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Male Urinary Track Infection Symptoms

A urinary tract infection, commonly called a UTI, can affect the kidneys, ureters, bladder, or urethra. Although more common in women, a significant number of men suffer UTIs as well. Most UTIs are easily cured, but left untreated, can cause severe pain with serious complications. Only your doctor can give you a definitive diagnosis of a UTI and prescribe a treatment plan. If you suffer from recurrent infections, your doctor will do a more complete workup to diagnosis the source of your symptoms.

  1. Symptoms

    • UTI's in men usually present no symptoms in the early stages and are diagnosed only by a routine urinalysis. The first symptoms may be cloudy or foul smelling urine, followed by frequent urination, particularly at night. As the infection progresses, patients can experience painful urination at the tip of the penis and pain during sexual intercourse. Fever and chills may be an indication the infection has spread to the kidneys and requires immediate medical intervention.

    Diagnosis

    • The first test your doctor will do is a urinalysis which may reveal red and white blood cells as well as nitrate levels. If it appears an infection is present, your doctor will order a culture of the specimen to determine the type of bacteria involved in order to know which drug top prescribe. For recurrent infections your doctor may order additional tests that may include an ultrasound or cystoscopy to look at the interior of the bladder and prostate for abnormalities that may be the source of the infection.

    Prostatitis

    • Frequently, UTIs in men are symptomatic of prostatitis, an inflammation of the prostate gland. Chronic prostatitis may be the source of recurrent UTI's which will need to be managed by your doctor on a long term basis. Enlargement of the prostate, benign prostatic hyperplasia, BPH, may also be the source of recurrent UTIs in men. As men age, the prostate enlarges restricting the flow of urine leading to urinary retention that can result in infections and increased incidence of bladder stones.

    Treatment

    • Most UTI's are easily treated with a wide spectrum of available antibiotics. These include, Amoxicillin, Cephalosporins, Doxycyline, Nitrofurantoin, Quinolones and a wide variety of sulfa drugs. Your doctor may also prescribe Pyridium to reduce the urgent need to urinate and minimize urination burning. If you doctor has diagnosed prostatitis as the source of your UTI symptoms, a quinolone such as Cipro or Levaquin may be prescribed.

    Prevention

    • The best way to reduce your risk of a UTI is to drink plenty of fluids and not allow yourself to become dehydrated. Ascorbic acid found in common fruit juices is great way to increase alkalinity in the bladder to inhibit the growth of bacteria. The American Urological Association suggests drinking lots of cranberry juice can have an equally beneficial effect. Cranberry pills have been equally effective.

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