The fight against prostatitis is a complex and rather long process that does not allow self-treatment. Since this disease can lead both to pathologies of the male reproductive function and to serious malfunctions in the work of other organs and systems, all measures for 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 regresses as quickly as possible and what is the complex of therapeutic measures?
Diagnosis of prostatitis
Identification of the presence of prostatitis in a patient for a urologist is usually not difficult, and the main goal of diagnostic procedures is to determine the cause and form of the disease. Certain types of tests can cause discomfort or pain in patients, but passing through certain stages of clinical diagnostics is necessary for the treating physician to gather useful information:
- Primary digital rectal examination and sampling of prostatic secretion for analysis, which determines the nature of the disease (bacterial or infectious forms of prostatitis). If an infectious agent is found in the biological material, a sensitivity test of pathogenic microflora to antibiotics is performed in order to optimize the complex of subsequent therapeutic measures.
- Transabdominal or transrectal ultrasound. It is prescribed as needed to clarify the features of the state of the prostate gland. Transabdominal ultrasound is performed through the anterior abdominal wall and does not cause discomfort to the patient. However, a transrectal examination of the prostate (through the rectum) is, although moderately painful, but a more informative procedure, since it allows you to determine not only the parameters of the gland, but also its structural changes.
- Blood test for PSA. Excess in the blood of the normal level (4 ng / ml) of the prostate specific antigen may indicate the presence of pathological processes in the prostate gland. Determination of PSA indicators should be carried out not only in the process of diagnosing prostatitis, but also during the treatment of the disease 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 presupposes a complete recovery of the patient in the first case and leads to his recovery or long-term remission of the disease in the second. Only a urologist can decide how to treat prostatitis without harm to the patient's health and with the maximum effect of the means and methods used, the patient's role in this process lies in his strict adherence to all the prescriptions of the specialist.
Medical therapy
Drug treatment underlies any therapeutic effect on inflammation of the prostate gland. The selection of the necessary drugs is carried out by the urologist on the basis of the data of laboratory tests and other preliminary studies. The focus of drug therapy includes:
- reduction of the patient's pain level;
- normalization of blood circulation in the prostate gland 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 through a combination of antibiotics, pain relievers, anti-inflammatory and hormonal drugs, antidepressants, microenemas and suppositories in the wellness program.
Local therapy
The local restorative effect on the prostate gland and its inflamed areas is achieved through the use of various types of physiotherapy in the treatment program:
- ultrasonic phonophoresis;
- microwave transrectal hyperthermia;
- diadinamophoresis;
- laser therapy;
- prostatic massage.
It should be noted that, with its relative pain, massage is the most effective means of fighting prostatitis. Thanks to such procedures, stagnant secretion from the prostate gland is removed, which helps to improve blood circulation of the affected tissues and increase the effectiveness of the drugs used by the patient. Massage is prescribed to the patient during the periods of remission or subsidence of acute manifestations of the disease. During an exacerbation of prostatitis, the procedures are excluded by the doctor from the list of therapeutic measures, as they can provoke the spread of infection.
Phytotherapy
Treatment with phytopreparations is prescribed for patients with prostatitis as part of complex therapy. The use of herbal health products is possible for a long time, due to their harmless effect on the body and the low incidence of side effects. Herbal medicine can be carried out for 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 magneto, phono or electrophoresis of phyto preparations.
Drugs in the treatment of prostatitis
The course of use of drugs by patients is prescribed by the doctor on an individual basis. An antibiotic program is designed with the following specific criteria in mind:
- the form of the disease;
- type of pathogen and antimicrobial activity of the drug;
- ability to penetrate the drug into the prostate tissue;
- no contraindications to taking the drug;
- method of drug administration;
- possible side effects
According to the indicators of the effectiveness of the 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 the tissues of the prostate gland at a high concentration; at the same time, the resistance of pathogenic bacteria to the active agent is not developed. The "drawback" of fluoroquinolones lies in their possible negative effects 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 active enough in the fight against Escherichia coli and staphylococci and are completely ineffective against Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
- Macrolides. Preparations of the macrolide group easily penetrate and actively accumulate in the tissues of the gland, however, being little toxic and effective in the destruction of gram-positive bacteria, they are ineffective in suppressing gram-negative bacteria.
In the first few days of taking the prescribed antibacterial drugs, a patient with a diagnosis of prostatitis should regularly visit his doctor. Such a measure is necessary for the urologist to keep track of the effectiveness of antibiotics. If, after three days of treatment, the specialist does not notice visible improvements in the patient's condition, he replaces the main drug. When prescribing antibiotics, the physician should take into account the patient's experience in taking similar drugs in order to exclude repeat prescribing of a drug from the same group.
In addition to antibacterials and pain relievers, a patient with prostatitis may be prescribed hormone therapy and (or) taking 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 of "female" and "male" hormones in a certain direction. Since such drugs help to shrink the glandular tissue of the prostate, we can talk about the indirect role of antiandrogens in the recovery of a patient with prostatitis.
- Alpha blockers. The assumption of such funds refers to the method of pathogenetic therapy; its purpose is to relieve the general symptoms of inflammation of the prostate. Particularly effective is the use of alpha blockers for urination problems. Thanks to the removal of spasms of the sphincter, ureter walls, smooth muscles of the bladder and the prostate gland itself, stagnation or reverse reflux of the secretion of the prostate is prevented and edema is removed from the inflamed organ.
Regardless of the purpose and specifics of the use of medicines, the intake of any medication should only be carried out as prescribed by a doctor and under her supervision. Self-medication can lead to a complication of the disease or make subsequent therapy in the clinic ineffective.
Immunocorrection is the key to successful treatment
The whole complex of medical 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 speedy recovery of the patient or to the 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 recurrence of an existing disease and categorical refusal of self-treatment in favor of professional intervention by a urologist will allow you to avoid long-term treatment and undesirable consequences of a serious illness.