The most common urological disease in men is prostatitis, inflammation of the prostate gland. The gland is located next to the urinary tract, and the disease is often caused by infection - bacteria, viruses or protozoa.Prostatitis is usually bacterial and, like any inflammation, is accompanied by acute pain.This is the first and main symptom of the disease.Treatment prescribed by a doctor can help relieve the pain caused by prostatitis, but while you are waiting for the doctor, you can use methods that do not require medical intervention.
Appearance and localization of pain
The sensation of pain varies depending on the activity of the inflammatory process.
- In cases of acute prostatitis or exacerbation of a chronic disease, the pain usually appears within a few hours.It is most often localized in the perineum and may radiate to the head of the penis, the suprapubic region, the anus, or the lower back. The acute process is the cause of severe pain, which becomes more intense after urination or ejaculation.Urinating can also be painful.
- In cases of chronic prostatitis, aching pain often occurs, especially in the morning or when sitting for a long time.
- The patient experiences the most intense sensations in case of prostate abscess or advanced acute prostatitis.The pain is very severe, throbbing or shooting, sometimes accompanied by fever and chills. This condition requires immediate medical attention.
What to do if there is pain
You should not sit back and wait alone for the feelings to subside.Acute prostatitis requires qualified medical treatment: the disease does not go away by itself, and in the absence of therapy it can become chronic.Chronic prostatitis is more difficult to treat and sometimes recurs.Its exacerbations are similar in symptoms to acute prostatitis and can be alleviated with medications prescribed by a urologist.You should not delay the visit to the doctor: the sooner the treatment starts, the faster you can get rid of the disease.But while you wait to see the urologist, you can relieve some of the unpleasant symptoms at home.This will not get rid of the cause of the disease - it will only improve the condition.
How to relieve pain with prostatitis
If the pain is caused by an acute process, it is not possible to get rid of it quickly and permanently until the cause of the disease is eliminated.But it can weaken you.Recommendations are given by the doctor, but they usually refer to a healthy lifestyle, hypothermia and the absence of bad habits.
Walk if your condition allows.According to some data, chronic prostatitis, including chronic pelvic pain syndrome, develops against the background of stagnation. If a man sits for a long time, the pressure on the prostate gland increases and congestion develops in the pelvic area - this contributes to pain and worsening of the condition.Pain after sitting for a long time disappears when a person walks, so patients without exacerbation are recommended to maintain moderate physical activity and avoid stagnation. Therefore, patients are advised to do physiotherapy and prostate massage - they improve microcirculation and prevent stagnation. If we are talking about an acute process, physical activity is contraindicated, especially in case of temperature and fever.In such cases, on the contrary, it is necessary to stay in bed, and if signs of blood poisoning such as high fever and body pain appear, emergency help should be sought.
Drink more water.Prostatitis is often accompanied by damage to the urinary tract: pathogens accumulate in the urethra and urethra.Urethritis develops, which only increases the symptoms: it is painful for a person to go to the toilet, he feels pain and a burning sensation, and he feels a frequent, sometimes false or too intense urge. This condition also requires medication, but can be alleviated by drinking plenty of fluids and going to the toilet frequently.During illness, the body needs more water, and frequent urination helps flush bacteria from the urethra and reduce inflammation.During prostatitis, defecation can also be painful: drinking plenty of fluids helps to soften the stool and relieve the pain.For the same reason, doctors sometimes include laxatives in the treatment regimen, but these should not be used without professional advice.
Take a pain reliever.Painkillers should not be used before performing tests or visiting a doctor: they can blur the clinical picture.But the doctor can prescribe painkillers to make the patient feel better.Try not to use drugs without serious reasons.In the treatment of chronic pelvic pain syndrome, urologists sometimes prescribe anxiolytics - drugs that help relieve anxiety and depression that occur during long-term illness. Such medicines should not be taken without a doctor's prescription.
Be tested.The urologist makes a diagnosis based on the tests, and if you have the opportunity and don't want to wait, get yourself tested.The diagnosis of prostatitis requires urine and seminal fluid examination, not only microscopic, but also bacteriological examination. It is better to conduct a bacteriological examination to determine the sensitivity of the pathogen to a wide range of drugs - this will help the doctor to prescribe a more accurate treatment.You will give the results to your urologist during the appointment.He deciphers them and prescribes drug therapy according to the results of the analysis.
What not to do during an acute process
Severe pain is usually associated with acute prostatitis or exacerbation of chronic prostatitis.In this condition, the prostate is particularly vulnerable: even doctors are advised to handle patients with care. The patient himself must observe certain restrictions.We'll tell you what you should never do to avoid accidentally worsening your condition.
Administer antibiotics yourself.Do not take serious medicines without a prescription!In case of acute and chronic bacterial prostatitis, the urologist prescribes a treatment regimen.It usually consists of antibiotics to which the pathogen is sensitive, most often fluoroquinolones - they penetrate the prostate tissue better than others. But prostatitis is a disease that requires a thoughtful medical approach.The doctor determines the duration of the treatment and the dose required to kill the bacteria.Such details are difficult to determine on your own without a medical degree.Therefore, self-medication often leads to the fact that the bacteria do not disappear from the prostate, but become resistant to antibiotics.These forms of prostatitis are more difficult to treat and usually cause more concern.
Heat or cool your prostate.It may seem that heat and cold can relieve pain, but in the case of bacterial inflammation, on the contrary, they are harmful.Heating the inflamed prostate increases blood circulation and promotes the growth of bacteria, thereby only making the condition worse.Cooling weakens local immunity and makes it harder to fight the pathogen.In the treatment of chronic prostatitis, it is recommended to avoid hypothermia and overheating above body temperature. This applies even to the periods between exacerbations, and during an acute process it is especially important to follow the rule.
Use physical therapy.Physiotherapy methods such as finger massage are used in the treatment of chronic prostatitis and chronic pelvic pain syndrome to prevent stagnation, but their use during exacerbations is harmful and even dangerous. Acute pain is a contraindication for all interventions: they can only increase and worsen the patient's condition.And if an abscess is suspected, physical therapy can lead to a breakthrough, seriously aggravating the problems.It is better to turn to massage and other therapeutic methods under medical supervision after the condition has stabilized.
Drink alcohol.A man may think that alcohol will help relieve pain at home.But alcohol is strictly contraindicated in acute inflammation.On the contrary, patients are recommended to exclude from their diet all foods that irritate the urinary tract: spicy, fatty, salty. Adhering to a diet is much more effective in relieving pain, but alcohol only does more harm.
Prevention of pain in prostatitis
Even if you have chronic prostatitis, you can minimize the number of exacerbations.In remission, the disease barely bothers the patient;pain is usually accompanied by an exacerbation or a subacute process.A number of recommendations must be followed for long-term remission.
Don't get too cold.Doctors advise you to dress warmly in cold weather, not to stay in the cold for a long time and not to sit in the cold.Hypothermia is associated with a decrease in local immunity, which can cause exacerbation.
Be physically active.Congestion is a risk factor for the occurrence and exacerbation of prostatitis. People who lead an active lifestyle are less sensitive to stagnation.Chronic prostatitis is characterized by a weakening of muscle tone - physical activity helps to prevent this result.
Get physical therapy and massage.Not all sources confirm the effectiveness of physiotherapy, but in some cases it can alleviate the condition of patients.Like physical activity, massage is also necessary to prevent stagnation.Usually, classic digital rectal massage is prescribed, but if the patient cannot go to the doctor all the time, he can use self-massage devices.
Follow the diet.Drinking plenty of fluids and avoiding spicy and salty foods in the diet are recommended by the doctor to alleviate the condition.We recommend that you get rid of bad habits.
Observe sexual hygiene.Intimate hygiene, especially after intercourse, prevents bacteria from entering the urethra and up the prostate.To prevent infections, do not neglect it and use a barrier during sexual intercourse.
The bottom line
Don't worry.The pain of prostatitis is a very unpleasant phenomenon, but it can be treated.Do not forget that the ways to reduce it at home do not eliminate the cause of the disease: be sure to consult a doctor, undergo an examination and start a therapeutic course.Only qualified treatment will help you cope with the problem and return to a full life.