How to Sit with Prostatitis….

By admin on December 9, 2012

Sitting can really inflame the prostate.   Here is my advice for avoiding pressure on your prostate and decreasing symptoms.

1) Don’t sit.  This is the obvious answer, but certainly isn’t possible all of the time.  Try walking instead of driving if you can.  If you ride a bicycle, get one with a prostate-friendly seat.  Stand at a lunch counter instead of sitting at the stool.  If you do have to sit at work, take frequent walks for your breaks.

2) Get a prostate cushion.  The good ones have holes and discreet covers, that can even look like briefcases or stadium cushions with handles and don’t usually illicit notice.

3) If you go to a restaurant, find two chairs and sit between them.  Make a small amount of space between the two, right where your prostate is, and alleviate the pressure.

4) Use an item of clothing in a jam.  I carry a sweatshirt with me, and if I have to sit down, I’ll tie the shirt into a hole and sit right in the middle.  This is actually quite comfortable if tied right and its easy to avoid stares.

5) Sleep on your side or stomach.  I had to train myself to do this, because my preference has always been sleeping on my back.  If you wake up in the morning with prostatitis symptoms, it very well might mean that you were putting pressure on your prostate against the mattress.  Try it and see if it helps.

 

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Top Five Foods You Must Avoid with Prostatitis

By admin on November 11, 2012

Prostatitis is a miserable condition for those of us who have it, and often it can be so debilitating and depressing that you’d do just about anything to make the suffering end.

Symptoms can improve with time, but often require making some tough lifestyle changes, especially with food.

As with most of you, I have no idea what is really causing my prostatitis.  Some say food doesn’t effect their prostate symptoms, but it certainly does for me.    Here are five types of food I avoid and some ways to test your reaction to them, as well as some substitutions I use to deal with the the loss of these foods in my diet.

 

1)   CITRUS JUICES

A glass of orange juice means an instant flair-up for me.  Acidic juices inflame and irritate the prostate.  Many can stand the fruit, but avoid the concentrated acidity of the juice.  Cranberry, orange, lemon and tomato juices are particularly bad for many.  Try something like an apple or pear juice if you need that morning blast of energy and flavor.

 

2)   CAFFEINE

Caffeinated foods and beverages can cause major trouble for prostatitis sufferers. It is an inflammatory, and causes burning and frequency of urination for many who partake in even a little.  Coffee is the obvious no-no, but avoid decaf coffee too, because it still contains caffeine and can cause flair-ups in most.  Black and green tea should be avoided as well.  For me, even decaf green tea causes symptoms to return.    What do I drink instead?  I found an awesome coffee substitute called Teeccin, which is made from chicory and not coffee beans.  You brew it like a regular cup of coffee, and the awesome thing about it is it offers a nice natural boost of energy.  It isn’t addictive like coffee is, either.   If you’re a tea drinker, there are lots of choices in the supermarket for naturally caffeine free herbal teas; like mint, chamomile, and fruit flavors.

 

3) SPICY FOODS

Doe many, spicy foods wreak havoc on the prostate and increase symptoms. Hot peppers, hot sauces, chili paste and miso are some of the primary instigators in increased prostatitis problems. Substitute these flavors with spices like garlic, salt and pepper, cumin, mild curry powder and herbs to flavor your food.   Garlic and onions are a GOOD spicy, and are considered anti-inflammatory foods, so use them liberally in your cooking.

 

4) ALCOHOL

Alcohol is well-known to aggravate the prostate, and trigger symptoms.  Some alcoholic beverages are worse for symptoms than others, for instance red wine seems worse for sufferers than white wine.   I find that I can tolerate an occasional beer on a hot summer night when my symptoms are low, but I don’t ever push it because I know it is a major irritant for many men with prostatitis.

 

5) CHOCOLATE

Chocolate contains caffeine, although like decaffeinated tea, very little, and probably won’t increase symptoms if used sparingly and in moderation.   I have an addiction to peanut butter cups, and I allow myself one occasionally with no problems, but like the alcohol I am very careful with the timing and only allow myself this little luxury when my prostatitis is completely under control.

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Sitz Baths

By admin on November 5, 2012

Most doctors will tell you right away that hot sitz baths are a great way to relieve prostatitis symptoms immediately. The hot water reduces the swelling of the prostate.  For the first year of my struggles with this disease, hot baths didn’t help in any way.   I didn’t understand why I wasn’t getting relief, until I finally realized that I was sitting in the bathtub.  The bottom of the tub is rock hard, and was putting pressure on my prostate.

So, I tried taking a bath while kneeling in the tub, and the relief for my was almost instant!  Later, I put a heavy toilet seat in the bathtub for more comfort.  The hole in the seat alleviates the pressure on the prostate.    Eventually, as I got my prostate back to its normal size, I didn’t have to sit like this in the bathtub anymore.

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An introduction to this blog…

By admin on November 4, 2012

My name is Erik, and I’ve had prostatitis for four years now.   After years of daily documentation, I’ve finally figured out what causes my  flair-ups and through some lifestyle changes I manage to control it.

After getting a positive response from some posts I made on a health forum, I decided I should take the knowledge that I’ve learned, and use it to help others who haven’t figured out how to control their disease and are suffering miserably because of it.

Not everything works for everyone with prostatitis.  Doctors don’t really know what causes it, and there are many theories about what does.   Some claim diet changes are ineffectual for them, but muscle exercises work.  Some swear by supplements, and others feel they’re not effective or wear off.

For many of us, antibiotics have ceased to be effective, and we are looking for alternatives.  Please understand, this blog is not meant to replace a urologist’s advice.  I am an English teacher, not a doctor, and modern medicine and drugs are not anything I would advise anyone on.

This blog, instead, is meant for people who have decided to turn to natural ways to treat their symptoms.  I have tried just about everything, and I’ve discovered many things that work and don’t work for me, through trial-and-error.  If only I had had some of this information from a single resource such as this blog, I would have given every dollar I had!   Again, everyone’s bodies are different, and you may have to look at this disease from multiple perspectives and causes to come to your own solutions.    I suffered immeasurably for two years under intense mental and physical discomfort before I finally lassoed in the symptoms and regained control of my body.
Prostatitis has the capacity to make lives miserable and unhappy.  Hopefully the entries in this blog will help find your own way to control your symptoms and increase the quality of your life.

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