Due to the long and problematic treatment and the high probability of relapses, there are reasonable doubts whether chronic prostatitis can be cured. There is no clear answer to this question.
The disease detected in the early stages is completely cured in 90% of cases, but as irreversible pathological changes develop, the prognosis for treatment worsens. With advanced prostatitis, stable remission can be achieved.
What treatment is used: outpatient or hospitalized?
The treatment algorithm for chronic prostatitis involves the appointment of physiotherapy and the constant use of medications for 2 to 3 months. Hospital treatment is prescribed for the following indications:
- An acute form of the disease, which is manifested by a high temperature above 38°.
- The appearance of complications due to a serious illness.
- Lack of results from home therapy.
If the disease becomes latent, the patient is usually discharged from the hospital and further treatment is performed on an outpatient basis. Advantage of hospitalization:
- Constant monitoring of treating personnel.
- Ability to provide emergency care and pain relief.
- There is no temptation to violate recommendations on diet and bad habits.
- The course of therapy is constantly adjusted, depending on its effectiveness.
Hospitalization has several disadvantages: the high cost of treatment (in paid clinics), the stress experienced by a man who is in a hospital.
The outpatient consultation allows the patient not to be separated from their usual environment, carry out daily activities and do work (of course, without leaving home). Another advantage of home therapy is that it is relatively inexpensive.
The decision on how the therapy will be carried out depends on the treating doctor. Depending on individual indications, therapy can be started at home. In this case, the patient must receive detailed step-by-step treatment, indicating the need for regular visits to the doctor and undergoing physical procedures.
How long does it take to treat chronic prostatitis?
The duration of treatment is individual. Some patients get rid of the disease in a few months, others have to be treated for years.
Several factors influence the speed of recovery:
- Disease stage— chronic prostatitis in the early stages of development is often discovered by chance, during the annual examination of the patient. At this stage, serious pathological changes occur in the body that require long-term therapy.
- The role of the patient- the desire to improve, carefully follow treatment advice, give up bad habits (smoking and alcohol), shorten the duration of therapy and improve your prognosis.
- Individual characteristics- statistics indicate that 80-90% of patients who received help in the early stages of a chronic illness were able to completely get rid of the disease. After the transition from the latent form to the acute one, with pronounced symptoms, the percentage of successful therapy is sharply reduced to 65-70%.
The longer you wait to see a doctor, the more likely it is that conventional complex treatment will not have the desired effect and surgical intervention will be necessary.
Chronic prostatitis in some forms can develop into prostate cancer. Early diagnosis and appropriate treatment are necessary conditions to prevent cancer.
Is a complete cure possible?
You can completely get rid of prostatitis in the early stages of the disease. If the inflammatory process has become acute, characteristic irreversible changes in the vas deferens and tissue structure are usually observed.
Once clinical symptoms appear, it is impossible to completely cure chronic inflammation of the prostate gland. Therapy aims to achieve stable remission.
Once acute inflammation is relieved, preventive measures are prescribed. If drug therapy does not produce results, partial or complete surgical removal of the prostate is performed.
Over the years of research, general international recommendations for the treatment of chronic prostatitis have been developed, which have significantly increased the recovery rate among patients. The probability of complete cure is in the range of 50-65%, achieving stable remission is 65-80%, depending on the severity of the disease.
Treatment methods for chronic inflammation of the prostate.
Many articles on the Internet and medical reference books are dedicated to how to treat chronic prostatitis. Most sources agree that there is no single effective remedy to combat the disease; a complex therapy is required, including:
- A drug course.
- Non-pharmacological treatment.
- Physiotherapy.
- Surgery.
- Massage.
A clinically proven treatment regimen for chronic prostatitis is aimed at overcoming several negative manifestations of the disease:
- Eliminating the inflammatory process.
- Elimination of congestion and normalization of blood circulation in the pelvic organs.
- Elimination of catalysts of the inflammatory process.
- Fighting the consequences of prostatitis.
- Prevent recurrence of the disease.
Complex treatment of chronic prostatitis is aimed at overcoming all of the listed negative manifestations and is therefore more effective than monotherapy. The effectiveness of the approach largely depends on the patient's desire to recover, which is manifested in strict compliance with all the recommendations of the treating doctor. Another factor that contributes to the patient's complete cure is going to large clinics. Medical centers use modern methods of effective treatment of chronic inflammation of the prostate, which are carried out under the guidance of experienced medical personnel.
The modern standard for combating the inflammatory process is pathogenic therapy. The essence of the principle is to develop an individual course depending on the characteristics of the patient.
How to treat with medications.
After the diagnosis of chronic prostatitis, a man will need to be patient as the drug treatment regimen involves taking the drugs for a long period of time. Success in fighting the disease depends on strict compliance with the prescribed treatment program.
The duration of treatment for chronic prostatitis varies from several months to six months. It is prohibited to stop taking medications on your own when you feel better, as this can provoke a stable form of the disease.
The standard of treatment includes the prescription of the following medications:
- Antispasmodics and analgesics.— from the beginning and almost until the end of treatment, the disease is accompanied by severe pain associated with inflammation of the gland. If symptoms cannot be reduced, additional anesthetic injections are recommended.
- Anti-inflammatory medications— suppositories containing a substance from the group of phenylacetic acid derivatives are recommended. The use of rectal suppositories is effective due to the almost direct effect of the active components on the prostate tissue.
The phenylacetic acid derivative is absorbed into the blood through the rectum and quickly relieves the symptoms associated with the disease. Anti-inflammatory therapy includes the prescription of corticosteroids and NSAIDs. - Antiviral and antibacterial agents.Treatment standards prescribe the use of antibiotics in two cases. A course of therapy is required in the presence of an infectious catalyst factor that caused inflammation, as well as as a preventive measure before surgical treatment.
To increase the effectiveness of drugs, lymphotropic therapy is performed. Antibiotics are injected into the lymph nodes, which blocks venous flow and drains the bladder. An instillation (direct injection of an antibiotic into the bladder) is performed.
In the later stages of the disease, a conservative treatment method is used. Regular use of medications (alpha-blockers and NSAIDs) is necessary to reduce the growth rate of the prostate and reduce unpleasant symptoms. Simultaneously with the course of medications, physiotherapy and non-pharmacological therapy are carried out.
Non-pharmacological therapy
Advanced world experience convincingly demonstrates the effectiveness of an integrated approach to the treatment of chronic prostatitis. Simultaneously with taking medications, the patient is prescribed new methods of non-drug therapy. Among them:
- Microwave hyperthermia- Prostate tissue is exposed to high temperatures. The thermal energy source is delivered to the prostate via the transrectal method. Microwave therapy promotes better drug effects and preserves prostate growth.
- Shock wave therapy.The consequence of chronic prostatitis is the appearance of irregularities in the soft tissues of the gland. The joints are destroyed by the shock wave. The consequence of the procedure is the elimination of the inflammatory process and better blood supply.
The use of shock wave therapy in complex treatments shortens the patient's hospitalization period and increases the effectiveness of the medication. - Laser therapy for chronic inflammation of the prostate.— the effect is based on the treatment of the gland with narrowly directed light rays. Laser treatment leads to an increase in the lumen of blood vessels, an improvement in tissue metabolism and, as a result, tumor resorption. Another positive effect is the accelerated regeneration of damaged tissue.
- Ultrasound applications— the intense vibrations of the emitted waves cause tissue regeneration, improve trophism and metabolic processes. Ultrasound treatment devices are so easy to use that it is possible to purchase them for home use. The device kills parasites and has a bactericidal effect.
Non-drug methods of therapy are prescribed individually, taking into account the presence of contraindications for the patient.
Physiotherapeutic approach
Innovative methods of treating chronic prostatitis are often combined with time-tested methods. Physiotherapy has a beneficial effect.
The purpose of the procedures has several purposes:
- Increase blood flow.
- Establish metabolic processes in the body.
- Reduce areas of inflammation.
- Accelerate lymphatic flow to remove pathogens from the prostate gland.
- It stimulates the immune system and activates the body's own forces to fight disease.
The physiotherapy approach is used in the largest medical centers in the world. In Israeli hospitals, after completing a course of therapy, treatment in a sanatorium on the shores of the Dead Sea is mandatory.
A rapid improvement in well-being is achieved by completing the following physiotherapy courses:
- phonophoresis— the technique is reduced to the introduction of vitamins and medications into the tissues of the skin and prostate through the influence of ultrasound. It has a positive effect on the body at a mechanical and chemical level, and the effect of medications is enhanced.
- Reflexology— the term refers to a whole system of practices based on the impact on human biologically active points. Other names of the technique: acupuncture, acupuncture.
During the session, the effect on the nerve endings leads to an improvement in the statics of the gland, normalization of blood circulation and a reduction in pain. - Vacuum treatment (cans)— many experts agree that alterations in the functioning of internal organs cause pathologies of the spine. The technique is effective in combating congestion, after 1-2 sessions, the functioning of the prostate improves noticeably and urination becomes normal.
- electrical stimulators— the procedure is effective in treating any form of prostatitis, improves erection and activates the immune system. The use of electrical stimulation lasts 10 to 15 days.
During the session, a source of electrical current is delivered to the prostate through the prostate gland. The waves affect the prostate, bones and muscle tissue, which stimulates their work.
Physiotherapy does not replace drug treatment during an exacerbation, but rather promotes the effectiveness of prescribed medications, accelerating a man's recovery.
Surgery for chronic prostatitis
If the course of treatment for chronic prostatitis does not give results, a constant progression of the disease is observed and surgery is prescribed. Several methods have been developed:
- Prostatectomy.
- Prostate resection.
- Laser removal.
- Laparoscopy.
The choice of surgical intervention depends on several factors: the age of the patient, the invasiveness of the method, the presence of contraindications and the volume of the prostate.
The latest technologies for performing operations are associated with the absence of the need for dissection of abdominal tissue. Removal of the prostate occurs through the urethral canal or several small openings in the abdominal region.
Laser removal of the prostate is widely used. The high-intensity light beam vaporizes the glandular tissue, causing a decrease in prostate volume.
The main feature of modern surgical treatment is minimal damage to the human body, which leads to a reduction in rehabilitation time and rapid recovery with complete restoration of all basic functions of the genitourinary system.
Due to the high risks in old age, surgical treatment is practically not performed after 60-65 years of age. Therapy is reduced to relieving the symptoms of prostatitis and improving conditions and quality of life.
massage treatment
Clinical recommendations for the treatment of prostatitis are reduced to the need for digital transrectal massage of the gland. During the tactile effect on the tissue, areas are massaged, which helps to improve blood supply and relieve pain.
The main task of massage remains to squeeze out glandular stones containing inflammatory exudate.
Contraindications of prostate massage:
- Cystitis during exacerbation.
- Hemorrhoids.
- Acute prostatitis.
Reviews of the treatment show that the first prostate massage procedures are quite painful, but bring great relief. The massage is performed exclusively by a specialist. Prescribed during the recovery period after drug treatment.
Prevention of relapses of chronic prostatitis.
Modern approaches to the treatment of chronic prostatitis consist not so much in the fight against inflammation of the prostate, but in the use of effective preventive measures to prevent relapse of the disease.
Preventing prostatitis from coming back includes:
- Transrectal digital massage is performed annually.
- Diet and lifestyle adjustments. General recommendation, prepare a diet similar to the Mediterranean diet or treatment table No. 5.
- Carrying out complex anti-relapse therapy. The course of treatment includes medications and procedures aimed at eliminating congestion in the pelvic organs, as well as strengthening the immune system. Recommended sports: yoga, physiotherapy.
The anti-relapse treatment protocol includes regular medical examinations, mandatory clinical blood and urine tests, and PSA testing at least every 6 months.
A healthy lifestyle, regular sexual relations, giving up alcohol and smoking - all this prevents the recurrence of prostatitis, has a beneficial effect on men's health and allows you to lead a rich and full life.