Though women are usually the ones plagued with irritating UTI symptoms, men can develop urinary tract infections (UTI), too. And the older a man is, the greater his risk for having a UTI.
Approximately one out of five women will develop a urinary tract infection (UTI) at some point in her life most men will never have a UTI. In fact, only 20 percent of diagnosed urinary tract infections occur in men. Urinary tract infections are extremely rare in young men, but their risk does increase as a man ages UTIs are more common in men after the age of 50.
Risk factors for urinary tract infections in men
Besides age, there are additional factors that put you at a greater
risk for getting UTIs if you’re a man, including:
Urinary tract infection symptoms in men
Not every man, woman, or child who gets a urinary tract infection has typical UTI symptoms. But when men do get them, their symptoms are generally not too different than those that women experience.
Common UTI symptoms include:
- A constant urge to urinate
- Releasing only small amounts of urine at a time
- Bloody, cloudy, or bad-smelling urine
- Abdominal or lower back pain
- Burning pain during urination
But there is one symptom that’s specific to men: fluid seeping from the penis. Any man noticing discharge from the penis should see his doctor for a diagnosis it could indicate a urinary tract infection. Any of these symptoms accompanied by fever, nausea, or chills could indicate a
kidney infection - a serious problem that needs prompt treatment.
Treatment of urinary tract infection in men
A urinary tract infection occurs when bacteria (or, less commonly, a virus or even a fungus) enters the urinary tract. Whether the infection affects a man or a woman, the treatment is the same: antibiotics to kill the bacteria and get rid of urinary tract infection symptoms. But there are also things men can do to help prevent a urinary tract infection from setting in - especially if they have any of the risk factors. If you’re a man, take these steps to reduce your risk of
getting urinary tract infection:
- If you’re not circumcised, thoroughly clean the area beneath the foreskin each time you shower.
- Drink lots of fluids - water is best - every day.
- Don’t hold your urine - make frequent trips to the bathroom.
- Carefully cleanse your genitals before and after sex to help get rid of bacteria (this will also help your partner avoid UTIs).
- Wear condoms when you have sex.
If you’ve already got urinary tract infection, drinking a lot of fluids can help push the bacteria out of the urinary tract - and in some very mild cases of urinary tract infection, that could be enough to treat it. However, if you notice any of the signs of a urinary tract infection, it’s still very important to head to your doctor for a diagnosis and treatment recommendation.
Without appropriate
urinary tract infection treatment, the infection can quickly spread and become a serious (sometimes even fatal) threat. So don’t brush off symptoms like frequent urination or a burning sensation when you urinate, and don’t assume that you can’t get a urinary tract infection just because you’re a man.