If a male feels the need to urinate very often and pain accompanies it, he might be suffering from prostatitis. Prostatitis refers to inflammation of the prostate gland. Prostatitis frequently results in painful urination in males. In men, the prostate gland is located beneath the bladder that encircles the top part of the urethra (the tube that carries urine from the bladder to the outside of body). The fluid (semen) that carries sperms during ejaculation is produced by the prostate and other sex glands.
Homeopathic Treatment
Homeopathic medicines offer a very effective treatment for various prostatic troubles, including enlargement and prostatitis. Homeopathic treatment for prostatitis can greatly help in acute conditions and can also provide cure for chronic prostatitis. The first aim of homeopathic medicines for prostatitis patients is to provide relief from acute symptoms, and then the natural homeopathic remedies work to root out the chronic problem. The homeopathic remedies for prostatitis are made of natural substances and are completely safe, without any side effects.
Top Natural Homeopathic Remedies for Prostatitis
There are a wide range of natural homeopathic medicines that can help in treating prostatitis, but the medicine selection for every patient depends on the particular symptoms. Some of the most frequently recommended medicines for prostatitis are – Apis Mellifica, Cantharis, Sabal Serrulata, Chimaphila, Thuja, Lycopodium and Nitric Acid.
1. Apis Mellifica – Top-Most Medicine For Prostatitis
Apis Mellifica is a top homeopathic medicine for acute prostatitis. It is suitable for patients of prostatitis who have burning / stinging type of pain while urinating. The burning is most intense specifically while passing the last drops of urine. With this, there is a frequent desire to pass urine not only during the daytime but also at night. There is difficulty in retaining urine even for a few seconds. The urine passed is usually scanty.
When and How to use Apis Mellifica?
Apis Mellifica is very beneficial for providing relief from burning sensation while urinating especially when passing last drops of urine. It can be used in low 30C potency. It can only be repeated twice a day when given in low power. It is also used in 200C but in order to do so one should carefully look for the symptoms.
2. Cantharis – For Pain / Burning Before, During And After Urination
Cantharis is of great help in treating cases of prostatitis where the urine is passed with pain or a burning sensation. The pain/burning is felt before, during and even after passing urine. The desire to pass urine is almost constant. At times urine may pass drop by drop.
When and How to use Cantharis?
The most striking feature for using this medicine is pain or burning sensation which is present before, during and after urination along with constant desire to pass urine. Cantharis is best suited in 30C potency. It can be repeated 2 times a day till it gives desired results.
3. Sabal Serrulata – For Frequent Urine At Night
Sabal Serrulata is one of the very popular homeopathic remedies for prostatic troubles including inflamed prostate and enlarged prostate. Sabal Serrulata is the best homeopathic medicine for dealing with the problem of frequent urination at night in patients with prostatitis. The urge of passing urine can be constant. Difficulty or burning while passing urine is also noted in such patients.
When and How to use Sabal Serrulata?
It is a key remedy for prostatitis with frequent urination at night that may be attended with a burning sensation. Unless otherwise prescribed, it is to be taken in mother tincture form once or twice a day.
4. Chimaphila – When There Is Difficulty Starting Urine
Chimaphila is an effective medicine for persons who have difficulty in the beginning while urinating. Passing urine requires straining. A peculiar position of standing with feet wide apart and stooping in forward direction may help to pass urine with much straining. Burning during passing urine may be noticed. The urine may contain ropy mucus.
When and How to take Chimaphila?
Chimaphila is suitable for prostatitis when much straining to initiate urine is required. There is burning during urination. It is mostly administered in mother tincture (Q) form. It can be taken 2-3 times a day. Once the symptoms improve, frequent repetition of doses is not required. If there is no improvement, then it is best to seek professional guidance.
5. Thuja – For Frequent And Urgent Urination
Thuja is an appropriate natural remedy for patients of prostatitis who have frequent urination and who are unable to control urine with a sudden desire to empty the bladder quickly. The patient has to hasten and rush to pass urine. The urine may also be passed involuntarily at night. The patient needing Thuja may have a history of gonorrhea and syphilis. Foamy-cloudy urine or mucus in urine may be present in high levels.
When and How to take Thuja?
It is a remedy that is used in cases of prostatitis having complaints of increased frequency of urination and sudden desire to urinate, that cannot be controlled. Both the lower and the highest potencies are credited with excellent results. But as it is a deep-acting remedy hence lower potency, 30C is usually preferred once or twice a day. Otherwise, 200 C or even higher potencies, have proved efficacious but not in too frequent doses.
6. Lycopodium – For Frequent, Difficult Urination With Backache
Lycopodium is very beneficial when frequent and difficult urination is accompanied by backache. The backache may be relieved after passing urine. Much straining is needed to begin to urinate. Here the increased frequency of urination may be felt mostly during night hours.
When and How to take Lycopodium?
It is best to take Lycopodium in prostatitis where there is increased frequency of urine especially during night along with backache. Both the lower and the highest potencies of 30C and 200C of Lycopodium have proved to be efficacious with excellent results. It can be taken one or two times a day.
7. Nitric Acid – For Burning And Offensive Urine In Prostatitis
Nitric Acid proves to be the best cure for prostatitis, where the urine emits a highly offensive odor along with burning in urethra during its passage. The urine passed is scanty with strong and highly offensive smell. The urge to empty the bladder is frequent but urine is scanty in quantity. The stream of urine is also thin. Pus discharge from urethra may be noted in a few patients requiring this medicine.
When and How to use Nitric acid?
This remedy is best suited to patients who have foul-smelling urine passed with burning pain. The amount of urine passed is small. Mostly, it works well in low potency i.e. 30C. Usually, the repetition of dosage is limited to once a day. Higher potencies are not recommended until discussed with a physician.
Note One may use the above medicine for a week or two in recommended dose and potency. If no changes are seen, it is advised to consult a homeopathic doctor for further course of action. The above medicines are indicated only when symptoms are mild to moderate. In case of severe symptoms and when there is fever with painful urine, inability to urinate, urine retention, blood in urine and intense pain in the genitals or pelvic region, one should immediately take help from the conventional mode of treatment as homeopathy has limitations in treating such acute cases.
Cause Behind Prostatitis
The reasons for prostatitis could be two-fold: bacterial infection or non-bacterial origin
1. Bacterial infection– Some infection from urinary tract (UTI) might enter the prostate and result in its inflammation. In some cases, sexually transmitted infections like gonorrhea and chlamydia may result in prostatitis.
2. Non-bacterial reasons–This kind of prostatitis does not result from any bacterial infection. It may happen from some injury, stress, or nerve irritation.
Risk Factors For Prostatitis
There are some factors that increase the risk of prostatitis as follows:
1. A recent UTI or sexually transmitted infection
2. Use of urinary catheter (a tube used to drain urine from bladder)
3. Pelvic injury
4. History of prostatitis
5. Enlarged prostate
6. Having a prostate biopsy
7. Pelvic floor muscle spasms
8. Young and middle-aged males are at risk, but in case of chronic prostatitis, males between 50-60 yrs are at risk.
Types Of Prostatitis
1. Acute bacterial prostatitis: It occurs from bacterial infection where symptoms come on quickly and are severe.
2. Chronic bacterial prostatitis: It also results from bacterial infection but here symptoms appear gradually, remain for a long time period and are less severe. Sometimes the symptoms are recurrent. It is more common in elderly males.
3. Chronic pelvic pain syndrome (chronic prostatitis): The most common type, in which inflammation of the prostate gland does not arise from any infection. It causes symptoms like long-term pelvic pain, pain in genitals and perineum for several weeks and months.
4. Asymptomatic inflammatory prostatitis: Prostate is inflamed but no symptoms are present.
Symptoms of Prostatitis
The symptoms vary as per the type. The symptoms are less severe in chronic cases. Acute prostatitis is a medical emergency. In case of asymptomatic inflammatory prostatitis, no symptoms occur.
The main symptoms of prostatitis are pain or burning sensation while passing urine, frequent urination that gets worse in the night hours, an urgent desire to pass urine. The other symptoms may include difficulty in initiating urination, weak urine flow, pain in pelvic region, groins, or genitalia (penis, testicles, scrotum), perineum (area between scrotum and rectum) or in lower back, difficulty in emptying the bladder. Other symptoms include painful ejaculation, nausea, vomiting, fever and chills. The urine may be cloudy or have blood in it. Urine may be foul smelling at times.
Complications Of Prostatitis
The complications include urine retention, spread of infection to blood (sepsis), an abscess (pus-filled lump) formation in prostate, epididymitis and spread of infection to pelvic bone and lower spine. In case of chronic pelvic pain syndrome, erectile dysfunction (inability to achieve or maintain an erection) may result.