Cao Kaiyong's Health Prescription: Hot Water Sitz Baths for the Prevention and Treatment of Prostate Diseases

**Cao Kaiyong's Health Prescription-Hot Water Sitz Bath, Simple and Easy**

There are many ways for men to prevent or treat prostate diseases. Some methods require the use of certain treatment instruments or oral and topical medications, but these are all inconvenient. As ordinary people, we all hope to find methods that are simple, reliable, safe, inexpensive, and without side effects. There are many traditional Chinese medicine treatments for prostate diseases, and they have certain efficacy. These methods include topical application, sitz baths, fumigation, and hot compresses. Here, I recommend a traditional Chinese medicine sitz bath. Traditional Chinese medicine advocates treating internal diseases externally, and sitz baths are one such method. It is a simple and suitable physiotherapy method for home use. First, prepare a sitz bath basin, preferably a wooden basin that dissipates heat slowly. Soak the sitz bath herbs (prescription attached) in 4000 ml of water for 1 hour, then boil down to about 2000 ml. Filter the liquid into the basin, and sitz bath for 30 minutes when the temperature is suitable. The liquid should be kept between 45℃ and 50℃. Do this 1-2 times daily for 2-3 months. During a hot herbal bath, the active ingredients of traditional Chinese medicine can be absorbed through the skin, achieving therapeutic effects such as clearing heat and dampness, promoting blood circulation, relaxing muscles, dilating blood vessels, and accelerating blood circulation, which is beneficial for the absorption and resolution of prostate inflammation. This method is suitable for middle-aged and elderly men to prevent prostate diseases, and is also suitable for young men already suffering from prostatitis as an adjunct treatment, which can improve patients' urinary symptoms and improve their quality of life.

**Appendix: Prostate Fumigation and Washing Formula (For External Use)**

20g dandelion, 20g Viola yedoensis, 20g safflower, 15g Cnidium monnieri, 20g purslane, 10g Asarum heterotropoides.

**Cao Kaiyong's Mailbox**

What causes prostatitis during honeymoon?

**Dr. Cao:**

I just got married this past Chinese New Year. Shortly after the wedding, I experienced discomfort in my perineum, pain when urinating, and my semen was pinkish. When I went to the hospital for a checkup, the doctor told me I had honeymoon prostatitis. Is this condition easily treated?

Yu XX

Mr. Yu:

The honeymoon prostatitis you asked about is a type of acute prostatitis in men. It is characterized by onset during the honeymoon period, rapid progression, and severe symptoms.

Why do grooms get this disease? First, it's related to excessively frequent sexual activity during the honeymoon. Domestic medical literature reports that the incidence of acute prostatitis is as high as 89.7% in men who have multiple sexual encounters in a short period. Furthermore, methods such as controlling ejaculation, withdrawal, and interrupted intercourse can all cause prostate congestion and swelling, leading to inflammation. Second, it's related to excessive fatigue. For example, prolonged sitting, irregular eating habits, and neglecting temperature can lower overall or local resistance, allowing bacteria in the urethra to directly invade the prostate and cause illness. Additionally, overeating and excessive drinking during the honeymoon, consuming too much spicy and fatty food, and some grooms even taking aphrodisiacs can all cause extreme prostate congestion and lead to the disease.

People with this disease may experience sexual dysfunction, such as nocturnal emission, premature ejaculation, painful ejaculation, and impotence; in severe cases, hematospermia may occur. Secondly, urinary abnormalities may occur, such as frequent urination, urgency, painful urination, and hematuria. In addition, pain may occur in the lumbosacral region, perineum, suprapubic region, groin, and testicles. Systemic symptoms include fever, chills, nausea, vomiting, headache, poor concentration, insomnia, and depression.

Curing honeymoon prostatitis is not difficult. First, rest is important, drink plenty of water, and reduce or temporarily abstain from sexual activity. A light and easily digestible diet is recommended. External treatments can also be used, such as sitz baths with 30 grams of mugwort boiled in water, once every night. Once you have this condition, you should seek treatment immediately, otherwise it may develop into chronic prostatitis, and in some cases, it can cause vas deferens inflammation leading to infertility. With timely treatment, this condition can be cured quickly.

**Cao Kaiyong**