The prostate was first described as a separate organ in an anatomical study by an ancient Greek physician around 350 B.C.However, doctors of the day did not take it too seriously, and few of the doctor's writings were preserved, so much so that the gland was later rediscovered by the Venetian doctor Nicola Massa.In 1838, Widers provided the first accurate morphological description of the pathology of the prostate, a description that was supplemented over time by prominent minds of his time.By the way, until the beginning of the 20th century, many general practitioners and psychoanalysts did not recognize the existence of chronic prostatitis at all, which they called "anorectal psychosis".Fortunately, modern medicine has learned not only to diagnose promptly but also to successfully treat this serious disease.But what exactly is prostatitis?
General characteristics
Prostatitis is inflammation of the prostate, a special male organ located beneath the bladder.Its job is to produce prostate secretions, which are an important component of sperm.Additionally, during an erection, glands close the outlet from the urethra.
As you might have guessed, inflammation can be caused by a variety of things.Since the prostate is directly connected to the urethra, the most common cause of prostatitis is an infection entering the gland.Everyone knows that the human body contains a large number of commensal bacteria that are part of the normal microbiota.However, once these bacteria leave their colonies and enter other tissues, they turn from allies to the source of the problem, causing a strong inflammatory response.Enterobacteriaceae (the best known representatives are Proteus), Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, enterococci, all of which penetrate the gland in many different ways.The most obvious route is the urethra, but given that the prostate is connected to a network of large blood vessels, both blood and lymph could serve as transport media for the bacteria.
There is another category of pathogens, known in the medical community as "atypical" because these pathogens are found much less frequently.This includes, for example, fungal infections – many of you may have heard of Candida, which affects internal tissues and causes “candidiasis.”Usually, fungal spores invade the internal organs when the body's immune system is severely weakened - a situation that is not uncommon in modern humans when the harsh climate, as well as busy work and lack of sleep, cause the body to be constantly overstressed.Prostatitis can also be viral.Human papillomavirus, cytomegalovirus, herpes viruses and even the influenza virus (!) can cause inflammation of the prostate and a host of complications that can wear down an already weak body.
In addition, prostatitis is also caused by non-bacterial pathogens.First of all, we are talking about the formation of pus in the body: pus particles break off from the total mass and enter the tissues with the blood.Sometimes, the blood itself can cause an inflammatory response in the absence of foreign substances.If a person leads a sedentary lifestyle and neglects physical exercise, blood in the glands can stagnate and lead to clogged blood vessels.Finally, the last (but not least) reason is prolonged abstinence and promiscuity.In the first case, the iron degrades because the body provides it with less and less blood when it is not necessary, which is why the cells begin to die from starvation.In the second case, all the responsibility falls on the shoulders of the partner, who may be a carrier of certain types of urinary tract infections.The symptoms of prostatitis are difficult to confuse with other symptoms.The main symptom is sharp, acute, and uncommon tenderness during urination and ejaculation.This condition can be exacerbated by pain in the lower back, perineum, scrotum, and lower back.As the glands enlarge, they often block the urethra, making urination difficult.In the case of bacterial infection, a green and yellow discharge from the seminiferous duct itself can often be observed, and in some cases hematospermia - the presence of blood in the sperm - occurs.
What are the dangers of prostatitis?
In summary, it is not difficult to conclude that prostate inflammation can cause many problems.The most common results of advanced prostatitis are impotence and infertility, as destruction of the prostate causes a drastic reduction in the production of hormones responsible for sexual desire.The response to infection rarely occurs only in the glands.Often the focus of inflammation also covers adjacent tissue.Therefore, after prostatitis, there are also genitourinary system diseases such as seminal vesiculitis, pyelonephritis, cystitis, and urethritis.If the cause of prostatitis is a fungal, bacterial or viral infection, it can easily be transmitted to your sexual partner.Sexually transmitted vectors can cause infectious diseases of the female genitourinary system.In addition, infections in the blood can easily cause blood poisoning and cause extensive damage to the body.
You may have heard the term "prostate adenoma" in radio and television commercials.An adenoma is a glandular tumor that increases in size over time, not only causing inflammation and potentially becoming malignant, but also compressing the genitourinary tract.Why is this so important?It's not just pain, extremely difficult urination, and complete erectile dysfunction.Stressed organs receive less and less blood, with the result that the tissue first shrinks and then dies completely, resulting in widespread foci of necrosis.This form of prostatitis can no longer be treated.
How to Treat Prostatitis
First, you need to remember one simple fact: only a qualified doctor can help cure prostatitis.Not healer grandmothers and burdock soup, not tantric practices, not willow bark compresses.The disease also doesn't go away on its own: the longer a patient delays treatment, the more problems he faces and the more expensive treatment becomes.Many men do not understand modern pharmacology and are superstitiously afraid that doctors will prescribe them a mountain of drugs that are not only useless but will also cause significant damage to their wallets and health.There's no need to fear: you'll likely be prescribed a medication, not a handful of pills, at a very reasonable price.
5 interesting facts about prostatitis
Here are some sad facts about the "major male disease" of our time: - Healthy nutrition is the key to success: By eating right, you can not only strengthen your immune system, but you can even slow down the inflammatory enlargement of your prostate.— One third of the world’s population suffers from one form of prostatitis or another.— By the way, prostatitis is not an “old person’s disease”: some forms of it can appear at a fairly young age (20-25 years).— Prostate massage is performed in most cases, but massage alone can only cure congestive prostatitis.Sometimes massage is strictly contraindicated.— Prostatitis can be asymptomatic for a long time, but it will definitely be exposed when the immunity drops sharply, such as during illness, hypothermia, etc.