Prostatitis causes a lot of discomfort even in the early stages of the disease. Painful burning sensation, night itching, problems urinating and sexual dysfunction are inevitable companions of chronic prostatitis. It is much easier to prevent prostatitis than to treat it. A few simple recommendations will help you avoid prostatitis at any age.
What to do to prevent prostatitis at home
Chronic prostatitis rarely affects men under 30 years of age. Men over 40 years of age are at risk: according to statistics, out of every 10 men in this age group, four suffer from prostatitis. In men over 80 years of age, the picture is even worse: chronic inflammation of the prostate is detected in 9 out of 10 patients.
How is it possible that even men who do not have a hereditary tendency to prostatitis suffer from inflammation of the prostate in old age? A common mistake is related to the hormone testosterone. Prostatitis is thought to develop due to an age-related decline in testosterone levels. This is fundamentally incorrect: testosterone affects the health of the prostate, but only with its deficiency does not prostatitis develop, but adenoma. This is an independent disease, and to prevent prostate adenoma, the doctor may prescribe regular use of the hormone testosterone.
Prostatitis requires suitable conditions for infection to develop. Age-related testosterone deficiency is not enough for the inflammatory process to begin. Several factors must coincide:
- Reduced blood circulation in the pelvic organs.It occurs with a sedentary lifestyle and lack of regular physical activity. The main risk factor is sedentary work: if at home a man gets up and stretches when he gets tired of sitting, at work it is not always possible to take the necessary rest.
- Failure to comply with basic rules of sexual or intimate hygiene.Women can have an infection that causes prostatitis and not even know it. The best means of prevention in this case will be contraceptives. In addition, you can get an infection in the bathroom in a public place, during a medical examination with unsterilized instruments, etc.
- Decreased immunity.Prostatitis, like any inflammation, often develops against the background of a weakened immune system. The lack of vitamins and microelements prevents prostate cells from being able to cope with the inflammatory process in an early phase.
- Reduce the body's overall resistance to external threats.Chronic fatigue, stress and lack of sleep are the main factors that can trigger prostatitis at any age. The body needs rest to fight infections, so remember to relax. Even training will become an indirect cause of prostatitis if you don't give your muscles time to recover.
Prevention is always easier than treatment: there is no need to take antibiotics or other medications with serious side effects. If you can normalize your sleep, ensure daily exercise, healthy eating and low stress levels, prostatitis will not bother you. Of course, it is also necessary to monitor the sources of infection: if possible, avoid using public toilets in unsanitary conditions; control sexual life.
These preventative measures may seem overly simple, but preventing prostatitis in men without medications is easier than treating it with medications.
What to take for prevention
In such a matter as the prevention of prostatitis in men, medications play an important role if the patient has a predisposition to prostatitis. However, the different types of prostatitis are not considered interchangeable. If your relatives suffered from bacterial prostatitis, then you should select preventive measures specifically for this disease.
Acute bacterial prostatitis
This form of prostatitis always appears unexpectedly and even at the most inopportune moment. To avoid treating inflammation on your long-awaited vacation, take medications and biological supplements that strengthen your immune system. Treat colds and flu at the first sign of illness: In young people, prostatitis often appears for the first time due to seasonal illnesses.
Acute prostatitis can be caused by chlamydia, which occurs in men after casual sexual intercourse. If you suspect you have chlamydia, see your doctor for antibiotics. The specialist will check the organs for the first signs of damage to the prostate: in its embryonic form, acute prostatitis is almost invisible to the patient and can be easily confused with general malaise. To treat chlamydia, an antibiotic from the tetracycline group and other drugs from the same series are prescribed for 1 to 2 weeks. During treatment you must follow a diet with restrictions on the consumption of foods containing calcium.
Chronic bacterial prostatitis
Although the prevention of chronic prostatitis does not require the prescription of medications, for men with a predisposition to chronic inflammation of the prostate, stimulants and dietary supplements will be useful. To avoid treating a slow inflammatory process, regularly use the following products:
- Means that normalize the functioning of the prostate gland. The purpose of these drugs is to restore active blood flow in the pelvic organs, initiate tissue healing processes and regulate secretion. Although they are normally used for treatment, with their help it is also possible to prevent prostatitis, especially in the context of a male predisposition. Before using medications for the first time, consult your doctor.
- Medicines with a pronounced antibacterial effect.taken in the context of vulnerability to bacterial infections. These funds are also intended primarily for treatment. Get an examination to find out if you need to take care of preventing bacterial inflammation or if general restorative medications are enough.
- Vitamin complexes and dietary supplements.These preparations must contain vitamins C and E: they prevent inflammation by destroying bacteria and forming new cells. Products with lycopene are also effective for prevention: it is a natural antioxidant that regulates the basic processes of the prostate.
herbal remedies
Prostatitis prevention with herbs is widely used to prevent inflammation at home. Pay attention to natural components that increase the body's resistance to infections:
- radiola rose;
- echinacea;
- ginseng.
Please note: treatment with herbal remedies with similar properties is unacceptable if a man suffers from hypertension. Taking active substances against the background of high blood pressure is dangerous, since one of the effects of such medications is an immediate increase in blood pressure.
To prevent prostatitis in men, products based on extracts are also used - natural stimulants of venous tone:
- Japanese sophora;
- horse chestnut;
- ginkgo;
- eucalyptus;
- grape seeds;
- red grape leaves.
Its action is similar to that of drugs: phlebotonics. A side effect of the treatment of disorders of venous tone is the elimination of stagnation of blood circulation in the pelvic organs. Restoring blood flow contributes to overall prostate health.
Preventive measures in men should not be accompanied by the use of diuretic herbs: bearberry, cranberry, etc. If you are predisposed to prostatitis, they have the opposite effect: a sharp increase in urine volume increases pressure on the prostate and can cause inflammation. Treatment of difficulty urinating with a tendency to prostatitis is carried out only under the supervision of a doctor.
Prevention of chronic prostatitis in men.
In order not to face the difficulties of prostatitis treatment in adulthood and old age, men should take care of their health from youth.
Unlike prostate adenoma, choosing a drug for treatment is not difficult: it is enough to undergo laboratory tests. The disease becomes chronic when the body is so weakened that, after treating a bacterial infection, a new infection manages to get through the defenses and everything repeats itself again. So that prostatitis does not return, men need to strengthen the body in advance: in the intervals between infections it will be more difficult to strengthen the immune system.
Effective preventive measures:
- Dress appropriately for the weather.Avoid hypothermia, do not get completely wet, and if this happens, take a warm bath. Showering is not suitable: the body must be uniformly warmed up for at least 15-20 minutes. If you have already had prostatitis, the infection may persist in the tissues and wait in the wings even after antibiotic treatment. Be attentive and the disease will not return.
- Limit alcohol consumption to 1 or 2 drinks per week.Do not combine alcoholic beverages with the treatment of colds: this is one of the common factors that provoke inflammation of the prostate.
- Eat more fibrous foods.Coarse dietary fiber is the foundation of prostate health. To treat constipation, a diet rich in fruits, vegetables and whole grains is prescribed. Since constipation is another possible cause of inflammation in the prostate tissue, you should try to avoid it. If it is not possible to radically change your diet, add bran to your diet. 2-3 tablespoons before each meal have a beneficial effect on the functioning of the digestive tract.
Moderate sexual activity is another factor in prostate health. Regular sexual life normalizes the secretion of the organ and relieves excess pressure, which can cause inflammation. Do not forget about contraception: if you have a predisposition to inflammation of the prostate, you should protect yourself not from sexual intercourse, but from a common bacterial infection.
Perform the male version of Kegel exercises daily: contract the pubococcygeus muscle for 3 to 5 seconds and then release. Repeat several approaches 10 to 15 times. It can be difficult to find the muscle the first time because it is used unconsciously. You yourself can feel the work of this muscle if you try to stop while urinating. You need to train the same muscle that was tightened. Regular exercises normalize the functioning of internal organs.