Prostatitis can affect potency or cause infertility. The success of the treatment depends a lot on how quickly the treatment was started, therefore, the man must pay attention to the first signs independently. Consider how prostatitis manifests itself in both acute and chronic forms and also provide information on clinical manifestations and symptoms.
Signs of Acute and Chronic Prostatitis
Acute prostatitis occurs more often in men of childbearing 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 and 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 is extensive, therefore, nearby organs may be involved in the pathological process. For example, prostatitis can affect the rectum, resulting in painful bowel movements.
Chronic prostatitis is most often diagnosed in men of retirement age. The disease can proceed without any special symptoms. Sometimes patients complain to their doctor about burning or itchy urination and notice mucous or purulent discharge from the glans. Pain in chronic prostatitis is absent or negligible and the temperature rises to 37 degrees.
initial symptoms
Doctors identify a series of manifestations that are considered to be 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 with the genitourinary system and are therefore combined into one group - dysuric syndrome:
- Urine is excreted in drops, man strives for this.
- The jet is slow, the range is no more than 20 cm.
- Urine splash, splitting or involuntary interruption of the stream.
- Frequent desire to use the bathroom at night.
- Pain when urinating.
- Feeling of empty bladder.
If there's only one symptom - prostatitis, we're probably not talking. However, if a man can notice two or three signs in himself, this is a reason to see a doctor. Most likely, an inflammatory process has started in the prostate.
The doctor will make a more accurate diagnosis after rectal examination, TRUS, laboratory methods, which together constitute a comprehensive examination. Based on the results of these measures, treatment is also selected, therefore self-medication is strictly prohibited.
Problems with urination can indicate prostate cancer, so therapy tactics will be fundamentally different.
Certain manifestations are not always indicative of prostatitis, but can indicate any other inflammatory process in the genitourinary system. However, when they do appear, there is reason to be cautious. Consider how a man will feel if he has an inflammation of his prostate.
violation of urination
In a patient with acute prostatitis, the urination process is disturbed. Normally, a man can feel up to 15 impulses a day to alleviate a small need, this is due to the drinking regimen. Average indicators - 4-5 times. However, with prostatitis, the picture changes. The man may feel craving twice as often, but the urine volume does not increase. This means that the kidneys work well, but the bladder walls 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 is also possible (inability to go to the bathroom).
Temperature increase
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. As a severe infectious process progresses, body temperature can drop to 35-36 °C.
In some cases, this condition can be fatal. It is especially dangerous for men with disseminated intravascular coagulation syndrome (disseminated intravascular coagulation).
The appearance of blood in the urine
This symptom is more often detected in a laboratory study of urine, and less visually by the man himself. This is a dangerous manifestation of prostatitis, which is very difficult to combat. 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.
Furthermore, such manifestation is possible in 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, may be accompanied by pain of different natures, from moderate to severe. This is not the first sign of prostatitis, but it cannot be ignored. The following types of discomfort are differentiated:
- shooting, sharp pains;
- sensations of pain or pressure;
- itching and burning (most often in chlamydial prostatitis).
In some cases, men may also experience pain in the anus. It increases with bowel movements, in a sitting position, and disappears if the man is at rest.
Laboratory signs of disease
It can be said that a man started prostatitis only after laboratory tests of blood and urine, as well as the results of ultrasound, computed tomography, MRI and palpation. There are several known signs by which it is possible to establish inflammation in an organ:
- the appearance of white blood cells and urine;
- identification of pathogenic microflora in urine and prostate secretions;
- an increase in the number of leukocytes in the context of a decrease in the number of lecithin grains in prostate juice;
- pain in the prostate area during rectal examination;
- increased gland size on TRUS images, presence of areas with increased echogenicity.
In addition, the presence of inflammation in the body can be assessed by other parameters - an increase in ESR on blood tests, a change in white blood cell count, the presence of immobile sperm in the ejaculate.
Various bacteria can be found in urine - Trichomonas, Chlamydia, E. coli, etc.
Of the instrumental methods, in addition to TRUS, radiographic examination with contrast may be involved. In photos of the prostate in different projections, signs of inflammation will be clearly visible - areas with disturbances in the tissue structure.
Conclusion
From a practical point of view, the following early signs of prostatitis are important for men - violations of urination and pain in the perineum. If the temperature rises at the same time, 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 start treatment. It is forbidden to choose your own therapy on your own, focusing only on the unpleasant manifestations.