With the development of a typical clinical form of prostatitis, its symptoms can be different and occur at the same time.However, even in this situation, the individual characteristics of the organism, the type of pathogen, the stage of the disease, etc. must be taken into account.
First of all, it is important to understand that there are several clinical forms of the disease, which progress completely differently despite the common “target organ” - the prostate.And the symptoms characteristic of one form of the disease may be absent in another.
Classification approaches for classifying forms of disease
Based on WHO (World Health Organization) recommendations and industry protocols, it is generally accepted to divide pathology into the following types:
- Acute prostatitis without specifying the etiological factor;
- Chronic prostatitis, etiologically linked to bacteria;
- Chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CPPS) with signs of prostatic inflammation;
- Chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CPPS) without evidence of prostatic inflammation;
- Asymptomatic chronic bacteriuria and leukocyturia without diseases of other organs of the urogenital system;
- Granulomatous prostatitis with signs of fibrosis;
- A combination of any form of prostatitis with other prostate lesions, most commonly with BPH – benign prostatic hyperplasia.
This classification reflects all possible variants of organ pathology.And it is most correct to describe the most common symptoms of prostatitis from the point of view of describing each of the clinical forms.
Signs of prostatitis in the clinical picture of the acute form
In the acute form of the disease, its symptoms are most clinically pronounced.
General manifestations:
- Increased body temperature in response to the inflammatory process.It is always present and can reach significant values.How high the thermometer rises depends on the pathogen causing the disease.
- General asthenia.It is manifested by severe weakness, malaise, fatigue and a sharp decrease in physical activity.
- Decreased performance.The body, fatigued by the inflammatory process, is unable to maintain its usual performance and solve problems that require high energy output.
- Laboratory test data.Changes appear in blood and urine tests that indicate an inflammatory process in the body.They are most commonly pronounced.However, they are non-specific as they can be a sign of any inflammation.Therefore, tests must be compared with symptoms.
Local symptoms of prostatitis:
- pain.It is the most noticeable symptom of prostatitis.However, the severity is a consequence of the intensity of the inflammatory process and has features associated with a specific infectious agent.Most commonly, pain is projected into the perineum and radiated to the groin or testicles.
- Discomfort in the groin.Most often, this is one of the earliest manifestations and is quite short-lived as it quickly leads to pain.The discomfort initially occurs during physical or sexual activity and recurs after some time at rest.Usually accompanied by increased itching, burning, a feeling of fullness in the groin or when urinating.
- Mucous discharge.They are not always mandatory and appear at the initial stages.Usually transparent, much less often whitish.They most often appear after urination or appear independently as stains on underwear.They are an expression of severe inflammation and involvement of the first part of the urethra.
- Bleeding or blood contamination.Most often they occur in the form of hematospermia - a discoloration of the ejaculate with blood.When infected with hemolytic strains of bacteria, spontaneous mucous discharge mixed with blood is possible.
- Disturbances in bowel movements.Due to its anatomical proximity, inflammation of the prostate also affects the last part of the gastrointestinal tract.Mainly manifests itself as constipation.Essentially, it is a defensive reaction, as distention of the rectal ampulla leads to increased pain.
In essence, all local manifestations are symptoms of the initial stage of acute prostatitis.This includes:
Prostate dysfunction with its symptoms:
- Difficulty urinating.It is a protective reaction of convulsions in response to painful impulses.It is also accompanied by an increase in the volume of the gland and increased pressure on the urethra.Initially, it manifests itself as incomplete emptying of the bladder, which leads to straining until complete urination.Subsequently, there is a weakness in the flow of urine and, with a pronounced inflammatory reaction, the development of paradoxical ischuria is possible - the inability to urinate independently when the bladder is full.
- Intimate violations.They initially manifest themselves as discomfort during sexual intercourse and ejaculation with changes in the seminal fluid.The level of sexual desire and general sexual activity decrease.Due to pain, anxiety and active avoidance of intimacy may occur.
Symptoms and signs of prostatitis in the clinical picture of the chronic form
As the disease becomes chronic, the clinical picture also changes.Due to changes in the organ itself and the formation of protective reactions of the body, some symptoms become more noticeable, while others practically do not bother the patient.In addition, regardless of the cause of the chronicity, there is a fairly clear division in the clinical picture.In the exacerbation phase, the symptoms of the acute stage of the disease predominate;In the remission phase, disorders of varying degrees of severity are present.Since the clinical picture of an acute illness is described above, manifestations in the remission phase will be discussed here.
General manifestations of prostatitis that has gone into remission:
General decline in vitality and performance.Manifested by weakness and reduced physical activity.Over time, tolerance to stress, shock and vibration is lost and intolerance to low ambient temperatures develops.
Local or regional symptoms of prostatitis:
- Discomfort in the groin.Most often it is constantly present and is an analogue of pain during an acute process.For each patient, the degree of discomfort can vary - from minor to maximum.It is the discomfort that radically changes the patient's quality of life, because in order to avoid it, the patient often prefers to refuse intimacy.
- Physiological secretions.During the remission phase, these changes are usually detected only in the laboratory, but there are also physiological changes: a decrease in the volume of semen, a change in their color or consistency.
- Disturbances in bowel movements.In this case, a state of chronic constipation develops as a defensive reaction.
Prostate dysfunction:
- Difficulty urinating.It is a reflection of the gradually developing changes in the tissue of the prostate.In addition, the most common symptoms include a reduction in the speed and volume of urine flow and the feeling of incomplete bladder emptying.To overcome this feeling, the patient has to make extra efforts.
- Violations of privacy.Inflammation and the associated fear of pain lead to a gradual decline in sexual activity and a weakening of libido in men.Psychological barriers quickly lead to the development of persistent erectile dysfunction.
The main symptoms of clinical prostatitis, CPPS
The main symptom of chronic pelvic pain syndrome is constant pain of varying intensity.For each man, the severity of the pain symptoms and their frequency are individual: from mild pain to severe pain and burning at rest, which intensifies during urination or bowel movements.Against this background, a man's lifestyle changes, general and sexual activity decreases, and depressive states develop.
It is important to note that in CPPS the first symptoms of prostatitis can only appear in this eradicated form, without having previously gone into an acute phase.
Asymptomatic or asymptomatic form of the disease
There are cases in which prostatitis pain, like other symptoms, is absent.This is how the asymptomatic form of the disease arises.It is an accidental finding during examinations and preventive examinations.It often happens that such an asymptomatic course of the disease is of a temporary nature.If the immune system is weakened, an acute process with a characteristic clinical picture can develop.
Rare forms of prostatitis
We are talking about the granulomatous form and in combination with other changes.What symptoms of prostatitis in men indicate the disease in this case?At first, the clinic usually resembles the chronic form, but with careful examination by specialists, changes characteristic of these rare forms are revealed, which serve as the basis for an accurate diagnosis.
Features of the treatment of prostatitis depending on the clinical form
Each clinical form requires its own therapy.Only a doctor can prescribe it;Self-medication can lead to complications and exacerbation of the disease.The choice of therapy is made individually based on an accurate diagnosis.The standards of the respective binding industry protocols are used.
In the acute form of the disease, the main goal of therapy is to prevent chronicity and complete healing.
In all chronic forms, it is important to achieve the highest quality and longest remission and to prevent or significantly reduce the frequency of exacerbation of the process.
Prevention of prostatitis as an integral part of treatment
Treatment includes not only combating clinical forms of the disease, but also their prevention.Prevention of prostatitis is important for both health maintenance and treatment.The preventive measures themselves are selected by the doctor individually for each patient.In summary they look like this:
- Lifestyle changes in the form of giving up bad habits and general improvement in health;
- normalization of physiological functions, including bowel movements;
- Stabilization of a man's intimate life;
- Continuous or regular use of symptomatic medications;
- The use of organotropic drugs.
In terms of clinical and preventive effectiveness, a drug from an extract of the prostate in the form of ampoules and suppositories for prostatitis is one of the best remedies.The presence of a complex of specific biologically active compounds allows a direct effect on the glandular tissue.This initiates a chain of physiological changes aimed at increasing the intensity of recovery processes and significantly reducing the frequency and severity of exacerbations of the chronic form of the disease.