The fight against prostatitis is a complex and rather long process that does not allow self-medication.Since this disease can lead to the pathology of the male reproductive function and serious disorders in the work of other organs and systems, all measures for establishing a diagnosis and determining the necessary treatment strategy should be carried out exclusively by a urologist.How to treat prostatitis so that the disease goes away as soon as possible and what does the complex of therapeutic measures consist of?
Diagnosis of prostatitis
Recognizing 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 to patients, but passing through certain stages of clinical diagnosis is necessary in order for the attending physician to collect useful information:
- Primary rectal digital 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 pathogenic microflora to antibiotics in order to optimize a set of subsequent therapeutic measures.
- Transabdominal or transrectal ultrasound examination.It is prescribed as needed to clarify the characteristics of the prostate.Transabdominal ultrasound is performed through the anterior abdominal wall and does not cause discomfort to the patient.However, 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.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 be carried out not only in the process of diagnosing prostatitis, but also during the treatment of the disease in order to evaluate the effectiveness of therapy.
The 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.Properly selected, rational therapy in the first case assumes the patient's complete recovery, 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 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 action on foci of inflammation in the prostate.The urologist selects the necessary drugs based on data from laboratory tests and other preliminary studies.The course 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 immunity, sexual performance and general well-being of the patient
The optimal effectiveness of drug therapy is achieved by combining antibiotics, painkillers, anti-inflammatory and hormonal drugs, antidepressants, microenemas and suppositories in the wellness program.
Local therapy
The local restorative effect on the prostate and its inflamed areas is achieved by applying different types of physiotherapy in the treatment program:
- ultrasonic phonophoresis;
- transrectal microwave hyperthermia;
- diadynamophoresis;
- laser therapy;
- prostate massage.
It should be noted that, despite the relative pain, massage is the most effective tool in the fight against prostatitis.Thanks to these 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 prescribed to the patient during the period of remission or withdrawal of acute manifestations of the disease.During an exacerbation of prostatitis, the doctor excludes procedures from the list of therapeutic measures, because they can cause the infection to spread.
Herbal medicine
Treatment with herbal medicines is prescribed to patients with prostatitis as part of complex therapy.The use of health products of plant origin is possible for a long time, due to their harmless effect on the body and low prevalence of side effects.Treatment with herbs can be carried out by internal and (or) external application, in the form of juices, decoctions or infusions of St. John's wort, ginseng, calamus, green tea, thistle, nettle and other medicinal plants.In the chronic form of prostatitis, the doctor can prescribe magnetic, phono- or electrophoresis herbal medicines.
Medicines in the treatment of prostatitis
The course of medications that patients use is prescribed by their doctor on an individual basis.The antibiotic program is developed taking into account the following specific criteria:
- form of disease;
- type of pathogen and antimicrobial activity of the drug;
- drug penetration into prostate tissue;
- there are no contraindications for taking the drug;
- method of administration of the drug;
- possible side effects
Based on the effectiveness of treatment of chronic and acute prostatitis, three main groups of antibacterial agents are distinguished:
- Fluoroquinolones.Medicines of this group have a wide spectrum of action and have the ability to accumulate in high concentrations in the 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 most effective against atypical pathogens, but are not sufficiently active against E. coli and staphylococci and are completely ineffective against Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
- Macrolides.Medicines from the group of macrolides easily penetrate and actively accumulate in the tissues of the gland;however, because they are low-toxic and effective in killing gram-positive bacteria, they are poorly effective in controlling gram-negative bacteria.
In the first days of taking prescribed antibacterial drugs, a patient diagnosed with prostatitis should visit his doctor regularly.This measure is necessary for the urologist to monitor the effectiveness of antibiotics.If after three days of treatment the specialist does not notice any visible improvements in the patient's condition, 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 of the same group.
In addition to antibacterial and painkillers, a patient with prostatitis may be prescribed hormonal therapy and (or) alpha-blockers:
- Hormonal therapy.The state 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 of "female" and "male" hormones in a given direction.Since such drugs help to reduce the glandular tissue of the prostate, we can talk about the indirect role of antiandrogens in the recovery of patients with prostatitis.
- Alpha adrenergic blockers.Taking such drugs refers to the method of pathogenetic therapy;its purpose is to relieve the general symptoms of prostate inflammation.The use of alpha blockers is particularly effective in urinary problems.By removing spasms of the sphincter, walls of the urethra, smooth muscles of the urinary bladder, as well as the prostate itself, stagnation or backflow of prostate secretions is prevented and swelling from the inflamed organ is removed.
Regardless of the purpose and specificity of the use of drugs, each drug should be taken exclusively according to a doctor's prescription and under his supervision.Self-medication may lead to complications of the disease or make subsequent therapy ineffective in the clinical setting.
Immunocorrection 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 an immunologist, normalization of lifestyle, taking vitamins, immunomodulators, etc.).The high immune status of the organism contributes to the rapid recovery of the patient or 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 in the case of a diagnosis of prostatitis, prevention of relapse of the existing disease and categorical rejection of self-treatment in favor of professional intervention by a urologist will allow you to avoid long-term treatment and unwanted consequences of a serious disease.