The fight against prostatitis is a complex and rather lengthy process that does not allow self-medication.Since this disease can lead to both pathologies of male reproductive function and serious dysfunction of other organs and systems, all measures to establish a diagnosis and determine the necessary treatment strategy should be carried out exclusively by a urologist.How to treat prostatitis so that the disease recedes as quickly as possible, and what is the complex of therapeutic measures?
Diagnosis of prostatitis
Determining the presence of prostatitis in a patient is usually not difficult for a urologist, and the main goal of diagnostic procedures is to determine the cause and form of the disease.Some types of examinations can cause discomfort or pain in patients, but going through certain stages of clinical diagnosis is necessary for the attending physician to collect useful information:
- Primary rectal digital examination and collection of prostatic secretion for analysis to determine the type of disease (bacterial or infectious forms of prostatitis).If an infectious pathogen is detected in biological material, a test is carried out to determine the sensitivity of the pathogenic microflora to antibiotics in order to optimize the set of subsequent therapeutic measures.
- Transabdominal or transrectal ultrasound examination.Prescribed as needed to clarify the characteristics of the prostate.Transabdominal ultrasound is performed through the anterior abdominal wall and does not cause any discomfort to the patient.Transrectal examination of the prostate (through the rectum), although moderately painful, is a more informative procedure, as it allows you to determine not only the parameters of the gland, but also its structural changes.
- PSA blood test.Exceeding the normal level (4 ng/ml) of prostate-specific antigen in the blood may indicate pathological processes in the prostate.Determination of PSA levels must be carried out not only as part of the diagnosis of prostatitis, but also during the treatment of the disease in order to assess the effectiveness of therapy.
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.Correctly chosen, rational therapy in the first case presupposes a complete recovery of the patient, and in the second leads to his cure or long-term remission of the disease.Only a urologist can decide how to treat prostatitis without harming the patient's health and achieving the maximum effect from the means and methods used.The patient's role in this process is to strictly follow all the specialist's instructions.
Drug therapy
Drug treatment is the basis of any therapeutic effect on foci of inflammation in the prostate.The selection of the necessary medications is carried out by a urologist based on data from laboratory tests and other preliminary examinations.The direction of action of drug therapy includes:
- Reducing the patient's pain level;
- Normalization of blood circulation in the prostate and adjacent organs;
- localization and destruction of the infectious agent;
- Elimination of inflammatory reactions and congestion in the prostate;
- Stabilization of the patient's immunity, sexual performance and general well-being
The optimal effectiveness of drug therapy is achieved by combining antibiotics, painkillers, anti-inflammatory and hormonal drugs, antidepressants, microenemas and suppositories in a wellness program.
Local therapy
By using various types of physiotherapy in the treatment program, a local regenerating effect on the prostate and its inflamed areas is achieved:
- ultrasound phonophoresis;
- transrectal microwave hyperthermia;
- diadynamophoresis;
- laser therapy;
- Prostate massage.
It should be noted that massage, despite its relative pain, is the most effective means of combating 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.During periods of remission or subsidence of acute manifestations of the disease, the patient is prescribed massage.During an exacerbation of prostatitis, procedures are excluded by the doctor from the list of therapeutic measures, as they can provoke the spread of infection.
Herbal medicine
Patients with prostatitis are prescribed treatment with herbal remedies as part of complex therapy.The use of health products of plant origin is possible over a long period of time due to their harmless effect on the body and the low frequency of side effects.Herbal medicine can be carried out through internal and (or) external use in the form of juices, decoctions or infusions of St. John's wort, ginseng, calamus, periwinkle, burdock, nettle and other medicinal plants.In the chronic form of prostatitis, the doctor may prescribe magnetic, phono- or electrophoresis herbal remedies.
Medications used to treat prostatitis
The course of medication is prescribed to patients individually by their doctor.The antibiotic program is developed taking into account the following specific criteria:
- form of the disease;
- Type of pathogen and antimicrobial activity of the drug;
- Penetration of the drug into the prostate tissue;
- no contraindications to taking the drug;
- type of drug administration;
- possible side effects
Based on the effectiveness of the treatment of chronic and acute prostatitis, there are three main groups of antibacterial agents:
- Fluoroquinolones.Drugs in this group have a wide spectrum of action and can accumulate in high concentrations in prostate tissue;In this case, pathogenic bacteria do not develop resistance to the active ingredient.The “disadvantage” of fluoroquinolones is their possible negative effect on the central nervous system and the likelihood of allergic reactions in patients.
- Tetracyclines.These drugs are most effective against atypical pathogens, but are not effective enough against E. coli and staphylococci and are completely ineffective against Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
- Macrolides.Drugs from the macrolide group easily penetrate the glandular tissue and actively accumulate there.However, since they are not very toxic and effectively destroy gram-positive bacteria, they are only weakly effective in suppressing gram-negative bacteria.
During the first few days of taking prescribed antibacterial drugs, a patient diagnosed with prostatitis should regularly visit his doctor.This measure is necessary for the urologist to monitor the effectiveness of antibiotics.If the specialist does not notice a visible improvement in the patient's condition after three days of treatment, he replaces the main drug.When prescribing antibiotics, the doctor must take into account the patient's experience of taking similar drugs in order to avoid re-prescribing a drug from the same group.
In addition to antibacterial agents and painkillers, a patient with prostatitis may be prescribed hormonal therapy and (or) alpha-blockers:
- Hormone therapy.The condition and functions of the prostate directly depend on the amount of androgens and estrogens in the male body.The use of hormonal drugs in the treatment of prostatitis allows you to shift the balance between “female” and “male” hormones in a certain direction.Since such drugs help reduce the glandular tissue of the prostate, we can talk about the indirect role of antiandrogens in the recovery of a patient with prostatitis.
- Alpha-adrenergic blockers.Taking such drugs belongs to the method of pathogenetic therapy;Its purpose is to relieve the general symptoms of prostatic inflammation.The use of alpha blockers is particularly effective for problems with urination.By relieving spasms of the sphincter, the walls of the ureter, the smooth muscles of the bladder, as well as the prostate itself, stagnation or reflux of prostatic secretions is prevented and swelling of the inflamed organ is relieved.
Regardless of the purposes and peculiarities of taking the medication, any medication should be taken exclusively as prescribed by a doctor and under his supervision.Self-medication can lead to complications of the disease or render subsequent therapy in the clinical setting ineffective.
Immune correction is the key to successful treatment
The entire complex of treatment procedures for chronic or acute prostatitis must necessarily be accompanied by immunocorrective measures (regular visits to the immunologist, normalization of lifestyle, taking vitamins, immunomodulators, etc.).The high immune status of the body contributes to a rapid recovery of the patient or an extension of the remission phase in the chronic form of the disease.
Timely visit to a specialist in case of symptoms typical of the disease, strict adherence to medical recommendations when diagnosing prostatitis, prevention of relapses of an existing disease and a categorical rejection of self-medication in favor of the professional intervention of a urologist, you can avoid long-term treatment and undesirable consequences of a serious illness.