What’s the Treatment for Prostatitis?
All men have a prostate gland. It’s found just under your bladder. It starts out the size of a walnut but gets bigger as you age. The prostate makes semen, the fluid that carries sperm. If something causes it to become swollen, tender, or inflamed, you have what’s called “prostatitis.”
Prostatitis isn’t cancer and doesn’t cause cancer. Still, it can be tricky to treat. There’s not one specific cure. Men get prostatitis for many different reasons, and doctors don’t understand them all.
Your doctor will try to reduce your symptoms and ease your pain. What treatments you receive will depend on the type of prostatitis you have. These treatments can include the following:
Medicine
Antibiotics. If a bacterial infection is causing you to have severe symptoms, your doctor may want you to go the hospital and get antibiotics through an IV at first.
You may need to take them by mouth for up to a month.
If your symptoms keep coming back, your doctor might suggest you stay on a low dose of antibiotics for the long term.
Alpha-blockers. These drugs help relax parts of your urinary tract. Taking them can make peeing less painful.
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agents. Over-the-counter pain relief can help ease any soreness and swelling.
Pain medicine. Anti-depressants or anti-seizure medications are just two types of medicine that can be used to treat long-term prostate pain.
Supplements. Quercetin, a natural compound found in plants, has been shown to ease inflammation in some men who have prostatitis. A pollen extract called cernilton may also help. Be sure to speak to your doctor before trying any supplements or herbal remedies. They could make other medicines you’re taking not work as well.
Medications that improve sexual function. It’s common for prostatitis to lead to problems with your sex life. If you have trouble getting or keeping an erection, your doctor can prescribe a medicine like sildenafil (Viagra) to help.
Other Treatments
At some point, you may also need one of the following therapies:
Urinary catheter. If you can’t pee, a nurse can insert a flexible tube into your urethra (the tube that removes urine from your body) to drain your bladder.
