Prostatitis causes a lot of discomfort even in the early stages of the disease. A 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 the age of 30. Men over the age of 40 are at risk: 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 found in 9 out of 10 patients.
How is it that even men who do not have a hereditary predisposition to prostatitis suffer from inflammation of the prostate gland in old age? A common misconception 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 develop prostatitis, 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 the development of an infection. Age-related testosterone deficiency is not enough to initiate the inflammatory process. Several factors must match:
- Decreased 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 person gets up and stretches when he gets tired of sitting, then at work it is not always possible to take the necessary rest.
- Failure to observe the 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.
- Reduced immunity.Prostatitis, like any inflammation, often develops against the background of a weakened immune system. The lack of vitamins and trace elements does not allow the prostate cells to cope with the inflammatory process at an early stage.
- Reduction of the body's general 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 be sure to relax. Even exercise will become an indirect cause of prostatitis if you don't give your muscles time to recover.
Prevention is always easier than cure: there is no need to take antibiotics or other drugs with serious side effects. If you manage to normalize your sleep, ensure daily exercise, healthy eating and low stress levels, prostatitis will not bother you. Of course, you should also monitor the sources of infection: if possible, avoid using public toilets with unsanitary conditions; control of sex life.
These preventive measures may seem too simple, but preventing prostatitis in men without drugs is easier than treating it with drugs.
What to take for prevention
In such a matter as the prevention of prostatitis in men, drugs play a role if the patient has a predisposition to prostatitis. However, the 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 and even at the most inopportune moment. In order not to treat inflammation on your long-awaited vacation, take medicines 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 contact. 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 easily be 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 need to follow a diet with a restriction of foods containing calcium.
Chronic bacterial prostatitis
Although the prevention of chronic prostatitis does not require prescription drugs, for men prone to chronic inflammation of the prostate, stimulants and nutritional supplements will be helpful. 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 to the pelvic organs, initiate tissue healing processes, and regulate secretion. Although they are usually used for treatment, with their help it is possible to prevent prostatitis, especially against the background of a male predisposition. Before using medicines for the first time, consult your doctor.
- Medicines with a pronounced antibacterial effecttaken against a background of vulnerability to bacterial infections. These funds are also primarily intended for treatment. Check yourself to find out if you need to take care to prevent bacterial inflammation or if general restorative drugs are enough.
- Complexes of vitamins and nutritional 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 the main processes in the prostate.
Herbal medicines
Preventing prostatitis with herbs is widely used to prevent inflammation at home. Pay attention to the natural components that increase the body's resistance to infections:
- radiola pink;
- echinacea;
- Ginseng.
Please note: treatment with herbal medicines with similar properties is unacceptable if a person suffers from hypertension. Taking active substances against the background of high blood pressure is dangerous, because one of the effects of such drugs is an immediate increase in blood pressure.
For the prevention of prostatitis in men, products based on extracts are also used - natural stimulators of venous tone:
- 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 contributes to the overall health of the prostate.
Preventive measures in men should not be accompanied by the use of diuretic herbs: gooseberry, lingonberry, etc. If you are prone to prostatitis, they have the opposite effect: a sharp increase in the volume of urine increases the pressure on the prostate gland and can provoke inflammation. Treatment of difficult urination 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 drug for treatment is not difficult: all you have 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 defenses - and everything happens again. To prevent the return of prostatitis, men should strengthen their 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 all the time, and if this happens, take a warm bath. The shower is not suitable: the body should receive uniform heating for at least 15-20 minutes. If you have already had prostatitis, the infection can linger in the tissues and wait 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 the treatment of colds: this is one of the frequent factors that provoke inflammation of the prostate gland.
- Eat more fibrous foods. Coarse 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 not possible to radically change your diet, add bran to your diet. 2-3 tablespoons before each meal have a beneficial effect on the work 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 that can lead to 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 a simple bacterial infection.
Perform the male version of Kegel exercises every day: contract the pubococcygeal muscle for 3-5 seconds, then relax. Repeat several approaches 10-15 times. It can 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 muscle itself that got strained. Regular exercises normalize the work of internal organs.