Prostatitis causes a lot of discomfort even in the early stages of the disease. Painful burning sensation, itching at night, problems with urination, sexual dysfunction are inevitable companions of chronic prostatitis. It is much easier to prevent prostatitis than to treat it. Simple recommendations will help you avoid prostatitis at any age.
What to do to prevent prostatitis at home
Chronic prostatitis rarely bothers men under 30 years of age. At risk are men over 40 years of age: according to statistics, out of 10 men in this age group, four suffer from prostatitis. In men over 80, the picture is even worse: chronic inflammation of the prostate is detected in 9 out of 10 patients.
How is it that even men who do not have a hereditary tendency to prostatitis suffer from inflammation of the prostate gland in old age? One common misconception is related to the hormone testosterone. It is believed that prostatitis develops due to an age-related decrease in testosterone levels. This is fundamentally incorrect: testosterone does affect 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.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 himself when he gets tired of sitting, then at work it is not always possible to take the necessary break.
- 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 toilet in a public place, during a medical examination with non-sterile instruments, etc.
- Decreased immunity.Prostatitis, like any inflammation, often develops against the background of a weakened immune system. A lack of vitamins and microelements prevents prostate cells from coping with the inflammatory process at an early stage.
- Reducing the body's overall resistance to external threats.Chronic fatigue, stress, lack of sleep are the main factors that can trigger prostatitis at any age. The body needs rest to fight infection, so remember to relax. Even training will become an indirect cause of prostatitis if you do not give your muscles time to recover.
Prevention is always easier than treatment: there is no need to take antibiotics or other medications with severe side effects. If you can normalize your sleep, ensure daily exercise, healthy eating and low stress levels, prostatitis will not bother you. Of course, you also need to monitor the sources of infection: if possible, avoid using public restrooms with unsanitary conditions; control sex life.
These preventative measures may seem too simple, but preventing prostatitis in men without drugs is easier than treating it with medications.
What to take for prevention
In such an issue as the prevention of prostatitis in men, medications play a role if the patient has a predisposition to prostatitis. However, different types of prostatitis are not considered interchangeable. If your relatives suffered from bacterial prostatitis, then you need to 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 first appears 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 prostate damage: in its embryonic form, acute prostatitis is almost invisible to the patient and can be easily confused with general discomfort. To treat chlamydia, an antibiotic from the tetracycline group and other drugs of the same series are prescribed for 1-2 weeks. During treatment you will have to follow a diet with restrictions on foods containing calcium.
Chronic bacterial prostatitis
Although the prevention of chronic prostatitis does not require the prescription of drugs, for men with a predisposition to chronic inflammation of the prostate, stimulants and dietary supplements will be useful. To avoid treating a sluggish 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, start tissue healing processes, and regulate secretion. Although they are usually used for treatment, it is also possible to prevent prostatitis with their help, especially against the background of a male predisposition. Before using medications for the first time, consult your doctor.
- Medicines with a pronounced antibacterial effecttaken against the background of vulnerability to bacterial infections. These funds are also intended primarily for treatment. Get examined to find out whether you need to take care of the prevention of bacterial inflammation, or whether general restorative medications are enough.
- Complexes of vitamins and dietary supplements.Such preparations should 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 basic processes in the prostate.
Herbal remedies
Prevention of prostatitis with herbs is widely used to prevent inflammation at home. Pay attention to natural components that increase the body's resistance to infection:
- radiola pink;
- echinacea;
- ginseng.
Please note: treatment with herbal remedies with similar properties is unacceptable if a man suffers from hypertension. Taking active substances against a background of high blood pressure is dangerous, since one of the effects of such drugs is an immediate increase in blood pressure.
To prevent prostatitis in men, products based on extracts are also used - natural venous tone stimulants:
- Japanese Sophora;
- horse chestnut;
- ginkgo;
- eucalyptus;
- grape seeds;
- red grape leaves.
Their action is similar to pharmaceutical drugs - phlebotonics. A side effect of treating venous tone disorders is the elimination of stagnation of blood circulation in the pelvic organs. Restoring blood flow contributes to the overall health of the prostate.
Preventive measures in men should not be accompanied by the use of diuretic herbs: bearberry, lingonberry, etc. If you are predisposed to prostatitis, they have the opposite effect: a sharp increase in urine volume increases pressure on the prostate gland and can provoke 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 treating prostatitis in adulthood and old age, men should take care of their health from youth.
Unlike prostate adenoma, choosing a medication for treatment is not difficult: all you need to do is undergo laboratory tests. The disease becomes chronic when the body is so weakened that after treating a bacterial infection, a new infection manages to break through the defense - and everything repeats again. To prevent prostatitis from returning, 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 wet through and through, and if this does happen, take a warm bath. A shower is not suitable: the body must receive uniform heating for at least 15-20 minutes. If you have already had prostatitis, the infection can persist on the tissues and wait in the wings even after treatment with antibiotics. Be vigilant and the disease will not return.
- Limit alcohol consumption to 1-2 drinks per week.Do not combine alcoholic drinks with the treatment of colds: this is one of the common factors that provoke inflammation of the prostate gland.
- Eat more fibrous foods. Coarse dietary fiber is the basis for prostate health. A diet rich in fruits, vegetables and whole grains is prescribed to treat constipation. 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 sex life normalizes the secretion of the organ and relieves excess pressure, which can lead to inflammation. Do not forget about contraception: if you are predisposed to inflammation of the prostate, you need to 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 3-5 seconds, then release. Repeat several approaches 10-15 times. It may be difficult to find the muscle the first time because it is used unconsciously. You can feel the work of this muscle yourself if you try to stop while urinating. You need to train the very muscle that tensed. Regular exercises normalize the functioning of internal organs.