Prostatitis is a situation where the inflammation of the prostate gland causes discomfort, pain and some urinary symptoms. For men under the age of 50 it’s a common issue and can be quite painful. Luckily, prostatitis can be controlled pretty well with the right treatment and management. To manage the condition and help your symptoms, you need to understand the symptoms, treatment options and home remedies.
Symptoms of Prostatitis
People can experience different symptoms of prostatitis, which can go from mild to severe. Common symptoms include:
- Painful urination: Most prostatitis sufferers have burning or stinging with urination.
- Frequent urges to urinate: There may be waking up many times a night to urinate or other sleep disturbances.
- Pelvic or lower back pain: Some men also may have persistent pain in the area of the pelvis, lower back, groin or the sides of the rectum.
- Pain during ejaculation: Sometimes prostatitis can cause pain before or after ejaculation.
- Flu-like symptoms: Men whose prostatitis is due to a bacterial infection may also have fever, chills, and body aches.
The best urologist in Karachi can assess your condition and prescribe medications to help reduce your symptoms.
Causes of Prostatitis
Bacterial infections can cause prostatitis, but there are also non bacterial causes of the condition. Common causes include:
- Bacterial infections: Acute or chronic bacterial prostatitis results from bacterial infections in the urinary tract or prostate.
- Nerve damage: Non bacterial prostatitis can result from trauma to the pelvic area or damage to nerves inside the lower urinary tract.
- Stress or injury: Cycling or sitting too long can put physical stress on the prostate and thereby create inflammation.
Treatment Options
The treatment of prostatitis depends on what has caused it. With a combination of medical treatments and self care strategies it becomes quite effective in treating this disease. Common treatments include:
- Antibiotics: Your doctor may prescribe antibiotics, if the prostatitis is bacterial. The amount of time you will need to take the antibiotics may range from a few to a few months or more, depending on how bad and how long the infection hosts.
- Pain relievers: Pain and inflammation are reduced with over the counter pain medications such as ibuprofen and acetaminophen. Most of these medications help reduce pain, which in turn makes it easier to go about day to day life.
- Alpha-blockers: They are usually prescribed to relax the muscles around the bladder and prostate. They assist in improving urine flow, as well as reducing symptoms of excess of frequent urination or difficulty in emptying the bladder.
- Anti-inflammatory drugs: In addition, your doctor may suggest that you take nonsteroidal anti inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) to help with inflammation and discomfort in the pelvis.
Tips and Lifestyle Advice
In addition to medical treatments, several home remedies and lifestyle changes can help manage prostatitis and relieve symptoms:
- Warm baths: Warm baths can soak up the painful muscles in the pelvic area to alleviate pain and tension. This is especially good for men with chronic prostatitis.
- Drink plenty of water: Flushing out bacteria from the urinary tract is important since you need to be staying hydrated. Also drinking a lot of water can help decrease the concentration of urine thereby reducing irritation to the bladder.
- Avoid spicy foods, alcohol, and caffeine: Certain foods and beverages can cause irritation of the bladder and make symptoms of prostatitis worse. Avoid eating foods that are spicy, caffeinated drinks, and alcohol to prevent flare ups of an abscess.
- Pelvic floor exercises: Toning the muscles supporting the prostate and bladder, as through gentle exercises like pelvic floor therapy, can help control urine flow and decrease pain.
When To See A Doctor?
Visit your urologist in these cases:
- Difficulty urinating: If you can’t urinate or it is very difficult to urinate it may be a symptom of something more serious.
- Fever or chills: If you suddenly develop flu-like symptoms such as fever or chills, this could mean you have a bacterial infection that needs immediate medical attention.
Conclusion
Prostatitis is an uncomfortable, and sometimes frustrating, condition, but most men recover completely, or, at least, are able to manage their symptoms. If you follow the advice of your doctor, make lifestyle changes and use pain relief methods, you may be able to lessen the effects of prostatitis. The earlier you can diagnose and treat prostatitis, the better, so ask your health care provider if you think you have it.
