Treatment for prostate disease depends on the condition and how severe the symptoms are. Sometimes, no treatment is required.

If you have prostatitis then medications, including antibiotics, can help.

If you have prostate cancer, then there is a choice between waiting to see if it will grow quickly or not (some prostate cancers don't) and having treatment like surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy. You will need to talk to your doctor in detail about this.

Looking after yourself

You may be able to reduce the symptoms of prostate problems by:

• avoiding alcohol and caffeine, which can both make you urinate more often
• avoiding spicy or acidic foods, which can irritate your bladder
• avoiding drinking late in the evening to reduce the chances of having to urinate during the night
• avoiding sitting or bicycling for too long, as these can irritate the prostate
• making sure you drink plenty of water to flush bacteria from your bladder
• increasing the amount of fruit and fibre you eat to avoid constipation, which can put pressure on your bladder and your prostate
• avoiding the unnecessary use of cold and allergy medicines such as decongestants and antihistamines, which can affect muscles in the bladder
• sitting in a warm bath to ease symptoms