After 40 years, men may experience some health problems in the genitourinary system. Among them, doctors often mention prostatitis and prostate adenoma. What is it, what are the diseases dangerous, and also the methods and methods of treating pathology are described in the article.
Definition
Hyperplasia of the prostate gland or prostate adenoma is a benign neoplasm. It grows from the cells of the gland or stromal component of the prostate. Despite the fact that the formation can be called a tumor, it has nothing to do with cancer, since lymph nodes are not involved in its formation and growth. And the adenoma itself is not prone to spread to nearby organs. Despite this, hyperplasia can cause significant damage to a man’s quality of life.
Hidden danger
If you do not start treatment for prostate adenoma in a timely manner, other urological problems may appear, such as:
- urolithiasis disease;
- the impossibility of self-urination and the need to install a urinary catheter;
- chronic renal failure as a result of stagnation of urine;
- infectious and inflammatory urological diseases;
- hydronephrosis, which leads to obstructed outflow of urine.
These concomitant pathological processes can entail a more serious treatment than therapy for prostate adenoma.
Causes of occurrence
Before starting treatment for prostatitis and prostate adenomas in men, it is necessary to understand why these pathologies arise. Such factors can provoke them:
- unstable sex life;
- frequent stressful situations;
- overweight;
- inflammation or infectious diseases of the urinary tract and genitals;
- malnutrition;
- bad habits.
Before starting treatment for prostate adenoma in men, it is important to exclude these causes, since only in this case therapy can be effective.
Symptoms of the disease
Male urological problems often have similar manifestations, so they need to be carefully analyzed before starting treatment for prostate adenoma. There are four main stages of the disease:
- Compensated. With her, a man feels a need, even with an empty bladder.
- The subcompensated stage is characterized by an intermittent stream of urine when going to the toilet and soreness at the same time.
- The decompensated stage can significantly complicate the flow of urine or make it impossible.
- The terminal stage is manifested by a sharp development of renal failure, resulting in an increase in the amount of nitrogen in the blood and a violation of the water-electrolyte balance. At this stage, there is a risk of death from uremia.
In addition, a man may experience such concomitant symptoms of the disease:
- pain and burning during urination;
- long visit to the restroom;
- weak stream of urine;
- frequent desire to visit the toilet, even with an empty bladder;
- pain during ejaculation;
- sediment in the urine;
- increased irritability;
- poor overall health;
- bowel problems (constipation, diarrhea).
These manifestations require immediate medical attention for the treatment of prostate adenoma.
Diagnostics
To identify a urological disease, some research is needed. Only after this, a specialist can prescribe an appropriate treatment for prostatitis and prostate adenoma. The following diagnostic methods are used:
- General and biochemical blood tests, which show the presence of an inflammatory process and provide information on the composition of the liquid.
- A clinical urine test that provides information on the chemical composition of physiological fluids.
- Rectal examination by palpation. In this case, the doctor has the opportunity to probe the neoplasm.
- Pneumocystography is an X-ray examination of the bladder with filling it with gas as a contrast.
- Cystography - performing x-rays with filling the bladder with liquid contrast, which can come either naturally through the kidneys or through external administration.
- Ultrasound diagnosis of the genitourinary system.
- Uroflowmetry - measuring the speed of urination, followed by comparing the results with existing standards.
In some cases, magnetic resonance imaging may be needed.
Conservative treatment of pathology
Based on the results obtained through research, the urologist prescribes the necessary therapy. At the initial stage, conservative treatment of prostate adenoma in men with medications can be dispensed with:
- Alpha-blockers are essential for relaxing the bladder and ensuring normal urination. These include drugs such as Silodozin, Dalfaz, Omnic, Setegis, Ornam, Adenorm.
- To reduce the amount of glandular tissue and stop the growth of the tumor, 5-alpha inhibitors — Finasteride, Finasteride — are used. They also help control hormones.
- If the cause of the pathology is an infection, then a course of antibiotic treatment is prescribed. Most often, drugs such as Gentamicin, Cephalosporins are used for these purposes.
- In the inflammatory process, drugs are needed that have anti-inflammatory effects - Voltaren, Diclofenac, Dicloberl.
- For pain that can occur in men, antispasmodics and pain medications are used - Papaverine, Spazmalgon, No-shpa, Ibuprofen, Buscopan.
In addition, homeopathic medicines, which are prescribed by the doctor along with traditional therapy, are considered effective treatments for prostate adenoma . Vitamin complexes may also be necessary to maintain the immune system.
Surgical intervention
When drugs for the treatment of prostate adenoma do not have the necessary effectiveness, surgery can be prescribed. It is indicated in case of rapid growth of the neoplasm and pressure on the internal organs, as well as on the blood vessels. Surgery can be performed in the following ways:
- Cryodestruction is a method of treating prostate adenoma in which the tumor is frozen by exposure to liquid nitrogen. Tumor cells contain a large amount of fluid, so this therapy is effective.
- Laser enucleation reduces the tumor in size due to laser exposure. The procedure is performed using an endoscope with a laser, therefore it is considered minimally invasive. Recovery also happens rather quickly.
- Thermotherapy is carried out by exposing the tumor to high temperatures.
- Transurethral resection allows you to surgically remove the tumor, separating it from healthy tissue of the prostate. The functions of the body are preserved.
- Microwave therapy, in which the tissues of the prostate are heated to 44 degrees. In this case, tissue destruction occurs.
- Balloon dilatation contributes to the expansion of the lumen of blood vessels, ensuring normal blood flow, as well as an increase in the urethra. The operation is minimally invasive, as the balloon is inserted into the urethra, minimally injuring the surrounding soft tissue. Unfortunately, the procedure is not effective for large sizes of the adenoma or its unusual forms.
- Embolization of the prostate arteries ensures the closure of the blood arteries of the prostate. As a result, the tumor is reduced in size.
- Open adenomectomy is a surgical operation to remove a tumor by excising it through a soft tissue incision. It is used for large neoplasms, as well as for the impossibility of using other methods of treatment.
The most effective treatment for prostate adenoma is determined by the attending physician on the basis of diagnostic studies, as well as taking into account the presence of concomitant diseases.
Folk methods
Despite the fact that the most effective treatment for prostate adenoma is considered to be drug and surgical, herbal therapy remains popular. However, it should be remembered that before starting it is necessary to consult with a treating urologist, and conservative treatment should not be replaced with alternative methods. They can only complement classical therapy.
Decoctions and tinctures for the treatment of pathology:
- 1 tbsp. l hazel bark and 1 tbsp. l parsley root, pour 1 liter of hot water and leave for 50-60 minutes. After that, use the ready-made infusion daily instead of ordinary water.
- 1 tbsp. l licorice roots pour 0.5 liters of water and cook for 10 minutes, then strain. To use the resulting liquid you need 3 tbsp. l before every meal. The course of broth therapy is two weeks.
- 25 grams of crushed shells of chestnut fruits pour 250 ml of alcohol. Insist in a dark place for 10 days. After that, use 40 drops daily on an empty stomach.
- 1.5 tbsp. l dried asparagus officinalis must be poured with 250 ml of hot water and infused for an hour. Then strain and consume 100 ml 3 times a day.
- 2 tsp comfrey roots are poured with boiling water (2 cups) and infused for 40 minutes. Ready liquid to use 1 cup 3 times a day. The treatment time is 3 weeks.
In addition, alternative treatment for prostate adenoma involves the use of products such as pumpkin seeds, onions (in large quantities), licorice root, carrot, beetroot, pumpkin and cucumber juices.
Decoctions and infusions of urological collections based on such medicinal plants are also useful:
- corn silk;
- the cinquefoil is erect;
- burdock root;
- Icelandic moss
- sprigs of mistletoe white;
- flowers and berries of hawthorn.
In chronic prostate adenoma, treatment methods also involve sitting baths according to the following recipes:
- 200 grams of oat straw must be filled with 5 liters of water and boiled for 15 minutes. Then the broth must be filtered and poured into the bathroom with water. The temperature of liquids should be 37-38 degrees. The time spent in such a bath varies from 10 to 15 minutes.
- 100 g of horsetail must be infused in 3 liters of boiling water. Then add the infusion to the bath with water. The duration of the procedure is also about 15 minutes.
Herbs such as chamomile, a succession, oak bark also have positive properties.
In some cases, the use of enemas and suppositories is allowed:
- Suppositories from propolis extract are injected into the rectum at night. The treatment time is 30 days, after which a break is made for a month, and then the therapy is repeated.
- Microclysters with a volume of 50 ml from infusions of chamomile, sage with the addition of 30 drops of an alcohol solution of propolis;
- 100 g of flowers of Luba crushed to a powder state must be poured 1 liter of olive oil and infused for 2 weeks. 1 tsp dilute the resulting oil infusion with 50 ml of warm water and beat, then enter into the rectum. The treatment lasts 15 days.
Self-medication using alternative methods should be carried out under the supervision of a specialist, since allergic reactions to any natural components may occur.
Consequences of the disease
Reviews about the treatment of prostate adenoma are diverse, some note a complete recovery, while others face some complications. They can be divided into two conditional groups - early and distant. Early complications include:
- Bleeding during surgery. Since the prostate nourishes many blood vessels, there is a risk of damage to them. In this case, it is necessary to eliminate the wound and compensate for the loss of blood by transfusion.
- Postoperative urinary tract infections, such as cystitis, urethritis, epididymitis. In this case, appropriate medication is prescribed.
- Water intoxication of the body, which is characterized by a sharp increase in the amount of fluid in the cells of the body. This condition is dangerous because of the possibility of edema of the brain or other vital organs.
- Acute urinary retention - problems with emptying a full bladder.
- Decreased sodium levels.
Late or distant complications include the following processes:
- violation of erection;
- urinary incontinence;
- rough scars on the urethra, which can interfere with the normal outflow of urine;
- preservation of the symptoms of prostate adenoma;
- the appearance of deposits in the bladder (stones);
- retrograde ejaculation (ejection of seed into the bladder);
- relapse of the disease.
In order to prevent the consequences of treatment of prostate adenoma, the patient needs periodic consultations of a urologist even after successful therapy.
Adenoma Removal and Potency
One of the consequences of surgical treatment of prostate adenoma in men can be a negative effect on potency. Therefore, doctors also have the task of preserving the body's natural functions and sexual activity, regardless of the patient's age.
Often, erectile dysfunction can occur after an open operation to remove a pathological tumor, since there is a high probability of injury to the nerve and blood structures around the penis. Modern methods of combating pathology are much less traumatic in terms of maintaining sexual function.
It is also important in the postoperative period to comply with all the instructions of the urologist. In addition, it is recommended to perform exercises of special gymnastics, which is aimed at strengthening the muscles of the pelvis and perineum.
Postoperative rehabilitation
The effects of the treatment (operation) of prostate adenoma can be prevented if medical recommendations are followed during the rehabilitation period. Its duration depends on the type of intervention performed, as well as on concomitant pathologies and the patient's age. Most often, this time period is from 3 to 12 months.
At this time, you must adhere to such recommendations:
- several weeks after the operation, it is strictly forbidden to lift any weights;
- you must follow a diet that eliminates the use of fatty, fried, salted and smoked foods;
- it is necessary to take medications to prevent constipation;
- abstinence from sexual activity for 4-5 weeks after surgery;
- stop smoking and drinking alcoholic beverages;
- refuse to visit baths and saunas, and also replace the bath with a shower.
With the advent of modern surgical techniques, the likelihood of complications has noticeably decreased, since preference is given to methods that are least traumatic. However, it is still necessary to visit a urologist during the rehabilitation period to exclude possible problems.
Prevention
After 40, any man is at risk for prostatitis and prostate adenoma. In order to avoid the appearance of neoplasms, it is necessary to adhere to such tips for prevention:
- quit smoking and drinking alcoholic beverages;
- engage in moderate exercise;
- visit a urologist at least once a year, even if there are no complaints;
- observe proper nutrition (refuse fatty, too salty or smoked foods, give preference to easily digestible food);
- control weight, as men with overweight are at risk;
- lead a regular sex life.
Subject to these recommendations, the chances of getting prostate adenoma are significantly reduced.