Prostate Health » treatment

What Kind of Treatment will You undergo for Prostatitis?

admin — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 09:00:23 +0000

Prostatitis is a disease of the prostate gland. Prostatitis treatments can vary greatly depending on the type of disease.

One of the main causes of prostatitis is bacteria; therefore, a treatment may be as simple as antibiotics.

The diagnosis of acute bacterial prostatitis is an infection of the prostate that is often caused by some of the same bacteria that cause bladder infections. The signs and symptoms that you have acute prostatitis include: high fever, chills, vomiting, and a general ill feeling.

Therefore, acute bacterial prostatitis is treated with antibiotics. If you have severe symptoms, you may be hospitalized to receive injections of the drug. After your condition has improved, you will continue with oral antibiotics. The total course of treatment is usually two to four weeks.

Similarly with chronic bacterial prostatitis, it is also treated with antibiotics. The duration of treatment is often longer and may need to be repeated if the infection returns. The symptoms for chronic prostatitis are chronic urinary tract infections. Therefore, you may have symptoms that may come and go.

If you have chronic prostatitis, you may have to take regular medications. These may include alpha blockers or simple pain relievers. Alpha blockers are medications used to bladder and the muscle fibers where your prostate joins your bladder. The medication may lessen symptoms, such as painful urination. Pain relievers such as aspirin or ibuprofen may make you more comfortable.

Along with chronic prostatitis, you may experience pelvic pain. This is difficult to treat, as the cause is unclear. However, the goal will be to reduce symptoms such as pain. The doctor may recommend physical therapy, anxiety medications, exercise and stress reduction. A change in diet may also be helpful. This would include avoiding alcohol, caffeine and spicy foods, as they may increase your condition.

Another possible treatment is a prostatic massage. This is performed by your doctor using a lubricated, gloved finger. This is similar to a rectal exam. This procedure has been used for years; however, the effectiveness is in dispute.

To date, there are other treatments that are being used on a trial basis. These include heat therapy and natural treatments.

Finally, along with medications and other treatments, it is possible to use home remedies to decrease your symptoms. One possibility is a sitz bath, which uses hot water to relieve pain. On the opposite side would be using ice. You can place ice packs or ice cubes on your rectum and it will relieve pain. And the best remedy is water. It is always important to drink plenty of water. This will decrease your risk of a bladder infection.

BPH – Diagnosis and Treatment

admin — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 15:20:03 +0000

BPH, also known as benign prostatic hypertrophy, is a condition in which the prostate gland becomes very enlarged and may cause problems associated with urination.

BPH does not usually cause problems until later in life, usually not till the 60s.

One you are diagnosed with BPH, your treatment will be determined by your physician based on your age, overall health, medical history and extent of the disease.

When the prostate gland is just mildly enlarged, treatment may not be needed. Regular checkups are important to watch for developing problems. Your physician will continue monitoring your condition.

There are surgical and non-surgical treatments for BPH. A surgery would involve the removal of the enlarged tissue that is pressing against the urethra. There are three types of surgery: transurethral, laser and open.

The transurethral surgery is done without any external incisions. The surgeon will reach the prostate with an instrument inserted into the urethra. One example of this surgery is a transurethral resection (TRUP). A resectoscope is inserted through the penis and the wire loop on the scope is used to remove the obstructing tissue. The tissue is carried by the fluid into the bladder and flushed out when the surgery is complete. Another form of this surgery is a transurethral incision of the prostate (TUIP), which is a procedure that widens the urethra by making some small cuts in the bladder neck and in the prostate gland itself.

A possibly less evasive form of the prostate gland removal is a laser surgery. In this procedure, a laser is used to vaporize obstructing prostate tissue.

Finally, there is an option for an open surgery, which would require an external incision. This is usually done when the gland is very enlarged, when there are complicating factors, or when the bladder has been damaged and needs to be repaired.

There are also numerous non-surgical treatments. These include the following:

A balloon urethroplasty – this procedure involves a thin tube with a balloon that is inserted into the opening of the penis and guided to the narrowed portion of the urethra. At that point, the balloon is inflated to widen the urethra and ease the flow of urine.

A transurethral microwave thermotherapy (TUMT) – this involves a device that heats and destroys excess prostate tissue to reduce urinary frequency and urgency.

Medications – can be used to shrink or stop the growth of the prostate without using surgery.

Prostate Health: What medications are available?

admin — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 02:26:17 +0000

There are two main types of medications for BPH: alpha-blockers and 5 alpha-reductase inhibitors. Alpha-blockers relax muscles near the prostate while 5 alpha-reductase inhibitors shrink the prostate gland.

These medications when combined can improve your symptoms.

Alpha-blockers help treat benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) by relaxing smooth muscle tissue found in the prostate and the bladder neck. The relaxing of the muscles near the prostate relieves pressure and lets urine flow more freely, but doesn’t shrink the size of the prostate.

5 alpha-reductase inhibitors, known as finasteride or dutasteride, can help shrink the prostate. This can relieve symptoms by blocking an enzyme that acts on the male hormone testosterone to boost organ growth. When the enzyme is blocked, growth slows down. This helps to:

Shrink the prostate
Reduce blockage
Limit the need for BPH surgery

You may need to take 5 alpha reductase for at least 6 months to a year before you can increase urine flow and reduce the symptoms of BPH. It seems to work best for men with very large prostates. Unfortunately, this medication must be taken continuously to prevent symptoms from coming back.

5 alpha-reductase inhibitors can cause the following side effects in a small percentage of men:

Decreased interest in sex
Trouble getting or keeping an erection
Smaller amount of semen with ejaculation.

It is important to note that taking this drug can lower your prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test levels. There is also evidence that finasteride lowers the risk of getting prostate cancer, but whether it lowers the risk of dying from prostate cancer is still unclear.

In general, these medications are usually taken by mouth one to two times a day. Most men will notice a significant improvement within the next couple days, but definitely in the first two weeks.

It is important to use a combination of an alpha-blocker with a 5-alpha reductase inhibitor, which may help your symptoms more than either medicine alone.

If your bladder is completely damaged, the medications may not be effective and surgical intervention may be required. If possible medications should be attempted before an evasive surgery.

There are also many prostate medications for prostate cancer treatment. With cancer, you may undergo hormone therapy. Hormones are drugs that can affect the growth of prostate cancer cells. This therapy may be used with radiation treatment or surgery to make sure the cancer cells are destroyed.

Prostate Health » treatment

What Kind of Treatment will You undergo for Prostatitis?

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