Remission of a malignant tumor is something that usually cannot be achieved either by removing most of it, or by radiation, or chemotherapy. Cancer of the organs of the reproductive system itself is able to produce or accumulate the hormone that caused its nucleation. This is what gives them a certain independence from fluctuations in its level at different stages of the cycle or menopause. Cancer is completely autonomous – both in this sense and in many others.
Thus, if we have a “neoplasm” that is “quiet,” with nothing but its appearance, that does not bother us, this is not a reason to calm down. Say, it does not depend on the schedule of tides or increasingly rare menstruation – that’s nice. On the contrary, this is a direct, very serious reason for going to the doctor as soon as possible.
But this can be completed with climacteric pathologies in the fair sex by going over to the problems of the strong sex. Yes, menopause in men is more stable and it affects a smaller number of organs. And most of these organs are also well accessible for visual examination. Indeed, men, unlike women, do not have complex internal systems like the ovaries or uterus. They only have a relatively deep prostate gland. But the latter, too, can be, if not considered, then probed – albeit rectally.
Unfortunately, all these factors that externally facilitate menopause and early diagnosis of possible pathologies, in fact, can significantly complicate, if not the first, then the second. After all, the more smoothly the cause of the disease develops, the more smoothly it will develop. We agree that it is easier not to notice the smoothed, dim, gradually growing symptoms than those that occur within days – weeks or more do not pass. So this bonus, granted to men by their anatomy, is a double-edged sword. And the stronger sex usually has to look closely at the processes occurring in their body twice as closely. That is, to do exactly what they are adapted from the same nature and inclined least in the world …
Prostate adenoma is a benign proliferation of its tissues in response to changes in hormonal levels. The adenoma itself is completely asymptomatic. If the prostate gland did not cover the urethra with its neck, we could not notice its increase up to very large sizes. But since the proliferation of prostate tissue really noticeably disturbs the outflow of urine, adenoma is an extremely unpleasant disease that requires careful treatment.
So, with adenoma, the prostate gland just starts to grow, pinching the urethra directly under the detrusor. At first, the patient experiences problems with urination – urine is becoming more and more sluggish, more and more often there is a feeling of incomplete emptying. The result – the patient spends more and more time in the restroom. Then, due to constant stagnation of urine, the inflammatory process in the bladder begins. There are pains and a feeling of heaviness in the lower abdomen, burning along the urethra. Unable to work in normal mode (although initially healthy) the detrusor gradually fails. At this stage, a paradoxical state arises: the patient cannot empty the bladder only once, but completely. However, urine oozes from the urethra constantly, in drops. And it is impossible to stop her by any efforts. That is, the disease, which began as an acute occlusion of the urethra, always ends with chronic urinary incontinence.
Adenoma is considered a disease of middle and older ages – starting from 40 years and above. However, in the last 20 years she has become very “younger”, like a number of other pathologies. One way or another, medicine is sure: the prostate gland increases over the years in all men, without exception. Just for a number of reasons, for someone, this increase may be more noticeable and proceed faster than normal. Therefore, adenoma and prostatitis, despite the noted “rejuvenation”, are still more characteristic of postmenopause than of reproductive age.
Note that adenoma is less and less disturbing for men with the so-called strong sexual constitution. That is, a constant high level of androgens in the blood, good potency, long-term ability to have sexual intercourse and conception. In itself, it is possible and for them – as for everyone. But the difference is how brightly her signs appear, how quickly and strongly she begins to disrupt the urinary system, how good and stable the treatment result will be. The most complex cases of adenoma are characteristic of men who, for one reason or another, have problems with background stability. Namely, its insufficiency in youth or excess in old age.
Prostatitis is called inflammation of the prostate gland, which is chronic in 97 out of 100 cases. Like all inflammations in the world, it is infectious and non-infectious. In the first case, scenarios of acute, sudden onset are more common. And the second option is an almost guaranteed sluggish state for years to come, if not for life.
Making an acute prostate infection is not so simple, although not difficult. The immune system always seems to monitor the behavior and condition of the endocrine glands of the body with special attention. All of them produce some substances necessary for a successful life. Therefore, on the one hand, immunity, standing guard over this very vital activity, takes care of its continuation in the way that it can, protecting the glands from any encroachment.
On the other hand, the immune system contains a mechanism that allows it to detect, stop and destroy not only pathogens – viruses, bacteria, etc. It has long been widely known that the body’s immune defense is also designed to eliminate the cancer threat in a timely manner. It consists of special bodies – lymphocytes produced by the thymus gland (the second name is the thymus). Lymphocytes spread throughout the body with a flow of not blood, but lymph. They, unlike leukocytes, are able to penetrate into the cells and study their morphology. And then – draw conclusions about how well this own cell of the body is properly formed and functions. Even simpler, the lymphocytes are designed to “hunt” not for foreign microorganisms, but for their own defective body cells. Therefore, with the discovery of lymphocytes in oncology, an immune theory of cancer was formed. Cancer as a phenomenon that occurs with abnormal, insufficient functioning of lymphocytes.
In any case, the immune system knows that malignant cells, like endocrine gland cells, produce a number of special substances. Substances designed to cheat on her own, to ensure the growth of the tumor, to improve its supply with everything necessary for growth. That’s why the body’s defense, trained, so to speak, in a suspicious attitude towards all cells producing something, “keeps an eye on” from normal cells. Just because of the likeness of one to the other.
From all this, it is important for us to remember that the endocrine glands are better protected from external attacks than many other organs. Firstly, by its location deep in the tissues of the body. Secondly, the absence of any direct contacts with the external environment. Thirdly, increased attention to their work on the part of the immune system.
The flip side of the coin, of course, is that immunity, like any other biological system, can sometimes get sick – decline, fail, or start working incorrectly. That’s when he starts to work not as it should, the patient has some kind of autoimmune disease. That is, in fact, an allergy, not only to an external stimulus, but to the body’s own tissues. In such cases, immune defense can destroy completely healthy cells of the same type in a few weeks. Autoimmune pathologies are different – depending on what type of cells or even a substance is attacked by immunity. But the endocrine glands are also subject to such attacks more often than other organs – all because of the same “close” attention to their work.
From this it follows that even in the presence of a serious, severe sexual infection, the prostate gland and the testes of a man will be the last to suffer from it. At least how many times the pathogen tends to spread upward, from the urethra to the organs located above, it will always be very difficult for him to hit the glands. Nevertheless, if the immunity has the above “malfunctions”, it may allow such a scenario. Moreover, a significant proportion of all prostatitis belongs to autoimmune processes.
That’s what we had in mind when we said that infectious prostatitis is less common than any other. But – only less often, and not by way of exception. Unfortunately, the part of the immune defense that “observes” the health of the prostate gland is poorly designed to fight infection of any kind. Therefore, even if it started acutely, infectious prostatitis often goes into the chronic stage, instead of completely disappearing under the influence of therapy.
So in total, the lion’s share of prostatitis occurs in a chronic rather than acute form. In addition to infection, this disease can be caused by an autoimmune process, stagnation of the secretion of the gland in the ducts (stones often form with it). It can be provoked by repeated and unsuccessful attempts to fight against adenoma, or just one attempt, but ended with sepsis. By the way, a neglected adenoma itself forms inflammation in the tissues adjacent to the gland – the urethra, for example. So, it often becomes a cause of prostatitis even without unsuccessful treatment – without treatment at all.
Finally, this disease can be caused by changes in the growing tissues of the adenoma and sharp “jumps” in the main background. The prostate as an organ produces the liquid, protein portion of the ejaculate, while the sperm produce the testes themselves. Therefore, its activity depends on the fluctuations in the hormonal background of a man in the most direct way. Her pathology affects the quality of sexual life immediately and in the most deplorable way. Prostatitis – this is pain during ejaculation, and difficulties with an erection, and a rapid reduction in the time between erection and orgasm. The last – up to several seconds, so this is not a joke or a trifle at all.
Regardless of the degree to which prostatitis reduces the very possibility of normal sexual intercourse, it leads to infertility. After all, a decrease in the amount of ejaculate or changes in its composition equally poorly contribute to the survival of spermatozoa that enter the testes from its environment. In addition, vesiculitis becomes a frequent complication of prostatitis – the spread of inflammation to the testes themselves.
Distinguishing acute prostatitis is much easier than chronic. Usually it begins with a very noticeable swelling and soreness of the area behind the scrotum, between it and the buttocks. Both urination and filling of the bladder, defecation, erection, a simple touch to this area, including hygienic, cause pain. Of course, the more pronounced the swelling, the more likely an acute urinary retention – as with an adenoma, only caused not by proliferation, but by inflammation.
Many patients feel heat and heaviness inside, in the causal area. Pain can “shoot” in the lower back, kidney, thigh muscles and even down the sciatic nerve, right down to the heel. As the process develops, the entire perineum often begins to hurt, the overall body temperature rises, fever or chills occur. And as it spreads to the adjacent tissues of the urethra, painful burning will probably occur with every urination (if possible), an admixture of blood will appear in the urine.
Yes, this, so to speak, you can’t really miss an event … Chronic prostatitis is a completely different phenomenon. In many cases, its existence can only be guessed by a steady reduction in the volume of ejaculate. Patients are concerned about frequent new cases or relapses of genital infections, inflammation of the urethra, then the tissues of the penis, or the bladder. But it should be noted that the fact of their frequent increase usually does not mean anything. After all, it can be the result of a decrease in the immunity of the whole organism or an abundance of doubtful sexual contacts.
However, with chronic prostatitis, urination gradually becomes clearly too frequent, too painful. Desires for him intensify to the complete impossibility to postpone it. And this complex of symptoms sooner or later becomes fixed, it becomes permanent. Moreover, the vast majority of patients in all age groups. On the other hand, there is also one difficulty. Namely: the same problem occurs with any chronic damage to the urinary tract – the urethra, bladder, and kidneys. And it can be caused not only by prostatitis, but also by urolithiasis, cystitis, nephritis, etc.
So, among all this abundance, it is important for us to remember only two of the most reliable signs of prostate damage. Namely, a decrease in sperm count during ejaculation and premature ejaculation. After all, the first is a consequence of a decrease in the efficiency of the gland. And the second is the result of irritation of her nerve endings with sepsis. In postmenopausal age, prostatitis is as common as adenoma. Moreover, in half of the cases they are diagnosed simultaneously.