UTI is not a disease that affects women only, although the number of women suffering from UTI is 3 times higher than that of men in many countries.
but that is not always the case in every country or every region of the world. there are some countries where the number of men suffering from UTI is equal or slightly less than the number of women suffering from UTI.
the problem is if a man indeed gets infected with UTI, it’s probably gonna be something serious.
so how do men get a UTI?
1) through unclean or unsterilized foods or drinks
2) through the nonharmful E. coli bacteria living in the large intestine turning into bad bacteria
3) through sexual intercourse
4) dehydration or running low on water
5) kidney stones
6) having an enlarged prostate
7) urinary catheterization
8) having a weak immune system
9) bacteria traveling through the blood or lymph system
if you are a male and you think you have a UTI, I highly recommend that you go to the doctor to give you some antibiotics.
however, you may need to use some home remedies in addition to the doctor’s treatments check them out in our home remedies article. home remedies might help in preventing the UTI from returning to you also.
so, bacteria can reach the urinary tract of a man through various routes.
one of these routes is through the intestinal tract, although this is much more common in women.
bacteria like the E. coli which is responsible for most of the UTI cases throughout the world for both men and women, this bacteria can reach the intestine of a male human through food.
when you eat food that is not very much clean or sterilized, some E. coli bacteria could be living on that food, so when you eat it can enter inside your body where it will reach the stomach.
now when they reach the stomach most of the E. coli bacteria will be killed by the high acidity of the stomach. but some strains of the E. coli bacteria can endure that high acidity of the stomach and make it out of there alive to the intestine.
when they go through the small intestine and reach the large intestine they will most commonly settle in the colon part of the large intestine.
in the colon area, the E. coli bacteria will settle and use it as a base from which they will spread to other areas like the urethra which is the first part of the urinary tract.
before it spreads to other areas the E. coli might or might not cause an inflammation reaction of the intestine called “gastroenteritis”. this gastroenteritis is characterized by symptoms like diarrhea, vomiting and abdominal pain, and other symptoms.
but how can the E. coli bacteria go to the urethra from the colon?
well, basically the E.coli bacteria will go to the anus and get out of the body reaching the area around the anus from the outside.
from that area, they will go to the urethra which is located right underneath the vagina in women and in the penis in men.
in women, the urethra carries only urine while in men it carries both urine and semen. because it goes all the way throughout the penis, the urethra in men is much longer than the urethra in women.
that’s why women are more prone to getting a UTI through this route than men. but still, men can get a UTI through this route.
now back to our story the E. coli now have reached the urethra, a burning sensation during urination can be a sign that you are experiencing urethritis due to the bacteria that have entered your urethra.
many people first experience a burning sensation with urination a short time before they experience the other symptoms of UTI.
then it will climb the urethra reaching the bladder which is easier to do in women than in men.
when it reaches the bladder it causes the group of signs and symptoms that characterizes the UTI like burning during urination, frequent urination, cloudy or smelly urine or, pain in the lower back or abdominal region.
when the bacteria has reached the bladder then now you have got yourself a UTI, call a doctor or try using some of the home remedies that we give you in our site.
further up the bacteria can reach the kidney causing a kidney infection (upper UTI) which is very dangerous and requires that you go to the doctor immediately or go to the emergency department of a hospital immediately.
kidney infection is characterized by symptoms like fever and chills and nausea and vomiting and flank pain an increased intensity of the original symptoms of UTI.
that was one route that the E. coli bacteria can cause a UTI from it. but the E. coli bacteria are not the only type of bacteria that can cause a UTI in men.
so are there other types of bacteria that can go through this route and cause a UTI.
well, that might occur but only in rare cases, while in most of the cases it will be the E. coli bacteria. but there are other routes that other bacteria can choose to cause a UTI through them and we will discuss them later. but now let’s stay with the E. coli bacteria for a little bit.
now the E. coli bacteria is originally not a harmful bacteria, it lives in the intestine of humans and animals as part of the normal flora of the intestine.
(the normal flora is the group of various types of nonharmful beneficial bacteria that lives naturally in the gut or intestine of healthy human beings and animals).
but sometimes this nonharmful beneficial bacteria can turn bad especially if the host immune defenses are weak.
E. coli bacteria have the ability to pass genes between them while they are in the intestine.
some harmful genes may be passed between them which can lead to some group of the E. coli bacteria turning bad and causing infections like the UTI.
from the intestines, the E. coli bacteria can reach the urethra of the man infected and then to the bladder causing a UTI. but this scenario is more likely to happen with women than men duo to the longer urethra in men as we said previously.
so that was the second way or route that men can get a UTI from.
another way that men can get a UTI is through sexual intercourse, especially with anal intercourse.
as we have said earlier women are highly likely to get a UTI many times during their lives or at least one time. and the most common way for women to be infected with UTI is through the bad E. coli bacteria traveling from the intestines to the anus then to the outside of the body in the area around the anus and then to the urethra.
so the area in and around the anus will be filled with the E. coli bacteria as well as other bacteria.
so if the anus didn’t have the E. coli bacteria it can have bacteria like Klebsiella and Pseudomonas and fungi like Candida albicans and other microorganisms and that can cause the UTI.
practicing anal sex will expose the penis to all of these microorganisms that have the ability to cause UTI.
also, vaginal sex is not that safe after all because the vagina can contain a lot of bacteria like Staphylococcus saprophyticus which is responsible for a lot of the UTI cases for both men and women throughout the world.
generally, anal sex is much more dangerous than the normal vaginal sex but that does not mean that vaginal sex cannot expose you to the danger of a UTI. the female vagina might also contain bacteria like Chlamydia trachomatis, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, and Mycoplasma genitalium this bacteria does not climb up the urethra but rather stay in the urethra causing urethritis.
as you get infected with a sexually transmitted disease like Chlamydia trachomatis or Mycoplasma genitalium or Neisseria gonorrhoeae a UTI can also happen due to the weakened immune system in your urinary tract.
a UTI is not usually considered a sexually transmitted disease but that does not mean that a man can never get a UTI from sexual intercourse.
women can also get a UTI during sexual intercourse as their male partner can transport the bacteria back and forth between the anus and the vagina and the urethra areas.
for men other bacteria other than the UTI causing bacteria can also be transmitted to them during sexual intercourse and these transmitted bacteria can be a precursor for the UTI bacteria to come in.
so caution must be taken during sexual activity for both males and females. having sex in a clean environment and the use of condoms maybe a good solution. that was the third way that a man can get a UTI from.
now we will take about one of the most common ways in which men get UTI from which is
low hydration or dehydration
the human urinary tract and we are here talking especially about the male urinary tract is never empty of microorganisms or bacteria that can cause the UTI.
not just our urinary tract but our bodies are always containing bad bacteria almost all of the time.
returning to the male urinary tract, what keeps the male urinary tract safe from the UTI is the immune system that kills the bad bacteria and prevents it from causing a UTI.
in addition to the immune system, there are other factors that play to the safety of the male urinary tract.
one of these factors and maybe the most important one is water (the hydration of the urinary tract).
water flushes out any harmful bacteria before it sticks out to the inner walls of the urinary tract.
when water flows through the urinary tract it takes with the bad bacteria in the urinary tract to the outside of the body.
also the more water you have in your urinary tract the less food that the bacteria is gonna get. because water will increase the volume of the medium the bacteria live in which is the urine without increasing the amount of food in it.
so the distances between each particle of food for the bacteria will increase which will make it harder for the bacteria to find new pieces of food to feed on. this will make the bacteria die before it can do any harm for the urinary tract of the person infected.
This is called the dilution effect of water on the bacteria, many pieces of research have been done on this subject.
Generally speaking, men engage in physical activities more than women.
also, men generally get out of the house more often, and maybe when they are out the weather can be sunny or hot which can make them somewhat dehydrated or low on water.
This can happen especially if you live in a hot country or a hot region of the world which will reflect on your urinary tract making it low on water.
Being low on water will make the urinary tract lose the flushing and diluting effect of water.
this will give the chance to the UTI causing bacteria to find food and stick into the inner walls of the urinary tract more easily.
so you must drink water to compensate for the water you will lose during physical activity or hot weather or other circumstances.
ps: am not saying that women do not do physical activity or go out of the house only am saying that men do these things more so they are more prone to dehydration and UTI due to that.
the fifth way in which a man can get a UTI is somewhat related to the loss of water is
kidney stones.
kidney stones are a big problem in themselves but they also can bring with them other problems as well. problems like uti.
as these kidney stones move through the urinary tract they will wound and scratch the inside walls of the urinary tract.
bacteria will gather around these wounds and scratches making a urinary tract infection in addition to the kidney stones you already have.
most doctors will give antibiotics to patients with kidney stones to prevent the possibility of a urinary tract infection (UTI).
also, kidney stones can by themselves attract bacteria to gather around them, a kidney stone covered by bacteria can be a dangerous source of a urinary tract infection (UTI).
drinking a lot of soda drinks (fizzy drinks or soft drinks) can increase the possibility of you having a kidney stone.
drinking a lot of water can prevent kidney stones or aid in getting rid of it if you have any.
so is there an exclusive way in which only men can get a UTI?
the answer is, unfortunately, yes there is Klebsiella and Proteus spp. bacteria are the bacteria that are most likely to cause a UTI through this route.
it’ people with large prostate or Benign prostatic hyperplasia or prostatic enlargement.
some people inherently are borne with more susceptibility to getting their prostate enlarged in the future than others.
an enlarged prostate is the most common way in which a man can get a UTI. women don’t have that problem because they don’t have a prostate gland.
the prostate gland is located right under the bladder and surrounding the urethra which is the tube that carries the urine from the bladder to the outside through the penis.
when the prostate gets enlarged in its size it will put pressure on the bladder and obstruct the urine flow through the urethra. by obstructing the urine flow the urine will clutter ( i don’t know if that’s the right word) in certain areas inside the bladder.
once the bacteria see those areas where the urine is stagnated they will attack those areas causing a UTI.
these areas where the urine has stagnated will be crowded with bacteria so a bladder infection which is a type of UTI will be almost inevitable.
if you have symptoms like a weak stream of urine and having difficulty in starting to urinate, having a noncontinuous stream of urine can mean that you have an enlarged prostate.
also having difficulty controlling the urination process and other similar symptoms like waking up at night to urinate are among the symptoms of an enlarged prostate.
an enlarged prostate possibility increases with age so it’s more likely to happen in elderly men or men above 50 years of age than in young men. but it can also happen with young me so be careful from those factors that might increase the possibility of an enlarged prostate which is:
aging, obesity, diabetes type 2, not exercising or a lazy lifestyle, heart diseases, kidney stones and also having a family history of an enlarged prostate.
medications like pseudoephedrine, beta-blockers, anticholinergics, and calcium channel blockers can worsen or increase the possibility of an enlarged prostate.
doing exercises and some lifestyle changes can protect you from getting an enlarged prostate as you age and can help in reducing the size of a prostate gland that’s beginning to be enlarged.
reducing caffeine intake can also aid in the treatment process of an enlarged prostate and also can help in preventing it.
urinating in a sitting position can improve the urine flow in people who have benign prostatic hyperplasia and thereby help in treating the UTI.
a study I have seen on the NCBI website suggests that reducing your intake of animal protein throughout your life can decrease the possibility of you having an enlarged prostate when progressing in age.
but if the prostate gets enlarged to a serious level you probably gonna need to take some medication.
medications like alpha-blockers are gonna be prescribed by your doctor, also 5 milligrams of Cialis which is a drug that resembles viagra can be prescribed for a month period or more.
ps: Cialis belongs to the drug family called “5-alpha reductase inhibitors”, drugs belonging to this family are used to treat erectile dysfunction.
but, Cialis can have another effect when if given in low doses on a daily basis. this effect is the treatment or prevention of an enlarged prostate in men.
if your condition is not getting better by medications or the lifestyle changes that you have made, then probably you are gonna need surgery to reduce the size of the prostate gland.
benign prostatic hyperplasia does not increase the probability of prostate cancer.
another way that a man can get a UTI from is urinary catheterization.
urinary catheterization is the procedure of inserting a tube into the male’s bladder by pushing it through the penis.
this procedure is done for the purpose of draining the urine out of the bladder of the patient who has bladder problems, and it can be used for other medical purposes too. it can be done for women also the same way.
now if the tube that was inserted was somewhat contaminated or it can be clean but after insertion, it will be exposed to a lot of microorganisms from the environment and bring it to the bladder.
also if the urine drainage pathway was somewhat obstructed it can attract a lot of germs and bacteria to the area of obstruction causing a UTI.
patients using catheters should clean the catheter and the drainage bag on a regular basis and drink a lot of water and use clean hands while disconnecting the catheter from the urine bag to prevent contamination.
having a weak immune system or having a disease that weakens the immune system like diabetes or infections.
diabetes can weaken your immune system through the high sugar levels in your blood.
sugar is a big factor in reducing immunity so it’s better to reduce your sugar intake even if you do not have diabetes.
bacterial or viral or fungal infections can weaken your immune system. a weakened immune system means an increased possibility of a UTI.
a gastroenteritis infection can also send bacteria to the urethra through the rectum causing a UTI directly in addition to weakening the immune system.
experiencing stress for long periods of time can affect your immune system negatively.
not exercising and having an unhealthy lifestyle can also affect your immune system badly. so be careful from those things and try to take it easy.
also, try to eat healthy food that includes a lot of salads because they contain all the necessary vitamins and minerals for your immune system to function properly.
plus sometimes you will have to take vitamins and minerals supplements like centrum men or centrum silver men for the elderly to get that good healthy dose of vitamins and minerals to boost your immunity.
consult your doctor if you are taking other medications or have any other underlying condition.
take centrum men or centrum men silver once daily after meal.
they are available on amazon you can check their prices.
because it’s less likely for men to get a UTI through the urethra when a man gets a UTI it’s highly suspected that the infection has come through the blood or the lymph system.
when other parts of the body get infected with some kind of infection, some bacteria from those parts can travel through the blood or the lymph system causing a UTI.
many men get a UTI as a result of having an infection in the tests, personally, I experienced this case.
other infections like respiratory infections and others can send bacteria to your urinary tract through the blood or lymph system as well.
a meningitis infection can also send some bacteria to the urinary tract causing a UTI. this scenario can happen more with people who have a weak immune system.
when male patients are presented to the doctors with UTI symptoms, doctors will first investigate the possibility of a severe UTI.
a severe UTI is the UTI that occurs in the upper parts of the urinary tract most likely in the kidney (kidney infection).
when a UTI is caused by bacteria that have come from the blood or lymph system it’s highly suspected that it’s a kidney infection.
because if the bacteria come from the blood to the UTI, the kidney will be the first thing that will come in contact with the bacteria.
the symptoms of a kidney infection can be a little different from the symptoms of a normal UTI.
a kidney infection has a fever and shaking chills and nausea and vomiting symptoms in addition to the normal UTI symptoms.
for more information about that check the symptoms of kidney infection article.
if the patient is a male and he has an enlarged prostate then it will most likely be a bladder infection.
if the patient is a young male, urethritis is highly suspected.
urethritis is the inflammation of the urethra due to the presence of bacteria, most likely the Neisseria gonorrhoeae and Chlamydia bacteria.
these kinds of bacteria and infections are usually transmitted during sexual intercourse.
THE END
thank you guys for reading, see you in the next article.