Prostatitis can affect potency or cause infertility. The success of treatment largely depends on how quickly treatment was started, therefore, a man should pay attention to the first signs independently. Consider how prostatitis manifests itself in acute and chronic forms, and also give information about clinical manifestations and symptoms.
Signs of acute and chronic prostatitis
Acute prostatitis most commonly occurs in men of childbearing age who are sexually active. The first signs of the disease in this case appear unexpectedly, develop rapidly and can not go unnoticed.
With acute prostatitis, a man will experience:
- sharp and often throbbing pain in the perineum;
- temperature rise to 39 ° C;
- pain when urinating.
With a disease, the focus of the inflammatory process in the prostate is extended, therefore, neighboring organs can be involved in the pathological process. For example, prostatitis can affect the rectum, causing painful stools.
Chronic prostatitis is more often diagnosed in men at retirement age. The disease can progress without any particular symptoms. Sometimes patients complain to the doctor of burning or itching when urinating, notice mucous or purulent discharge from the glans penis. Pain in chronic prostatitis is either absent or insignificant, and the temperature rises to 37 degrees.
Initial symptoms
Doctors identify a number of manifestations which are considered to be the warning signs of the disease. They are the signal for a man to see a doctor in the near future. The six symptoms listed below indicate a problem in the genitourinary system and therefore are combined into one group - dysuric syndrome:
- Urine is excreted in drops, man makes an effort for this.
- The jet is slow, the range does not exceed 20 cm.
- Splashes of urine, involuntary separation or interruption of the stream.
- Frequent need to go to the bathroom at night.
- Pain during urination.
- Sensation of empty bladder.
If there is only one symptom - prostatitis, most likely, we are 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 a rectal examination, TRUS, laboratory methods, which together constitute a complete examination. Based on the results of these measurements, treatment is also selected, therefore self-medication is strictly prohibited.
Problems with urination can indicate prostate cancer, so the treatment tactics 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 is cause for suspicion. Consider how a man will feel if he has an inflamed prostate.
Violation of urination
In a patient with acute prostatitis, the urination process is disturbed. Normally, a man can experience up to 15 cravings for a small craving 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 urine volume will not increase. This means that the kidneys are working well, but the walls of the bladder are compressed by the prostate.
The narrowing of the prostatic urethra causes stranguria. This is a medical condition in which a man experiences severe pain while urinating. The development of ischuria is also possible (inability to go to the toilet).
Temperature increase
The first sign of acute prostatitis will be an increase in temperature to febrile levels (38-39 degrees). This symptom is particularly characteristic of purulent prostatitis and is a harbinger of septic shock. As a serious infectious process progresses, body temperature may 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 more often detected in a urine laboratory study, less often visually by humans himself. It is a dangerous manifestation of prostatitis, which is very difficult to combat. The cause of hematuria (the scientific name for 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 calculator prostatitis, when stones and sand damage the tissues of the gland. 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. It is not the first sign of prostatitis, but it cannot be ignored. The following types of discomfort are distinguished:
- tightness, sharp pain;
- painful or pressing sensations;
- itching and burning (more often with Chlamydial prostatitis).
In some cases, men may also experience pain in the anus. It increases with bowel movements, when sitting, and disappears if the man is at rest.
Laboratory signs of the disease
It is possible to say that a man only started prostatitis after laboratory tests of blood and urine, as well as the results of ultrasound, CT, MRI and CT scan. 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 urinary and prostatic secretions;
- an increase in the number of leukocytes against the background of a decrease in the number of lecithin grains in the prostate juice;
- pain in the prostate area on digital rectal examination;
- an increase in the size of the gland on TRUS images, the presence of areas of increased echogenicity.
In addition, the presence of inflammation in the body can be judged by other parameters - an increase in ESR in blood tests, a shift in the leukogram, the presence of immobile sperm in the ejaculate.
Various bacteria can be found in the urine - Trichomonas, chlamydia, E. coli, etc.
From the instrumental methods, in addition to the TRUS, a radiographic examination with contrast may be involved. On images of the prostate in different projections, signs of inflammation will be clearly visible - areas with disorders of the tissue structure.
Conclusion
From a practical point of view, the following first signs of prostatitis are important for a man - violations with 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, have an examination and only then start treatment. It is forbidden to choose your own therapy on your own, focusing only on unpleasant manifestations.