The fight against prostatitis is a complex and rather long process, which does not allow self-medication.Since this disease can lead to both pathologies of male reproductive function and serious disruptions in the functioning of other organs and systems, all diagnostic measures and determination of the necessary treatment strategy must be carried out exclusively by a urologist.How to treat prostatitis so that the disease gets better as quickly as possible, and what do complex treatment measures include?
Diagnosis of prostatitis
Determining the presence of prostatitis in a patient is usually not difficult for a urologist, and the main goal of the diagnostic procedure is to determine the cause and form of the disease.Some types of examinations may cause discomfort or pain for the patient, but the treating physician needs to go through certain stages of clinical diagnosis to gather useful information:
- Initial digital rectal examination and collection of prostatic secretions for analysis to determine the nature of the disease (bacterial or infectious form of prostatitis).If an infectious agent is detected in the biological material, testing is performed to determine the sensitivity of the pathogenic microflora to antibiotics in order to optimize the next set of treatment measures.
- Transabdominal or transrectal ultrasound examination.Prescribe as needed to clarify the characteristics of the prostate.Transabdominal ultrasound is performed through the anterior abdominal wall and does not cause patient discomfort.However, transrectal (transrectal) examination of the prostate, although moderately painful, is a more informative procedure because it allows you to determine not only the parameters of the gland, but also changes in its structure.
- PSA blood test.An excess of the normal level (4 ng/ml) of prostate-specific antigen in the blood may indicate the presence of pathological processes in the prostate.Determination of PSA value must not only be performed during the diagnosis of prostatitis but also during the treatment of the disease to evaluate the effectiveness of treatment.
The main therapeutic components and methods of treating prostatitis
Acute prostatitis and exacerbation of the chronic form of this disease are treated according to similar schemes.Properly chosen rational therapy requires complete recovery of the patient in the first case and leads to cure or long-term remission in the second case.Only a urologist can decide how to treat prostatitis without harming the patient's health and achieving maximum effect from the means and methods used;The patient's role in this process is to strictly follow all instructions from the specialist.
Treatment with medication
Drug treatment is the basis of any therapeutic effect on inflammatory foci in the prostate.The choice of necessary drugs is made by a urologist based on data from laboratory tests and other preliminary studies.Directions of action of drug treatment include:
- reduce the patient's pain level;
- normalizes blood circulation in the prostate and neighboring organs;
- localization and destruction of infectious agents;
- Eliminates inflammatory and obstructive reactions in the prostate;
- stabilizes the patient's immunity, sexual activity and general health
The optimal effect of drug treatment is achieved by combining antibiotics, analgesics, anti-inflammatory and hormonal drugs, antidepressants, bacteriocins and suppositories in one wellness program.
On-site treatment
Local restorative effect on the prostate and its inflamed areas is achieved through the use of different types of physiotherapy in the treatment program:
- ultrasound phoneme;
- transrectal microwave hyperthermia;
- diadynamophoresis;
- laser therapy;
- prostate massage.
It should be noted that, although relatively painful, massage is the most effective method of fighting prostatitis.Thanks to such procedures, stagnant secretions are removed from the prostate, which improves blood circulation in the affected tissues and increases the effectiveness of the drugs used by the patient.Massage is indicated for patients during periods of remission or relief of acute manifestations of the disease.In cases of more severe prostatitis, the doctor excludes procedures from the list of treatment measures because they can cause the spread of infection.
Herbal medicine
Treatment with herbal remedies is indicated for patients with prostatitis as part of complex therapy.The use of medical products of plant origin is possible over a long period of time due to their harmless effect on the body and low incidence of side effects.Herbal medicine can be taken through internal and (or) external use, in the form of juices, decoctions or infusions of St. John's wort.John's wort, ginseng, calamus, periwinkle, burdock, nettle and other medicinal plants.In the chronic form of prostatitis, the doctor may prescribe magnetic, phonophoretic or electrophoretic herbal treatments.
Drugs in the treatment of prostatitis
The patient's medication use process is prescribed by the doctor for each individual.The antibiotic program is developed taking into account the following specific criteria:
- disease form;
- type of pathogen and antibacterial activity of the drug;
- penetration of the drug into prostate tissue;
- There are no contraindications to taking the drug;
- method of taking medication;
- Side effects may occur
Based on the effectiveness of treating chronic and acute prostatitis, there are three main antibacterial groups:
- Fluoroquinolones.Drugs in this group have a broad spectrum of action and are capable of accumulating high concentrations in prostate tissue;In this case, pathogenic bacteria do not develop resistance to the active agent.The “disadvantages” of fluoroquinolones are possible negative effects on the central nervous system and the possibility of causing allergic reactions in patients.
- Tetracycline.These drugs are most effective against atypical pathogens, but have insufficient activity against E. coli and staphylococci and are completely ineffective against Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
- Macrolides.Drugs belonging to the macrolide group easily penetrate and actively accumulate in the tissues of the gland;however, having low toxicity and being effective in killing gram-positive bacteria, they are weakly effective in inhibiting gram-negative bacteria.
During the first days of taking the prescribed antibacterial drug, patients diagnosed with prostatitis should regularly visit their doctor.This measure is necessary for the urologist to monitor the effectiveness of antibiotics.If after three days of treatment, the specialist does not notice a significant improvement in the patient's condition, he will replace the main drug.When prescribing antibiotics, doctors must take into account the patient's experience with similar drugs to avoid re-prescribing drugs from the same class.
In addition to antibacterial and pain relievers, patients with prostatitis may be prescribed hormonal therapy and (or) alpha blockers:
- Hormone therapy.The condition and function of the prostate gland directly depends on the amount of androgens and estrogens in the male body.The use of hormonal drugs in the treatment of prostatitis allows you to change the balance of "female" and "male" hormones in a certain direction.Since these drugs help reduce the glandular tissue of the prostate, we can talk about the indirect role of antiandrogen drugs in the recovery process of patients with prostatitis.
- Alpha adrenergic blockers.Taking these drugs refers to the treatment of pathology;Its purpose is to relieve the general symptoms of prostatitis.The use of alpha blockers is especially effective for urination problems.By reducing spasms of the sphincter, ureteral walls, smooth muscle of the bladder, as well as the prostate itself, stagnation or backflow of prostatic secretions is prevented and swelling in the inflamed organ is reduced.
Regardless of the purpose and specific nature of drug use, any medicine must be used exclusively as prescribed by a doctor and under his supervision.Self-medication can lead to complications of the disease or make subsequent treatment clinically ineffective.
Immune regulation is key to successful treatment
The entire treatment procedure for chronic or acute prostatitis is necessarily accompanied by immunomodulatory measures (regular visits to an immunologist, normalization of lifestyle, taking vitamins, immunomodulators, etc.).High immune status of the body contributes to the patient's rapid recovery or prolongation of the remission period in the chronic form of the disease.
Timely visit to a specialist in case of characteristic symptoms of the disease, strict adherence to medical recommendations in case of diagnosis of prostatitis, prevention of recurrence of existing diseases and refusal of self-medication in favor of professional intervention of a urologist will allow you to avoid long treatment and undesirable consequences of a serious disease.