Although prostate inflammation (prostatitis) is not a severe disease, neglecting treatment can impact men's health. Patients with prostatitis should not only seek active treatment but also pay attention to their diet. Consuming certain foods in moderation is essential, as they can exacerbate inflammation.
What Foods Should Be Avoided by Patients with Prostatitis?
Spicy Foods
For any inflammation, a light diet is recommended, and prostatitis is no exception. Consuming too many spicy foods such as mustard, raw ginger, garlic, and chili can directly irritate the prostate, exacerbating symptoms like frequent and urgent urination and a feeling of incomplete bladder emptying.
Alcohol
Men often consume alcohol at social gatherings or parties, but excessive drinking can accelerate blood circulation throughout the body, promoting the spread of inflammation. This is especially true for patients with acute prostatitis, who should refrain from alcohol to prevent recurrent flare-ups and the potential progression to chronic prostatitis.
Stimulating Foods
In Traditional Chinese Medicine, certain foods are considered "stimulating," such as pork head, leeks, and meat from dogs, cows, and sheep. To prevent inflammation from spreading, patients with prostatitis should consume these foods in moderation to avoid causing congestion and swelling of the prostate.
Who Should Take Special Care of Their Prostate?
Drivers: Truck and long-distance bus drivers often have the habit of holding their urine due to inconvenience, leading to prolonged retention of urine in the urinary tract. This increases the concentration of microbes in the urine, thereby raising the risk of bacterial infection.
Office Workers: Office workers who sit for long periods have reduced physical activity, which can hinder blood circulation in the reproductive system, slow down metabolism, and affect the excretion of harmful substances. This can lead to congestion and swelling of the prostate, eventually causing inflammation.
People Who Often Socialize: Frequent socializers who indulge in smoking, heavy drinking, rich and heavy diets, and irregular sleep and eating patterns are prone to prostate congestion, making them susceptible to bacterial invasion and subsequent prostatitis.
What Situations Should Raise Concern for Prostatitis?
1. Residual Urine: After urination, the presence of hidden pain in the urethra, post-urination dribbling, or discomfort in the lower abdomen is abnormal.
2. Strained Urination: If there is an obstruction in the urethra, the resistance to urine flow increases, requiring more effort to overcome this resistance, making urination laborious.
3. Frequent Urination: This is an early signal of prostatitis. A noticeable early sign is an increase in the number of nocturnal urinations, which progressively increases with the advancement of urinary obstruction.
4. Urine Pathology: Some patients may experience bleeding due to congestion in the prostate or dilation of blood vessels within the prostate, leading to blood in the urine. Others may develop urinary tract infections due to obstruction, resulting in pus in the urine.
If you experience the above symptoms, it may indicate a problem with the prostate. While prostatitis can recur, it is not incurable. Timely consultation with a doctor at a reputable hospital and cooperation with treatment are essential. Antibiotics are effective for early-stage prostatitis. For chronic prostatitis, traditional Chinese medicine, such as Diuretic and Anti-inflammatory Pill, can alleviate symptoms without causing adverse effects.
How to Protect the Prostate?
Reduce Irritation. Smoking, alcohol abuse, sedentary lifestyle, cold exposure, and a preference for spicy foods can cause prostate congestion. Therefore, these factors should be avoided. Ensuring a daily water intake of 2000 milliliters can help flush the urinary tract, preventing irritation of the prostate by concentrated urine. Urinate as soon as you feel the urge, as holding urine for extended periods can lead to prostate enlargement and inflammation. Avoid wearing tight underwear or jeans to prevent compressing the prostate and increasing the risk of damage.
Regular Check-ups. Men over 50 should undergo at least one prostate-specific antigen screening annually, a tumor marker for prostate cancer, to detect early-stage prostate cancer.
Prostate health is crucial, and overcoming bad habits is vital. Maintain a light diet, regular exercise to strengthen the body, a regular sexual life, and take proactive steps for health and well-being.
