Article 100: Dietary Therapy and Daily Precautions for Epididymal Congestion and Acute Prostatitis

◇A Guide to Caring for Your Husband's Health as a Good Wife◇

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Treatment and recuperation of common diseases

Medicinal diet for treating epididymal congestion

1. Take 30-60 grams of Oldenlandia diffusa, decoct it in water to extract the juice, add 50 grams of japonica rice and 60 grams of coix seed, cook it into porridge and eat it once every other day.

2. Take an appropriate amount of aged wheat, grind it into flour, stir-fry it until it turns yellow, add a little minced ginger and pepper, mix it with boiling water to form a paste and consume it.

3. Boil 10 grams of fennel seeds and 10 grams of agarwood in water to extract the juice. Add 100 grams of japonica rice and cook into porridge. Eat once a day or every other day.

What should we pay attention to in daily life?

1. Vasectomy is not recommended for individuals with chronic infections in the scrotum, vas deferens, epididymis, or prostate; other family planning measures should be used instead. The vas deferens should be ligated as far away from the epididymis as possible. Vasectomy should be postponed for individuals with inflammation of the reproductive system.

2. For patients with significant scrotal swelling and pain after ligation, local cold compresses can be applied, and the scrotum can be elevated with a cloth bandage.

3. Avoid premature or frequent sexual intercourse after surgery to reduce secretions and prevent stagnation.

4. Get plenty of rest and avoid overexertion. Wear soft, tight-fitting underwear.

5. Avoid spicy and alcoholic foods, as well as cold, sour, and greasy foods.

Acute prostatitis

Acute prostatitis is an acute inflammation of the prostate gland caused by bacterial infection. Its main symptoms are frequent urination, urgency, and painful urination. In severe cases, hematuria may occur.

Causes of disease

Acute prostatitis is a common infectious disease of the male urinary tract, with Escherichia coli being the predominant pathogen, accounting for about 80%. The infection route is either hematogenous or direct spread. Direct spread via the urethra is more common, and the main causes include:

1. In gonococcal urethritis, bacteria enter the prostate gland through the prostatic ducts, causing inflammation.

2. Benign prostatic hyperplasia and stones can deform, bend, and cause congestion in the prostatic urethra, leading to a loss of immunity against non-pathogenic bacteria and resulting in prostatitis.

3. Bacteria introduced during the use of urethral instruments or bacteria from upper urinary tract infections descending can lead to prostate infection.

Secondly, there is hematogenous infection, which often occurs secondary to acute infections of the skin, tonsils, dental caries, intestines, or respiratory tract, with bacteria reaching the prostate gland through the bloodstream and causing infection.

The occurrence of this disease is related to the following triggering factors:

1. Uncleanliness and inflammation of the urethral opening can lead to retrograde infection by bacteria.

2. Urethral obstruction.

3. Secondary to other infectious diseases.

4. Foreign objects and damage.

5. When the body's resistance to disease is low, especially when suffering from serious diseases such as diabetes, tuberculosis, liver disease, tumors, other kidney diseases, or when taking immunosuppressive drugs for a long time, the body's resistance is insufficient to resist the invasion of pathogens, which can easily lead to urinary tract infections.

Routes of infection for prostatitis

1. Hematogenous infection: The infection spreads from a lesion in the body to the prostate via the bloodstream in the form of small purulent plugs. It often occurs secondary to acute infections of the skin, tonsils, dental caries, intestines, or respiratory tract, and causes prostatitis through acute infectious bacteremia.

2. Lymphatic infection: Rare. It often causes prostatitis due to the spread of inflammation from adjacent organs such as the lower urinary tract, rectum, and colon via the lymphatic vessels.

3. Direct spread: The most common route of infection. Urinary tract infections can ascend retrogradely through the prostatic ducts to the gland, causing acute or chronic prostatitis. Additionally, any condition that causes prostatic congestion and promotes bacterial growth can lead to direct spread of infection to the prostate via the urethra. For example, prostatic stones and hyperplasia promote bacterial growth, and excessive sexual activity, masturbation, urethral instruments, and perineal injuries can all directly infect the prostate via the urethra.

What are the pathological changes in acute prostatitis?

The pathological changes in acute prostatitis are mainly characterized by polymorphonuclear leukocyte infiltration and destruction of the prostate gland, or the prostate ducts, their epithelium, and adjacent stroma. It is caused by bacterial infection. The pathological changes vary depending on the type of inflammation.

1. Catarrhal prostatitis: The infection spreads from the prostatic ducts into the glandular lumen, causing congestion, edema, and increased exudation. The glandular epithelium within the lumen shows mild inflammatory cell infiltration, and the glandular duct epithelium exhibits hyperplasia and desquamation.

2. Follicular prostatitis: Epithelial shedding and pus cell infiltration occur in each acinar duct. As the inflammation progresses, congestion and edema worsen, and the lumen narrows or becomes blocked, which can lead to the formation of pseudoabscesses or small abscesses. The entire gland softens, swells, and becomes elastic.

3. Substantial prostatitis: As the lesion progresses, eosinophilic cell infiltration in the interstitium extends to the parenchyma, forming small abscesses. Epithelial necrosis and shedding make the glandular lumen difficult to discern. Interstitial inflammation spreads to one lobe or the entire gland.

4. Prostatic abscess: A localized abscess develops from inflammation of the prostate tissue, or it can be caused by infection from other parts of the body via the bloodstream or lymphatic system. In about half of the cases, the abscess continues to enlarge and eventually ruptures into the urethra, perineum, or rectum.