In the minds of an average person, a disease such as cystitis is not customary to associate with a man. It is believed that this disease is exclusively female. Meanwhile, this is a common mistake. Indeed, cystitis, due to the structural features of the female excretory system, often affects the representatives of the fair half, but this is not a disease of the purely female genital area. Men suffer three times less. However, due to the same structure of the urethra, cystitis in men is much more difficult. Therefore, do not neglect your health.
What should be known about cystitis in men?
Cystitis in men: causes
Men suffer from cystitis not so often, but if this happens, the reasons are always serious. The answer to the question of the rarity of male cystitis is simple. The urethra of a man is significantly longer than that of a woman. Therefore, external infections simply cannot reach the bladder.
However, the causes of cystitis in men are many:
• Violation of the rules of personal hygiene. The most common cause of morbidity among men under 40. Although infections are difficult to reach the bladder through the urethra, “difficult” does not mean “impossible”. Having penetrated the organ, the infectious agent begins to multiply actively, causing inflammation of the walls of the organ.
• Sexually transmitted diseases. Penetrating through the urethra, sexually transmitted infections cause inflammation.
• kidney disease. This includes urolithiasis, nephritis, pyelonephritis. All these diseases cause congestion in the bladder. In addition, infections are often the source of kidney pathologies. With the flow of urine, bacteria enter the bladder and infect it.
• Bad habits. First of all, we are talking about a rare visit to the toilet room. The toilet should be visited at least 4-6 times a day (every 2-3 hours). Stagnant urine creates an ideal environment for the reproduction of bacteria.
• Remote inflammatory foci. Sometimes cystitis can provoke infectious and inflammatory diseases in the most unexpected areas: sinusitis, influenza, acute respiratory viral infections, otitis media.
• Anatomical pathologies of the urethra.
• Tuberculosis. It can also provoke the development of inflammation of the bladder.
• Weakened immunity. It is an indirect cause of the disease. Since the immune system can not cope with the pathogen.
Cystitis in men: signs
A characteristic sign of cystitis in men is a chronic, lubricated course. A pronounced clinical picture is not found as often as in women and speaks of a far-reaching, long-standing process.
In this case, the entire set of symptoms characteristic of cystitis is evident:
• Pain in the suprapubic region and lower abdomen. More often aching, pulling. With urge to urinate, the pain intensifies, a burning sensation appears. The intensity of discomfort, as a rule, is not pronounced.
• False urination. Business card cystitis. It is one of the first symptoms of cystitis in men. Desires are strong, often imperative (when it is impossible to resist them and endure). However, the amount of urine excreted is negligible. From false desires, one should distinguish frequent desires for polyuria (an increase in daily urine output), when a lot of urine is released.
• Burning sensation when urinating. The symptom is nonspecific, as it is also characteristic of sexually transmitted infections.
• The phenomena of intoxication, including: headache, fever up to 37.5-39 degrees, weakness. They are associated with an active inflammatory process.
• Mucous discharge in the urine.
In a chronic process, especially if it flows for a long time, the first symptoms of cystitis in men can be lubricated, as already mentioned.
It is important to keep in mind. Many dangerous diseases can masquerade as cystitis. One of these pathologies is bladder cancer. In the initial stages, its manifestations are similar to the manifestations of cystitis. Of great importance is the differential diagnosis aimed at distinguishing between these two diseases. It should be carried out exclusively by a doctor, therefore, at the first alarming manifestations, you should not hesitate to visit the hospital.
Diagnosis of cystitis in men
In general, the diagnostic strategy is the same both in identifying cystitis in men and in determining this disease in women. The first thing to do is to consult a urologist. This specialist deals with the problems of the human excretory system.
At the initial appointment, the doctor will conduct a patient survey (medical history), learn about complaints, their nature. This is called a medical history. The next stage is the development of a diagnostic strategy.
In the diagnosis of cystitis, two groups of studies are used: laboratory and instrumental.
Among laboratory examinations, the most informative is the general analysis of urine. With it, the doctor can detect the presence of an inflammatory process (for protein, white blood cells in the urine), and also identify possible problems of a more complex nature (cancer, kidney disease by the presence of blood in the urine).
Bacteriological studies, such as urine culture, smear testing for STIs, are of important diagnostic value.
A general blood test is also prescribed to determine the inflammatory process.
Instrumental studies include:
• Ultrasound of the pelvic organs. It is prescribed to exclude neoplastic (cancerous) processes in the bladder. In general, this study in its pure form is not informative.
• Ultrasound of the kidneys. A much more informative study, because in many cases cystitis in men begins due to kidney problems (pyelonephritis, nephritis, urolithiasis).
• Urethroscopy. Refers to minimally invasive endoscopic examinations. Due to the complexity of the structure of the male urethra, it is performed under general anesthesia. It is prescribed not so often, however, in terms of information content, it surpasses all of the above diagnostic methods. It enables the physician to visually assess the condition of the bladder mucosa.
Treatment of cystitis in men
In men, the treatment of cystitis is a lot of difficulties, because usually the doctor has to deal with an old process. The basis of effective therapy is medicines. In the framework of drug treatment apply:
• Antibacterial drugs (antibiotics). Fighting infectious agents. Antibiotics are prescribed only by urine culture, since not every drug will be effective. Strict selection is important.
• Anti-inflammatory drugs. They are used to relieve inflammation in the bladder and relieve pain. It is impossible to apply independently in any case since the picture of the course of the disease will be blurred.
• Analgesics. Appointed for relief of pain manifestations of cystitis.
• Diuretic preparations of plant and synthetic origin. Their use is especially important in the treatment of cystitis in men, because men are less likely than women to go to the toilet during the day. Stagnant urine is fraught with the development of complications. Diuretics contribute to the rapid evacuation of urine from the body.
At the end of drug treatment, physiotherapy is prescribed. During the entire period of treatment, the patient must comply with bed rest.
Treatment of cystitis in men: prevention
Preventive measures are aimed at preventing the development of cystitis in men. In fact, prevention of cystitis in men does not present any difficulties. It is enough to adhere to the recommendations:
• Care must be taken to ensure personal intimate hygiene.
• Unprotected sex should be avoided.
• At the first manifestations of kidney pathologies, you should immediately contact a nephrologist and urologist. One of the complications of untreated diseases is cystitis.
• It is necessary to quickly sanitize all foci of potential inflammation, including carious teeth, etc.
• You need to go to the toilet every 2-3 hours, avoiding stagnation of urine.
Cystitis is less common in men than in women, but this does not mean that the stronger sex is completely safe. Cystitis is also found in men. Moreover, it proceeds harder and, as a rule, in a greased, chronic form. At the first manifestations of discomfort, increased frequency or urination, it is reasonable to immediately contact a urologist. The effectiveness of treatment depends on this.
