious symptoms of prostatitis. But, since irreversible processes have occurred in the gland at this time, doctors do not guarantee the elimination of pathology, even if the patient meets all their requirements. It is difficult for them to predict how inflammation will behave at a certain stage of development.
If the case is severe and antibiotics do not provide significant relief, then the patient is referred for surgery to partially or completely remove the prostate gland.
In stage 3, the pain becomes severe and the changes in the organs become irreversible.
Stages of acute illness
It is with acute inflammation in the glandular organ that prostatitis begins. It gradually intensifies. The prostate gland is affected by an infection that safely develops in it with a weakened immune system. Chronic prostatitis is observed in those who could not cope with the acute form of the pathology. In this case, the man will not feel the special symptoms of the disease until he is in the acute stage.
Inflammation of the prostate, caused by an infectious agent, manifests itself from the first days of the disease. Therefore, this form of pathology is diagnosed earlier than chronic. Acute prostatitis is characterized by slightly different stages of development. Doctors allocate 4 degrees of a disease which follow each other.
catarrhal stage
At this stage begins the inflammatory process in the prostate. It spreads in the ductal tissues of the glandular lobes. There is swelling of the prostate, which continues to progress. At this stage, the man does not have purulent discharge, which could indicate an infection in the gland. Other symptoms will bother you:
- Frequent urge to go to the bathroom;
- pain when urinating;
- General weakness in the body;
- Variable psycho-emotional state;
- apathetic mood;
- Irritability.
Another distinctive feature of acute prostatitis in stage 1 of development is the enlargement of the prostate gland. Although this symptom is also characteristic of the chronic course of the pathology. The doctor will be able to notice this feature during palpation of the problem area. Special analyzes make it possible to confirm the fears of a specialist. You must necessarily refer the patient to the delivery of prostatic secretion to study its composition. With prostatitis, an increased number of leukocytes will be found in the fluid. Also in the sample, the doctor will detect impurities of pus and mucus.
Treatment of the catarrhal stage of acute prostatitis consists in taking a group of drugs that suppress inflammation and reduce the severity of the main symptoms of the disease.
Massage with such a course of pathology is strictly prohibited, like many other similar physiotherapeutic procedures.
On average, the treatment of the initial stage of acute inflammation of the prostate gland lasts about 2 weeks. During this time, the patient completely gets rid of the disease. The positive result of therapy is due to the fact that it was started before the time when the pathology had not yet managed to lead to the development of irreversible processes in the organs of the genitourinary system.
follicular stage
With the development of this phase of prostatitis, the swelling spreads to the follicles and excretory channels of the prostate. Its structures begin to compress neighboring tissues, which causes severe suppuration. The symptoms of the disease intensify and become more pronounced and noticeable. In this condition, men complain of the following signs of discomfort:
- Body temperature rises to 38 degrees and does not drop;
- apathetic mood;
- The appearance of pain in the groin area;
- Spread of pain to the genitals, anal area and hip joint;
- pain when urinating;
- Pain in the head of the penis;
- Defecation becomes more difficult;
- The excretion of a minimal amount of urine.
By probing the problem area, you can detect an asymmetric increase in prostate tissue. While examining the results of a urinalysis, the doctor will detect the presence of an excessive amount of pus and white blood cells in the sample.
It is very important to start urgent treatment of the follicular stage of acute prostatitis, otherwise a malignant process may develop in the structures of the glandular organ.
If therapy is ignored, there is a risk of developing cancer
parenchymal stage
The tissues of the prostate are subject to constant damage. Because of this, a large number of small pustules form on them. The urinary tract is further compressed. As a result, there is acute urinary retention. Other symptoms of the parenchymal stage are the following conditions:
- painful defecation;
- An increase in body temperature to 39 degrees or higher;
- Constant feeling of intense thirst;
- Loss of appetite;
- severe weakness;
- Chronic fatigue;
- Difficulty urinating;
- Severe pain in the pelvis, anus and lower back;
- Flatulence and constipation.
Abnormal mucus impurities begin to appear in the stool, as the inflammation affects the intestines. The gland becomes quite large, and its outlines become blurred.
Stage of abscess formation.
This stage of acute prostatitis is accompanied by a number of painful symptoms that prevent a man from leading a full life. They are more pronounced than at the initial stage of the development of the inflammatory process. At this stage, the small pustules merge into a complete formation. Purulent masses quickly accumulate inside it. When it grows too big, it bursts. As a result, the accumulated pus comes out through the urethra. At the abscess stage, the patient is tormented by the following symptoms:
- severe malaise;
- Increased body temperature up to 40 degrees;
- Passivity to any action;
- Severe pain in the anus and genitals;
- Difficulty defecating and urinating.
If a man with this condition does not receive proper treatment, he can die. It is very important to remove the abscess so that the patient feels better. Only then will the main signs of the disease begin to subside.
complications
The earlier the treatment of prostatitis is started, the less damage the inflammatory process will cause to the body. That is why it is better to treat the disease at an early stage. But not all men adhere to this recommendation, as many hope that the ailment will go away on its own. Due to this, the disease progresses and leads to the development of unpleasant complications. Neglecting the help of a specialist, a person faces the following consequences of untreated prostatitis:
- The appearance of various inflammatory processes in the organs of the genitourinary system;
- Decreased sexual desire;
- psychological disorders;
- Sterility;
- Impotence.
It is not uncommon for men who have had prostatitis to have a normal erection. This is why the patient's sexual activity is significantly reduced. In some cases, the absence of ejaculation is considered a complication. A man's penis can drop sharply. If such deviations are found, it is required to visit a specialist to find out the nature of the violation and find ways to get rid of it.
Do not forget that the inflammatory process can actively spread to neighboring tissues and organs. That is why, against the background of prostatitis, men also develop cystitis and urethritis. These diseases lead to a violation of the outflow of urine. The occurrence of chronic incontinence is not excluded.
Men perceive impotence as one of the most serious complications of acute or chronic prostatitis. With such a deviation, the ability to excite disappears. This is due to inflammation, which interferes with the process of tissue nutrition. Edema does not allow the corpora cavernosa to fill completely with blood. Medicine has learned to treat this complication with long-term drug therapy. However, not all patients who have completed such a course are satisfied with the result.
It is prostatitis that is called the main cause of the development of infertility of the first degree. In this case, it is considered a variant of the disease, in which the composition of the seminal fluid changes. The secret changes its level of acidity and viscosity. All these deviations are detected during the study of the semen sample, which was sent for analysis.
With the problem of infertility, men should contact an andrologist. He will help you choose the best treatment.
If the prostatitis is severe, it will lead to the appearance of second degree infertility. This condition is not amenable to therapeutic treatment.
The psycho-emotional mood of a man suffers greatly due to inflammation of the prostate. Frequent failures in the intimate sphere worry him. Against this background, depressions appear that further worsen the general condition of the patient.
More than 30% of patients who have been diagnosed with prostatitis face psychoemotional experiences. A psychologist helps them restore the male libido, which was reduced due to stress.
Impotence and infertility are common complications of the disease.
Remission of chronic prostatitis
If treatment for prostatitis was started, the patient can achieve remission. This is the name of the condition in which there is a significant weakening of the symptoms of the disease or their complete disappearance. Prostatitis in remission is fixed in most patients who have completed a full course of treatment. This period varies from person to person. If a man does not follow the recommendations of a doctor, then after a while there will be an exacerbation of prostate inflammation. And then the patient will have to be treated again.
Types
Remission with prostatitis can be complete and incomplete. In the first case, after a full therapy, the man ceases to be disturbed by absolutely all the symptoms of the pathology. He forgets about them for a long period. Incomplete remission usually lasts no more than 3 months. During this time, the patient may complain of minor symptoms that characterize prostatitis. For example, many continue to experience pain when urinating and discomfort in the pelvic area.
Duration
Even experienced doctors sometimes find it very difficult to predict how long remission will last for a particular person who has been treated for prostatitis. This indicator is individual. The duration of this period directly depends on a number of factors:
- The causative agent of the disease;
- General condition of the body;
- The quality of treatment;
- The severity of the disease;
- Disease stage.
It also takes into account how conscientiously the patient follows the recommendations of the treating physician, which relate to the prevention of recurrence of prostatitis.
If a man meets all the requirements of a specialist and carefully takes care of his own health, his referral can last for several decades. Sometimes the disease goes away completely.
Forecast
If a patient who had to undergo treatment for chronic prostatitis begins to lead a correct lifestyle, he will have regular check-ups and regular visits to his doctor, as well as take medications to prevent recurrence of prostate inflammation, then you will have a favorable recovery. forecast. In this case, the disease may never bother a person again.
If a man still got sick with prostatitis, he should immediately start therapy. To do this, he must contact a specialist. A complete examination of the genitourinary system will help the urologist to choose the appropriate treatment that will stop the disease and eliminate the complications that have arisen.