Treatment of prostatitis: trust the doctor!

The fight against prostatitis is a complex and fairly long process that 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 measures aimed at making a diagnosis and determining 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 does the set of therapeutic measures consist of?

Diagnosis of prostatitis

Identifying 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.Certain 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 gather useful information:

• Primary rectal examination and collection of prostate secretions for analysis to determine the nature of the disease (abacterial or infectious forms of prostatitis).If an infectious agent is detected in the biological material, a test is carried out to determine the sensitivity of the pathogenic microflora to antibiotics in order to optimize all subsequent therapeutic measures.
• Transabdominal or transrectal ultrasound.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.However, transrectal examination of the prostate (through the rectum) is, although moderately painful, a more informative procedure, since it allows you to determine not only the parameters of the gland, but also its structural changes.
• 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 values should be carried out not only when diagnosing prostatitis, but also during treatment of the disease in order to assess the effectiveness of treatment.

Main therapeutic components and methods of treatment of prostatitis

Acute prostatitis and exacerbation of the chronic form of this disease are treated according to similar schemes.Rational therapy, correctly chosen, presupposes a complete recovery of the patient in the first case and leads to his cure or long-term remission of the disease in the second.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 role of the patient in this process is to strictly follow all the instructions of the specialist.

Drug therapy

Drug treatment is the basis of any therapeutic effect on foci of inflammation of the prostate.The selection of the necessary drugs is carried out by a urologist based on data from laboratory tests and other preliminary studies.The direction of action of drug treatment includes:

• reduction of 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 of the prostate;
• stabilization of immunity, sexual performance and general well-being of the patient

Optimal effectiveness of drug therapy is achieved by combining antibiotics, analgesics, anti-inflammatory and hormonal drugs, antidepressants, microenemas and suppositories in a wellness program.

Local therapy

A local restorative effect on the prostate and its inflamed areas is achieved through the use of different types of physiotherapy in the treatment program:

• ultrasonic phonophoresis;
• transrectal microwave hyperthermia;
• diadynamophoresis;
• laser therapy;
• prostate massage.

It should be noted that, despite its relative pain, massage remains the most effective way to combat 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 medications used by the patient.Massage is prescribed to the patient during periods of remission or calming of acute manifestations of the disease.During an exacerbation of prostatitis, interventions are excluded by the doctor from the list of therapeutic measures, as they can provoke the spread of infection.

Phytotherapy

Treatment with medicinal plants is prescribed to patients with prostatitis as part of complex therapy.The use of health products of plant origin is possible for a long period, due to their harmless effects on the body and the low prevalence of side effects.Phytotherapy can be carried out by 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.

Medicines in the treatment of prostatitis

The drug treatment used by patients is prescribed to them 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 contraindication to taking the medication;
• method of drug administration;
• possible side effects

Based on the effectiveness of treatment of chronic and acute prostatitis, there are three main groups of antibacterial agents:

• Fluoroquinolones.Drugs of this group have a wide spectrum of action and have the ability to accumulate in high concentrations in prostate tissue;in this case, pathogenic bacteria do not develop resistance to the active agent.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 more effective against atypical pathogens, but are not sufficiently active against E. coli and staphylococci and are completely ineffective against Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
• Macrolides.Drugs from the macrolide group easily penetrate and actively accumulate in the tissues of the gland;however, being of low toxicity and effective in destroying Gram-positive bacteria, they are weakly effective in suppressing Gram-negative bacteria.

In the first days of taking prescribed antibacterial drugs, a patient diagnosed with prostatitis should regularly consult his doctor.This measurement is necessary for the urologist to monitor the effectiveness of antibiotics.If, after three days of treatment, the specialist does not notice any visible improvement in the patient's condition, he replaces the main drug.When prescribing antibiotics, the doctor should take into account the patient's experience of taking similar drugs in order to avoid prescribing a drug from the same group again.

In addition to antibacterials and painkillers, a patient with prostatitis may be prescribed hormonal treatment and (or) alpha-blockers:

• Hormonal therapy.The condition and functions of the prostate directly depend on the amount of androgens and estrogens present in the male body.The use of hormonal drugs in the treatment of prostatitis makes it possible to change the balance of “female” and “male” hormones in a given direction.Since these drugs help reduce the glandular tissue of the prostate, we can talk about the indirect role of antiandrogens in the recovery of a patient from prostatitis.
• Alpha-adrenergic blockers.Taking such medications refers to the method of pathogenetic therapy;its goal is to relieve the general symptoms of prostate inflammation.The use of alpha-blockers is particularly effective in cases of urinary problems.By relieving spasms of the sphincter, walls of the ureter, smooth muscles of the bladder as well as the prostate itself, stagnation or reflux of prostatic secretion is avoided and swelling of the inflamed organ is relieved.

Regardless of the purposes and specifics of the use of medications, any medication should be taken exclusively as prescribed by a doctor and under his supervision.Self-medication may lead to complications of the disease or render further treatment ineffective in a clinical setting.

Immunocorrection is the key to successful treatment

The entire set of procedures for the treatment of chronic or acute prostatitis must necessarily be accompanied by immunocorrective measures (regular visits to an immunologist, normalization of lifestyle, taking vitamins, immunomodulators, etc.).The high immune status of the body contributes to a rapid recovery of the patient or a prolongation of the remission phase in the chronic form of the disease.

A timely visit to a specialist in case of symptoms characteristic of the disease, strict adherence to medical recommendations when diagnosed with prostatitis, prevention of relapses of an existing disease and a categorical refusal of self-medication in favor of the professional intervention of a urologist will help avoid long-term treatment and unwanted consequences of a serious illness.