Prostatitis: all people with a sedentary lifestyle are at risk, which can boast of almost half of the country’s population. However, for some reason it is believed that this is an exclusively adult disease that comes with age. We do not argue that the risk factor increases with the maturation of a person, however, this disease may not necessarily open only in adulthood.

Prostatitis in children, albeit infrequently, but still occurs, and this is a problem that should be taken seriously – a disease transferred in childhood or adolescence can later affect sexual life and, if not treated in a timely manner, can threaten infertility .

Although the age factor affects the possibility of the disease, and the risk of getting sick in a sexually mature man is much higher than in a child, yet this is not something exceptional. In childhood, prostatitis occurs much less frequently, but, nevertheless, there is a possibility to get sick.

Why does prostatitis occur in children?

The list of causes is not particularly different from that in adults and is traditionally divided into two subgroups:

Bacterial prostatitis

The bacterial form of prostatitis develops due to infection by microorganisms and fungi. The infection can enter the body even in the womb before childbirth or directly during childbirth; adolescents have a considerable opportunity to get sick by catching an infection during unprotected sexual contact. In this form, a course of antibiotics is taken to eliminate the initial infection and then treated.

Non-bacterial prostatitis

bacterial form develops for other reasons. Here the list is also similar to a similar list of factors for the occurrence of prostatitis in adults:

• Severe stress, emotional and psychological stress;
• Excessive physical labor, exorbitant load for the child;
• hypothermia;
• An inactive lifestyle, a tendency to laziness, immobility, leading to stagnation of the blood of the organs of the pelvic area;
• Early onset of sexual activity, frequent acts of masturbation.

All these causes are no different from the causes of illness in adults – with the exception, perhaps, of the early onset of sexual activity – so everyone should take this into account.

Symptoms of prostatitis in children

Symptoms of prostatitis in children are typical for the acute form of the disease. Due to swelling of the prostate, normal urination is impossible, this process becomes painful and incomplete – there is a feeling of incompleteness and the same fullness of the bladder. Body temperature rises to forty (40) degrees Celsius.

The longer the treatment of the disease is not carried out, the higher the chance that it will go into the chronic stage or, even more unpleasant, will have an irreversible effect on the body or at least the genitourinary system.

How to treat children’s prostatitis?

Therapeutic procedures, in this case, are also no different from those performed in adults in the case of an acute course. First of all, it is necessary to identify the genesis, or origin of the disease – the reasons for which it appeared will help determine further treatment.

Medical therapy

antimicrobial agents are immediately prescribed to eliminate the cause of the disease; if we are talking about prostatitis caused by hypothermia, anti-inflammatory drugs are prescribed.

To relieve pain, the child is prescribed analgesics and painkillers (which are canceled quickly enough so as not to harm the body, because after the main phase of treatment, the pain subsides soon enough). After eliminating the causes of the disease, we can talk about the direct treatment.

Physiotherapy

These methods allow you to do without surgery, but may be ineffective. They include traditional prostate massage in such cases, carried out by a specialist or at home using a massager, immunostimulants and vitamins for general strengthening, sometimes physical exercises, Kegel exercises, yoga.

In some cases, if the attending physician believes that such a method will not bring harm, warming baths and compresses are prescribed, which can slightly remove or at least reduce inflammation (the reverse process is also possible, so this method is used with caution).

Treatment of complicated prostatitis

These methods are used for severe inflammatory processes and edema that interfere with normal urination. If inflammation occurs in the prostate, which has passed into a purulent abscess, it is necessary to introduce drainage for the outflow of pus and, possibly, to excise part of the tissue (for example, with adenoma, which can be a symptom).

With excessive swelling that interferes with the flow of urine, an epicystomy is performed – a procedure in which a catheter tube is inserted through the abdomen into the bladder, through which urine is excreted.

Common Complications of Prostatitis

If the treatment is started, complications are inevitable. Prostatitis has a negative effect on all organs of the genitourinary system, and the longer it is treated, the more severe the consequences will be and the more difficult it will be to get rid of them in the future. Here is a list of some of them:

• Blockage of the urinary tract and bladder up to complete anuria, as a result, can result in bladder injuries;
• Severe kidney disease, nephritis;
• Suppuration of the prostate itself, the occurrence of an abscess, the spread of inflammation and suppuration to the tissues surrounding the prostate gland;
• Cystitis, other urinary tract infections;
• Erectile dysfunction up to impotence in the future.

One reason from this list is enough to understand that the health of the child must be monitored very carefully and at the slightest sign of such a disease, consult a doctor, and not try to cure him at home. Can a child have chronic prostatitis: maybe if you self-medicate.

The problem should be solved as soon as its symptoms appear. Ideally, for prevention, it is worth periodically taking the child to a specialist – to a urologist, for examination, including the prostate; this way it will be much easier to prevent the development of the disease and take measures when it has not yet had time to harm the growing organism globally.

How to prevent prostatitis in children?

Despite the fact that alternative methods are not always effective against acute forms of prostatitis, they can help as a preventive measure and to alleviate the course of chronic forms. They include enemas of some herbal teas, as well as physical exercises, including Kegel exercises – special exercises to strengthen the muscles in the pelvic area, including the sphincter muscles of the anus and urethra, which are important for prostate health.

Prevention is also standard: prostatitis in boys is not so different from that in adult men. It is important to establish a diet, engage in activities that require physical activity, and carefully monitor the hygiene of the child.

This disease implies, if not a strict diet, but still some restrictions: you should refuse harmful, fatty foods or cut down on its quantity; the same applies to sweet and starchy foods. It is not necessary to become an adherent of completely healthy food, you can allow your child some liberties, but in moderation.

Lifestyle changes

It is important to allocate some time in the daily routine and devote it to physical exercises, especially if the whole day of the child does not include physical activity. Carry out the already mentioned gymnastics to strengthen the pelvic muscles and sphincters.

A very important factor is the observance of personal hygiene: the inflammatory process can begin due to its lack and the formation of a beneficial environment for the development of bacteria. According to doctors, prostatitis in childhood is not something special.

Boys are at risk already because of the presence of this organ, although, undoubtedly, a sedentary lifestyle is small, the amount of physical activity and other reasons described above increase the risk factor. It is important to monitor the health of the child and take him to the urologist if you suspect diseases of the genitourinary system.

Summary

So, although prostatitis is more of an adult disease, children can also be prone to it. Do not be afraid, in most cases this disease is curable, especially in the early stages. If you pay due attention to the health of the child, then the problem will be solved before it develops into something unpleasant.