Prostatitis: Therapy and Remedies

Prostatitis is an inflammation of the prostate gland which is often caused by an infection. Prostatitis is a painful condition that affects mostly young and middle aged men. Prostatitis may develop rapidly known as acute or slowly known as chronic.

Prostatitis can be difficult to diagnose because symptoms are not the same for every patient. Some symptoms like painful or burning during urination and incomplete emptying of the bladder could be symptoms of other conditions.

The Prostate

The prostate is a walnut sized gland that forms part of the male reproductive system. The prostate is located in front of the rectum and just below the bladder and surrounds the urethra. The prostate squeezes fluid into the urethra to help make semen as sperm move through during sexual climax.

Types of Prostatitis

It is estimated that 10-12% of men will experience prostatitis like symptoms. The term prostatitis does describe 4 different disorders. The first type is acute bacterial prostatitis which is the least common type and is potentially life threatening. It is the easiest to diagnose and treat effectively, the symptoms include:

• chills
• fever
• pain in the lower back and genitals
• urinary frequency and urgency, usually at night
• burning or painful urination
• body aches
• infection of the urinary tract

Chronic bacterial prostatitis is somewhat uncommon and occurs when bacteria find a spot on the prostate where they can survive. Chronic bacterial prostatitis is when urinary tract infections that seem to go away but then come back with the same bacteria.

Chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome is the most common but the least understood. It can be found in men of any age, the symptoms go away and then return without warning and it maybe inflammatory or noninflammatory. In the inflammatory form, urine, semen, and prostatic fluid contain the kinds of cells the body usually produces to fight infection, but no bacteria can be found. In the noninflammatory form, not even the infection-fighting cells are present.

Asymptomatic inflammatory prostatitis is the diagnosis given when the patient does not have pain or discomfort but has infection fighting cells in his prostate fluid and semen. This form is usually found when looking for causes of infertility or testing for prostate cancer.

Home Remedies

Some traditional treatments such as antibiotics aren't always effective for prostatitis so many men experiment with various lifestyle changes and natural remedies to help with their symptoms. Some natural remedies like saw palmetto, zinc and quercetin have helped some men manage the symptoms of prostatitis.
Some lifestyle changes are:

• drink plenty of water
• limit or avoid alcohol, caffeine and spicy foods
• urinate at regular intervals
• have regular sexual activity
• if you are a cyclist, use a split bicycle seat which reduces the pressure on your prostate

Natural Supplement for Prostate Health - Avistate

Avistate is a non-invasive prostate support formula that has been designed to support current prostate health and lessen the many discomforting symptoms associated with prostate enlargement.

Research has shown that diet plays an integral role in the maintenance and promotion of prostate health. In fact, nutritional supplementation with amino acids and saw palmetto has been shown to diminish the harmful effects of 5-alpha-reductase on the prostate.

Avistate not only contains saw palmetto, but other key nutrients that have been clinically proven to promote prostate function and lessen the severity of prostatitis. Avistate's unique, synergistic prostate formula includes:

• Serenoa repens (Saw Palmetto): Saw palmetto is an effective treatment for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and prostatitis. Several clinical studies have shown significant improvement in lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) like frequent urination, painful urination, hesitancy, urgency, and perineal heaviness. It also decreases nocturia, improves peak and mean urinary flow, and lowers residual urine volume in patients.
• Pygeum africanum (Pygeum bark): A review of current studies on pygeum suggests that this botanical medicine is also an effective and safe treatment, improving both urological symptoms and measurements of flow.
• Urtica dioica (Nettle root): Urtica is another safe and effective herbal treatment. It may work through an antiproliferative effect on prostatic cells and may also lessen the effects of androgenic hormones by competitively blocking access to human sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG).
• Isoflavones (soy extract): Epidemiological studies show that diets higher in soy products are associated with reduced risk and progression of prostate cancer and prostatitis, or inflammation of the prostate gland. The isoflavone, genistien, appears to be involved in the pathogenesis of BPH and prostate cancer.
• Lycopene: Lycopene is beneficial for both prevention and treatment of prostate cancer. Men who consume 6 mg per day or more of lycopene from foods such as tomatoes and tomato products seem to have a significantly reduced risk of developing prostate cancer.
• Selenium: Serum levels of selenium appear to be lower in patients with conditions of the prostate.

To learn more about Avistate, click here.

More Prostate Articles