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. Preventing prostatitis is easier than treating it. Simple recommendations will help to avoid prostatitis at any age.
What to do to prevent prostatitis at home
Chronic prostatitis rarely affects men under the age of 30. Men over 40 are at risk: according to statistics, four out of 10 men in this age group suffer from prostatitis. In men over 80 years old, the picture is even worse: chronic inflammation of the prostate is detected in 9 out of 10 patients.
How is it that even men without a genetic predisposition to prostatitis suffer from inflammation of the prostate gland in old age? A common misconception is about the hormone testosterone. Prostatitis is believed to develop due to age-related decline in testosterone levels. This is fundamentally wrong: testosterone affects the health of the prostate, but with its deficiency, adenoma develops, not prostatitis. This is an independent disease, and to prevent prostate adenoma, the doctor can prescribe the regular use of the testosterone hormone.
Prostatitis requires suitable conditions for the development of infection. Age-related testosterone deficiency is not enough to initiate the inflammatory process. Several factors must coincide:
- Decreased blood circulation in the pelvic organs.It occurs due to 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, it is not always possible to take a proper break at work.
- Failure to follow basic sexual or intimate hygiene rules.Women can have an infection that causes prostatitis and not even know it. In this case, the best preventive measure will be contraceptives. In addition, you can get an infection in a 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. Lack of vitamins and trace elements prevents prostate cells from fighting the inflammatory process at an early stage.
- Reducing the body's general resistance to external threats.Chronic fatigue, stress, insomnia are the main factors that can cause prostatitis at any age. The body needs rest to fight infection, so don't forget to rest. If you do not give your muscles time to recover, even exercise will become an indirect cause of prostatitis.
Prevention is always easier than cure: there is no need to take antibiotics or other drugs with serious side effects. Prostatitis will not bother you if you can normalize your sleep, exercise daily, eat healthy and have a low stress level. Of course, it is also necessary to monitor the sources of infection: if possible, avoid using public toilets with unsanitary conditions; control your sex life.
These preventive measures may seem very simple, but it is easier to prevent prostatitis in men without drugs than to treat it with drugs.
What to do for prevention
In such a matter as the prevention of prostatitis in men, if the patient has a tendency to prostatitis, drugs play a role. However, different types of prostatitis are not considered interchangeable. If your relatives suffer from bacterial prostatitis, then you should choose preventive measures specifically for this disease.
Acute bacterial prostatitis
This form of prostatitis always appears unexpectedly, even at the most inopportune moment. Take immune-boosting drugs and biological supplements to avoid inflammation during your long-awaited vacation. Treat colds and flu at the first signs of the disease: prostatitis in young people often appears primarily due to seasonal diseases.
Acute prostatitis can be caused by chlamydia, which occurs after casual intercourse in men. If you suspect chlamydia, see your doctor for antibiotics. The specialist will check the organs for the first signs of prostate damage: acute prostatitis in its embryonic form is almost invisible to the patient and can be easily confused with general discomfort. For the treatment of chlamydia, an antibiotic from the tetracycline group and other drugs of the same series are prescribed for 1-2 weeks. During treatment, you will need to follow a diet with a restriction of calcium-containing foods.
Chronic bacterial prostatitis
Although the prevention of chronic prostatitis does not require the prescription of drugs, stimulants and nutritional supplements will be useful for men prone to chronic inflammation of the prostate. In order not to treat a slow inflammatory process, regularly use the following products:
- Means that normalize the activity 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 usually used for treatment, it is also possible to prevent prostatitis with their help, especially against the background of male bias. Consult your doctor before using the medicine for the first time.
- Drugs with a pronounced antibacterial effectit is taken against the background of sensitivity to bacterial infections. These funds are primarily intended for treatment. Get tested to see if you need to focus on preventing bacterial inflammation or if general restorative medications are sufficient.
- Complexes of vitamins and dietary supplements.Such preparations should contain vitamins C and E: they destroy bacteria and generate new cells, preventing inflammation. Products containing lycopene are also effective for prevention: it is a natural antioxidant that regulates the main processes in the prostate gland.
Herbal remedies
Prevention of prostatitis with herbs is widely used to prevent inflammation at home. Pay attention to the natural components that increase the body's resistance to infection:
- radiola pink;
- echinacea;
- ginseng.
Please remember: if a man suffers from hypertension, treatment with herbal remedies with similar properties is unacceptable. It is dangerous to take active substances against the background of high blood pressure, because one of the effects of such drugs is an immediate increase in blood pressure.
Products based on extracts are also used to prevent prostatitis in men - natural venous tone stimulators:
- Japanese sophora;
- horse chestnut;
- ginkgo;
- eucalyptus;
- grape seeds;
- red grape leaves.
Their action is similar to pharmaceutical drugs - phlebotonics. A side effect of the treatment of venous tone disorders is the elimination of stagnation of blood circulation in the pelvic organs. Restoring blood flow helps 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 prone to prostatitis, they have the opposite effect: a sharp increase in urine volume increases the pressure on the prostate gland and can provoke inflammation. Treatment of prostatitis-prone urination difficulties is carried out only under the supervision of a doctor.
Prevention of chronic prostatitis in men
In order not to face difficulties in the treatment of prostatitis in adulthood and old age, men should pay attention to their health from a young age.
Unlike adenoma of the prostate gland, choosing a drug for treatment is not difficult: all you need is to undergo laboratory tests. The disease becomes chronic when the body is so weakened that after treating the bacterial infection, a new infection manages to break through the defenses - and everything happens again. To prevent the return of prostatitis, men should strengthen the body in advance: it will be more difficult to strengthen the immune system during the intervals between infections.
Effective preventive measures:
- Dress for the weather.Avoid hypothermia, stay hydrated, and take a warm bath if this happens. Taking a shower is not suitable: the body should receive uniform heat for at least 15-20 minutes. If you already have prostatitis, the infection can persist in 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 beverages with cold treatment: this is one of the common factors that cause inflammation of the prostate gland.
- Eat more fibrous foods.Crude dietary fiber is the foundation of 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 impossible to radically change your diet, add bran to your diet. 2-3 tablespoons before each meal has a beneficial effect on the digestive system.
Moderate sexual activity is another factor in prostate health. Regular sexual life normalizes the secretion of the organ and eliminates excess pressure that can cause inflammation. Do not forget about contraception: if you are prone to inflammation of the prostate, you should protect yourself not from sexual intercourse, but from general bacterial infection.
Perform the male version of Kegel exercises daily: squeeze the pubococcygeus muscle for 3-5 seconds, then release. Repeat several approaches 10-15 times. It can be difficult to find a muscle the first time because it is used unconsciously. If you try to stop while urinating, you can feel the work of this muscle yourself. You need to exercise the muscles that are tense. Regular exercises normalize the work of internal organs.