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What are Male Urinary Tract Infections?

Jodee Redmond
Jodee Redmond

Male Urinary Tract Infections (UTI) are less common than similar infections in females, but that doesn't mean they are something that should be ignored. They include such infections as cystitis (a bladder infection), urethritis (an infection of the urethra), and kidney infections. Most of the time, male UTIs are found in the urethra or the bladder.

The cause of male urinary tract infections is bacteria. E. Coli is usually the particular strain that is most often responsible for causing the infection, although other types of bacteria can be the cause. The bacteria enters the body through the opening of the urethra.

Drinking cranberry juice may help fight urinary tract infections.
Drinking cranberry juice may help fight urinary tract infections.

Men over the age of 50 are most susceptible to male urinary tract infections. After this age, a man is more likely to have an enlarged prostate or kidney stones, which can obstruct the urethra. A man who has a history of diabetes is also at increased risk of developing a urinary tract infection. If he is unable to dispose of urine completely, this leaves him susceptible to urinary tract infections.

Lower back pain might indicate a urinary tract infection.
Lower back pain might indicate a urinary tract infection.

Signs of male urinary tract infections include urinating more frequently than normal, as well as pain when urinating. Intercourse and ejaculation may be painful, as well. The sufferer may feel more tired than usual, or be passing urine that has a milky or cloudy appearance. The presence of blood in the urine is another sign associated with a urinary tract infection in males, as is lower back pain.

Men who have experienced kidney stones are prone to urinary tract infections.
Men who have experienced kidney stones are prone to urinary tract infections.

If not treated promptly, there is a risk that the infection will spread and move up to the kidneys through the urinary tract. A kidney infection can be very serious, and for this reason any suspected male urinary tract infections should be checked out by a doctor right away.

Once male urinary tract infections have been diagnosed, antibiotics are usually prescribed to treat them. Some doctors will recommend that cranberry juice be consumed as well. The antibiotics work quickly to clear up the infection, sometimes taking only days to take effect.

Men over 50 are more prone to having an enlarged prostate, a common cause of urinary tract infections.
Men over 50 are more prone to having an enlarged prostate, a common cause of urinary tract infections.

If you are prescribed an antibiotic to treat an infection, it's important that you keep taking it for the number of days the doctor has recommended. Stopping the medication early may mean that the infection hasn't been completely cleared up, even if the symptoms have settled down.

Discussion Comments

Sporkasia

There are many home cures that are good for women who have frequent urinary tract infections. I assume they would be good for men, too.

Baking soda mixed in a glass of water is one of the home remedies my grandmother told be about. She drank a glass of this mixture each day and never had a urinary infection that I know of.

Both cranberries and blueberries are good at stopping bacteria from growing and both are often recommended for urinary tract infection treatment. Pineapples are also supposed to be good at helping clear up the infections.

Drentel

Nursing homes and urinary tract infections seem to go hand in hand. When my parents were in an assisted living facility, the men and women both were often getting these infections. Many of the patients simply didn't drink enough liquids.

The nursing home eventually made cranberry juice a part of the drink selection at every meal, but they also started encouraging the residents to drink more water throughout the day.

Laotionne

I have often heard that cranberry juice is good for treating urinary tract infections, but I didn't know whether this was true or just an old wives tale that had been passed along even though there was no proof this remedy worked.

Anyway, I am pleased to read that cranberry juice is recommended for treating infections in the urinary tract. I always think it's great when doctors are in favor of using some type of home remedy because they think the remedy works well.

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    • Drinking cranberry juice may help fight urinary tract infections.
      By: Galina Mikhalishina
      Drinking cranberry juice may help fight urinary tract infections.
    • Lower back pain might indicate a urinary tract infection.
      By: mangostock
      Lower back pain might indicate a urinary tract infection.
    • Men who have experienced kidney stones are prone to urinary tract infections.
      By: airborne77
      Men who have experienced kidney stones are prone to urinary tract infections.
    • Men over 50 are more prone to having an enlarged prostate, a common cause of urinary tract infections.
      By: peterjunaidy
      Men over 50 are more prone to having an enlarged prostate, a common cause of urinary tract infections.
    • Pain while urinating may be a sign of a urinary tract infection in a male.
      By: Gabriel Blaj
      Pain while urinating may be a sign of a urinary tract infection in a male.