Prostatitis causes a lot of discomfort even in the early stages of the disease. Painful burning sensation, itching at night, urination problems, sexual dysfunction are inevitable companions of chronic prostatitis. It is much easier to prevent prostatitis than to treat it. Simple recommendations 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. The picture is even worse for men over the age of 80: chronic inflammation of the prostate is detected in 9 out of 10 patients.
How is it that even men who are not prone to prostatitis suffer from prostatitis in their old age? One 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 wrong: although testosterone has an effect on the health of the prostate, it is only in the absence of it that an adenoma develops, not prostatitis. This is an independent disease, and in order to prevent prostate adenoma, the doctor may prescribe regular use of the testosterone hormone.
Prostatitis requires the right conditions for the infection to develop. Age-related testosterone deficiency is not sufficient to initiate the inflammatory process. 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 you get up at home and stretch when you get tired sitting, you don't always manage to take the necessary break at work.
- Failure to observe the basic rules of sexual or intimate hygiene.Women may have an infection that causes prostatitis without even knowing it. The best prevention in this case is contraceptives. In addition, you can get an infection in a public place in the toilet, during a medical examination with a non-sterile instrument, etc.
- Reduced 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 coping with the inflammatory process at an early stage.
- It reduces 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. Your body needs rest to fight infection, so don't forget to rest. Even exercise becomes 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 drugs with serious side effects. If you manage to normalize your sleep, take care of daily exercise, eat healthy and have a low stress level, prostatitis will not bother you. Of course, the sources of infection must also be monitored: if possible, avoid using unsanitary public restrooms; control your sex life.
These preventive measures may seem too simple, but preventing prostatitis in men without drugs is easier than with medication.
What to take for prevention
In such a matter as the prevention of prostatitis in men, drugs play a role if the patient is prone to prostatitis. However, different types of prostatitis cannot be considered interchangeable. If your relatives have suffered from bacterial prostatitis, 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. To avoid dealing with inflammation during the 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 occurs first 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 examines 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 mistaken for 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 must follow a diet that limits calcium-containing foods.
Chronic bacterial prostatitis
Although prevention of chronic prostatitis does not require prescription drugs, stimulants and dietary supplements may be helpful for men prone to chronic prostatitis. In order to avoid treating slow inflammatory processes, regularly use the following products:
- Means that normalize the functioning of the prostate. 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, they can also be used to prevent prostatitis, especially in cases of male predilection. Consult your doctor before using the medication for the first time.
- Medicines with a specific antibacterial effecton the background of vulnerability to bacterial infections. These funds are also primarily intended for treatment. Examine yourself to see if you need to take care of 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 prevent inflammation by killing bacteria and forming new cells. Products containing lycopene are also effective for prevention: it is a natural antioxidant that regulates the basic processes of the prostate.
Herbs
Prevention of prostatitis with herbs is widely used to prevent inflammation at home. Pay attention to natural ingredients that increase the body's resistance to infections:
- radiola pink;
- echinacea;
- ginseng.
Please note: treatment with herbs with similar properties is unacceptable if a man suffers from high blood pressure. It is dangerous to take active substances against the background of high blood pressure, since 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 vein tone stimulants:
- Japanese Sophora;
- horse chestnut;
- ginkgo;
- eucalyptus;
- grape seed;
- red grape leaves.
Their effect is similar to pharmaceutical drugs - phlebotonics. A side effect of the treatment of venous tone disorders is the elimination of blood circulation stagnation in the pelvic organs. Restoring blood flow contributes to the overall health of the prostate.
For men, preventive measures 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 amount of urine increases the pressure on the prostate gland and can cause inflammation. Urinary difficulties prone to prostatitis are treated 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 a young age.
Unlike prostate adenoma, choosing the drug for treatment is not difficult: only laboratory tests need to be performed. 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. In order to prevent the return of prostatitis, men need to strengthen the body in advance: in the period between infections, it will be more difficult to strengthen the immune system.
Effective preventive measures:
- Dress according to the weather.Avoid hypothermia, don't get drenched, and if you do, take a warm bath. The shower is not suitable: the body needs to warm up evenly for at least 15-20 minutes. If you've already had prostatitis, the infection can persist in the tissues and spread even after antibiotic treatment. 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.
- 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 of 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 has a beneficial effect on the functioning of the digestive system.
Moderate sexual activity is another factor in prostate health. Regular sexual life normalizes the secretion of the organ and relieves excessive pressure, which can lead to inflammation. Do not forget about contraception: if you are prone to prostatitis, you should protect yourself not from sexual contact, but from a common bacterial infection.
Do 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 yourself feel the work of this muscle if you try to stop while urinating. It is necessary to train the muscle that is strained. Regular exercises normalize the functioning of the internal organs.