One of the most common diseases of the genitourinary system of men are prostatitis and prostate adenoma. These are completely different diseases, with different causes and different methods of treatment. To begin the correct treatment, you first need to understand the difference between prostate adenoma and prostatitis. Men themselves rarely distinguish one from another, because the symptoms of these diseases are similar to each other.
If in a nutshell, prostatitis is an inflammation of the prostate gland, and adenoma is a benign tumor consisting of new cells.
What is prostatitis
Prostatitis is the swelling of the tissues of the prostate gland. According to statistics, almost half of the male population of the Earth faced this disease. This disease most often occurs in men aged 20 to 55 years.
The following symptoms may be cause for concern:
- The occurrence of urinary problems;
- The appearance of a malfunction in the sexual life of a man;
- Frequent pain in the lower abdomen, perineum, scrotum;
- Change in quantity and quality of ejaculation.
Inflammation may occur for some reason:
- Infection into the body through unprotected intercourse. It can be the following infections: candidiasis, chlamydia, gonococcus, herpes virus, ureaplasma, trichomonads, mycoplasma;
- The appearance of prostate inflammation due to circulatory disorders in the lower organs;
- Abstinence from sexual activity for a long time, frequent interruption of sexual intercourse;
- A sedentary lifestyle. The risk group includes drivers, office employees;
- Constant hypothermia of the body. Fans of winter outdoor activities, diving, too, risk becoming a urologist;
- Decreased immunity, frequent stress;
- Changing the hormonal background of a man.
Depending on the form of the course of the disease, doctors distinguish two types of prostatitis:
- Acute. This type of disease develops very quickly and painfully. The acute form is observed in the occurrence of infectious foci in the tissues of the prostate. The first symptoms of the appearance of the disease is a malfunction of urination, it is possible to delay urine or vice versa, frequent urination;there are problems of an intimate nature;in the perineal region there is a sharp pain, which can give in the lower back or legs;the body temperature rises, the patient begins to fever. With running cases, purulent discharge appears. To make an accurate diagnosis, the doctor sends the patient for blood, urine, analysis for the presence of venereal diseases, for ultrasound examination of the lower genital organs.
After a precise diagnosis, the doctor puts the patient in the hospital. Treatment consists of the following procedures:
- Treatment with antibiotics;
- Use of anti-inflammatory drugs;
- Purpose of physiotherapy;
- Use of drugs that relieve edema of the prostate.
To prevent the disease from becoming chronic, it is necessary to follow all the recommendations of the doctor in charge. Do not often supercool the lower extremities, lead a regular sex life with a regular partner.
- Chronic. Most often, the cause of the appearance of chronic prostatitis is an untreated acute form of the disease. The causes of chronic prostatitis are similar in many respects to the acute form. To this can be added the presence of bad habits, weak immunity, irregular stools.
For the diagnosis, in the laboratory, an analysis is made for the secretion of the prostate and blood for protein. With the help of palpation, the urologist will reveal an inflammatory process on the prostate gland. Methods of treatment are similar to therapy for acute prostatitis. After recovery, you should not wear tight underwear, supercool, or undergo heavy physical exertion.
Prostate adenoma and its difference from prostatitis
Theories of the appearance of prostate adenoma are many, but doctors adhere to the main version - prostate adenoma arises as a consequence of the "hormonal adjustment" of the body of a man. After 40 years, many men have a benign tumor on the prostate that does not go beyond the gland.
Symptoms with which a man comes to see a doctor are not very different from prostatitis:
- Problems with urination: pain, too frequent or rare urination, deceptive urges;
- Pain sensations in the lower abdomen, can give back;
- Decreased potency.
The difference between prostate adenoma and prostatitis is not only the causes of the onset, but also in the ways of treatment. If a doctor suspects prostate adenoma, he will assign the following diagnosis to the patient:
- Blood test for hormones;
- ultrasound;
- Study of the lower genital organs of a man with the help of palpation.
After the diagnosis is made, therapy begins. The most common question in patients - what is the difference between prostatitis and prostate adenoma in the field of treatment? It turns out that with similar symptoms, the methods of treatment are completely different. If the pathogen is the primary cause of the disease, and it is eliminated, then adenoma is taken to stop the growth of a benign tumor. If the adenoma is small, cytotoxic drugs are prescribed that block the growth of education and phytotherapy. Surgical intervention is used in cases where the tumor has reached an alarming size.
Another major difference between prostatitis and prostate adenoma are possible complications:
- With prostatitis, there is a possibility of vesiculitis( inflammation of the seminal vesicles), urethritis( the onset of pain during intercourse), infertility, the appearance of stones and cysts in the prostate.
- With prostate adenoma, the most frequent complication is urinary retention, the inability to completely empty the bladder. Also in the urine there are blood veins, there can be stones in the bladder.
If a man has a problem in urination, an intimate sphere, there are pains in the lower abdomen, this is a compelling reason for a visit to a urologist. Men who first encounter such symptoms first of all are interested in what is the difference between prostatitis and prostate adenoma. Only an accurate diagnosis will determine the type of disease and the patient will be prescribed treatment. Whichever diagnosis is made, the main thing is to follow all the prescriptions of the doctor and strictly follow all the prescriptions. Timely treatment will help to avoid negative consequences.
