Causes Of Urinary Tract Infection In Men

What Can Happen If A Uti Is Not Treated

If treated right away, a UTI is not likely to damage your urinary tract. But if your UTI is not treated, the infection can spread to the kidneys and other parts of your body. The most common symptoms of kidney infection are fever and pain in the back where the kidneys are located. Antibiotics can also treat kidney infections.

Sometimes the infection can get in the bloodstream. This is rare but life-threatening.

What Kinds Of Doctors Treat Urinary Tract Infections

Most urinary tract infections can be treated by your primary care doctor or your childs pediatrician. They are usually the best provider to treat you as they are most familiar with your medical history, medications you are taking, and other factors that might affect your treatment. If you seek treatment in an urgent care facility, a specialist in emergency medicine may be involved in your care.

If there are frequent reoccurrences of UTIs or if complicating circumstances are present, your primary care doctor might refer you to a urologist, a physician who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of conditions related to the urinary system.

What Are The Symptoms Of A Uti In Males

The most common UTI symptoms in men are:

• Increased frequency in the urge to urinate .
• Painful, burning sensation while urinating.

If you have an upper tract UTI or kidney infection, you may also experience:

• Pain in the upper back or side.

If you have a lower tract UTI you may also experience:

• Pressure in the pelvic area.
• Pressure or pain in the lower abdomen.
• Blood or discharge in the urine.

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Urinary Tract Infection Diet

There is no specific diet that will treat a UTI, but there are certain foods you can add to your diet to reduce the risk of UTIs.

Berries are full of antioxidants and ideal for keeping bacteria at bay. Cranberries are known to help with UTIs, but other berries like blueberries are also beneficial. You also want to eat plenty of yogurt because its beneficial probiotics prevent bacteria from living in your urinary tract.

In addition to this, there are certain things to avoid when you want to prevent UTIs. If you have a UTI, you need to avoid caffeine and alcohol until the infection is cleared because these drinks can irritate your bladder. You also want to avoid acidic and spicy foods during an infection.

Citrus fruit after an infection is great for preventing future problems because of the high vitamin C content.

Risk Factors For Developing Utis

Some people are at greater risk than others of developing UTIs. These include:

• women sexually active women are vulnerable, in part because the urethra is only four centimetres long and bacteria have only this short distance to travel from the outside to the inside of the bladder
• people with urinary catheters such as people who are critically ill, who cant empty their own bladder
• people with diabetes changes to the immune system make a person with diabetes more vulnerable to infection
• men with prostate problems such as an enlarged prostate gland that can cause the bladder to only partially empty
• babies especially those born with physical problems of the urinary system.

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Over The Counter Medications For Urinary Tract Infections

• Brand names listed as examples do not imply better quality over other brands. Generic equivalents may also exist.
• Use only as directed on the package, unless your healthcare provider instructs you to do otherwise.
• OTCs may interact with other medications or be potentially harmful if you have certain medical conditions. Talk to your pharmacist about options that are right for you.

How Can Men Prevent A Uti

You can do several things to prevent bacterial spread and infection that leads to UTIs in men:

• Drink plenty of fluids. This will encourage urination and will flush out many harmful bacteria.
• Urinate when you need to. Waiting to go to the toilet can cause bacteria to collect in the bladder or urinary tract.
• Use condoms. Safe sex practices can help guard against bacterial infections caused by sexual contact.
• Treating prostate problems. Getting treatment for BHP can help with urine flow and reduce the risk of UTI.

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When To See A Doctor For Urinary Tract Infection In Men

If you think you have any of the symptoms of a urinary tract infection, you should see a doctor as soon as possible. Also, men over fifty should see a doctor if they notice any of the following:

• Pain while urinating or after
• Feeling of being unable to urinate completely

All these signs can be symptoms of an enlarged prostate, a problem that can be effectively treated before a urinary tract infection occurs.

Overview Of Urinary Tract Infections

, MD, University of Riverside School of Medicine

In healthy people, urine in the bladder is sterileno bacteria or other infectious organisms are present. The tube that carries urine from the bladder out of the body contains no bacteria or too few to cause an infection. However, any part of the urinary tract can become infected. An infection anywhere along the urinary tract is called a urinary tract infection .

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When To See A Doctor

If you suspect you or a loved one has a UTI, its best to see a healthcare provider. Symptoms like painful, urgent or frequent urination shouldnt be ignored, Dr. Slopnick stresses.

Your doctor will ask about symptoms and perform a urine culture and possibly other tests to confirm if a UTI is to blame. If youre experiencing multiple UTIs a year, your doctor may also order other tests to better understand if a prolapsed bladder, enlarged prostate or other condition is causing frequent infection.

When To Get Medical Advice

Its a good idea to see your GP if you think you might have a UTI, particularly if:

• you have symptoms of an upper UTI
• the symptoms are severe or getting worse
• the symptoms havent started to improve after a few days
• you get UTIs frequently

Your GP can rule out other possible causes of your symptoms by testing a sample of your urine and can prescribe antibiotics if you do have an infection.

Antibiotics are usually recommended because untreated UTIs can potentially cause serious problems if theyre allowed to spread.

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How Are Urinary Tract Infections Treated

You will need to treat a urinary tract infection. Antibiotics are medicines that kill bacteria and fight an infection. Antibiotics are typically used to treat urinary tract infections. Your healthcare provider will pick a drug that best treats the particular bacteria thats causing your infection. Some commonly used antibiotics can include:

• Nitrofurantoin.

Its very important that you follow your healthcare providers directions for taking the medicine. Dont stop taking the antibiotic because your symptoms go away and you start feeling better. If the infection is not treated completely with the full course of antibiotics, it can return.

If you have a history of frequent urinary tract infections, you may be given a prescription for antibiotics that you would take at the first onset of symptoms. Other patients may be given antibiotics to take every day, every other day, or after sexual intercourse to prevent the infection. Talk to your healthcare provider about the best treatment option for you if you have a history of frequent UTIs.

What Is A Urinary Tract Infection In Children

A UTI is when bacteria gets into your urine and travels up to your bladder. As many as 8 in 100 of girls and 2 in 100 of boys will get UTIs. Young children have a greater risk of kidney damage linked to UTI than older children or adults.

How Does the Urinary Tract Work?

The urinary tract is the organs in your body that make, store, and get rid of urine, one of the waste products of your body. Urine is made in the kidneys and travels down to the bladder through the ureters . The kidneys make about 1½ to 2 quarts of urine a day in an adult, and less in children, depending on their age. In children, the bladder can hold 1 to 1½ ounces of urine for each year of age. For example, a 4-year-old childs bladder can hold 4 to 6 ouncesa little less than a cup.

The kidneys also balance the levels of many chemicals in the body and check the bloods acidity. Certain hormones are also made in the kidneys. These hormones help control blood pressure, boost red blood cell production and help make strong bones.

Normal urine has no bacteria in it, and the one-way flow helps prevent infections. Still, bacteria may get into the urine through the urethra and travel up into the bladder.

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A Uti Is Ten Times More Likely To Affect Women Than Men And One In Every Five Women Around The World Experiences The Problem At Least Once In Their Life It Affects Your Physical Health And Sexual Life

New Delhi: Contrary to the popular belief that Urinary Tract Infections can only be contracted by women of menstrual age, the fact is that anyone can get a UTI. However, the painful symptoms of the infection are experienced the most by young women. These can include painful urination, abdominal pain and lower back pain.

A UTI is ten times more likely to affect women than men, and one in every five women around the world experiences the problem at least once in their life. The infection not only affects your physical health, but problems like frequent urination, itching or burning sensation can also interfere with your normal activities. UTIs can also affect your sexual health and sex life in an adverse way.

Can Urinary Tract Infections Be Prevented Or Avoided

There are many lifestyle choices that can help you prevent UTIs. These are some of the things you can do to protect yourself from them:

• Drink plenty of water to flush out bacteria. For some people, drinking cranberry juice may also help prevent urinary tract infections. However, if youre taking warfarin, check with your doctor before using cranberry juice to prevent urinary tract infections. Your doctor may need to adjust your warfarin dose or you may need to have more frequent blood tests.
• Dont hold your urine. Urinate when you feel like you need to. Some children dont go to the bathroom often enough. If your child does this, teach him or her to go to the bathroom several times each day.
• Wipe from front to back after bowel movements. Teach your child to wipe correctly.
• Urinate after having sex to help wash away bacteria.
• Use enough lubrication during sex. Try using a small amount of lubricant before sex if youre a little dry.
• If you get urinary tract infections often, you may want to avoid using a diaphragm as a birth control method. Ask your doctor about other birth control choices.
• Avoid taking or giving your child bubble baths.
• Wear loose-fitting clothing , and dress your child in loose-fitting clothing.
• If you are uncircumcised, wash the foreskin regularly. If you have an uncircumcised boy, teach him how to wash his foreskin.

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How Can I Get Free Urine Flow

Go with the Flow

Natural Treatments For Urinary Tract Infection

There are also natural remedies for UTIs that you can try at home, but it is best to check with your doctor first. These remedies should be used in conjunction with medications and not as a replacement.

Remedies such as cranberry juice or cranberries do not treat UTIs, but they can help your body clear infection faster. A chemical in cranberries can also prevent future UTIs by preventing certain bacterial types from attaching to the lining of your bladder.

Other home remedies you can try include:

Staying hydrated because water dilutes urine and speeds up its journey through the body

Use probiotics, specifically lactobacilli. These have been found to prevent harmful bacteria from attaching to the urinary tract.

Get enough vitamin C, which reacts with the nitrate in urine to form nitrogen oxide. This is known to kill bacteria.

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What Is The Outlook

The vast majority of men improve within a few days of starting treatment. See a doctor if you do not quickly improve. If your symptoms do not improve despite taking an antibiotic medicine then you may need an alternative antibiotic. This is because some germs are resistant to some types of antibiotics. This can be identified from tests done on your urine sample.

Occasionally the infection may spread and cause you to be more unwell. Infection in the bladder may spread to the kidney . Infection may also spread to involve the prostate gland, causing infection of the prostate gland .Occasionally it may lead to a swelling caused by a collection of pus in the prostate gland.

What Are The Risk Factors For Urinary Tract Infection In Men

The risk factors for developing Urinary Tract Infections in Men include:

• Age: Men over the age of 50 years are at an increased risk of developing UTI, generally due to enlargement of the prostate gland
• Blockages in the urinary tract, such as caused by kidney stones, which impair the flow of urine
• Uncircumcised males have a higher risk for UTI than circumcised males
• Urinary bladder catheter placement can disrupt the normal flow of urine, which help wash away the microbes. A urinary bladder catheter is usually used for various medical conditions to facilitate urine outflow
• Weakened immune system due to the use of certain medications or the presence of HIV
• Having poorly-controlled diabetes
• Congenital and acquired structural abnormalities of the kidney and urinary bladder

It is important to note that having a risk factor does not mean that one will get the condition. A risk factor increases ones chances of getting a condition compared to an individual without the risk factors. Some risk factors are more important than others.

Also, not having a risk factor does not mean that an individual will not get the condition. It is always important to discuss the effect of risk factors with your healthcare provider.

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The Basics: How An Erection Occurs

Its usually difficult for a man to get another erection right away. The length of the interval between erections varies, depending on a mans age, his health, and whether he is sexually active on a regular basis. A young, sexually active man in good health may be able to get an erection after just a few minutes, whereas a man in his 50s or older may have to wait 24 hours. One reason may be that nerve function slows with age.

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Other Ways To Prevent Some Utis Coming Back

If you keep getting a bladder infection , there is some evidence it may be helpful to take:

• D-mannose a sugar you can buy as a powder or tablets to take every day
• cranberry products available as juice, tablets or capsules to take every day

Speak to your doctor before taking any of these during pregnancy.

Be aware that D-mannose and cranberry products can contain a lot of sugar.

If you’re taking warfarin, you should avoid cranberry products.

Page last reviewed: 22 March 2022 Next review due: 22 March 2025

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What Are The Causes Of Urinary Tract Infection In Men

• Urinary Tract Infections in Men are usually caused due to infection by bacteria such as Escherichia coli, Klebsiella, Pseudomonas, or Staphylococcus
• The infection can spread from the urethra through the urinary tract and reach the bloodstream from the kidneys
• Rarely, fungus and other parasites can also cause UTI in Men

Causes Of A Uti In Men

How does a man get a UTI? E. coli accounts for about 90 percent of all urinary tract infections, but men can also get UTIs from other bacteria, like chlamydia and mycoplasma.

These bacteria are sexually transmitted, requiring treatment for both partners involved. These infections are limited to the urethra and reproductive system.

Urinary systems are designed to keep infections at bay. The bladder and ureters prevent urine from backing up, while the simple act of urinating is supposed to flush bacteria out of your system. In men particularly, prostate glands are supposed to secrete fluids that slow down bacterial growth.

For these reasons, urinary tract infections often point to more serious causes. Benign prostate hyperplasia can obstruct the bladder, making it difficult to completely empty the bladder. Prostatitisan inflammation of the prostateor other enlarging of the prostate can lead to similar issues with bladder emptying, increasing the risk of infection. An enlarged prostate is more common in older men. Kidney stones can also block the urinary tract.

People with suppressed immune systems are also more susceptible to bacterial infections. This can include disorders like diabetes and HIV/AIDS as well as certain immunosuppressant medications, like chemotherapy for cancer.

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