"About 60% of women and 12% of men will have at least one UTI during their lifetime".
UTI in men
UTI in men is most commonly caused by bacteria entering the urine and making its way into the urinary tract. Bacteria can be present in the urine without an infection being present, however, depending on the type and concentration of bacteria an infection may occur.
When bacteria causes an infection the bladder and urethra become red and infected. This is very similar to what happens to your throat when you have a cold. The infection can cause pain in the abdomen and sometimes the lower back, as well as make you feel like urinating more.
UTI in men can be a painful experience and result in burning sensation when peeing.
Incidence of UTI in men
About 12% of men will have at least one UTI during their lifetime. The statistic for women is about 60%.
Ascending infections are the most common cause of UTI. As the female urethra is short and intestinal bacteria tend to colonize the perineum (The section between the anus and the vulva), and the vulva itself, women tend to have more urinary tract infections that men.
Men can thank their biology for less UTI’s.
Types of UTI in men
There are diffrerent classifications of UTI in men depending on which part of the male urinary tract if infected.
The diagram below shoes the male urinary system. Urine is formed in the kidneys and travels down the ureters into the bladder. The urine is stored in the bladder until urination occurs. The urine then travels down the urethra and exits the body.
The bacteria causing a UTI in men will travel in the opposite direction. The bacteria enters the urinary tract via the penis and the infection will start in the Urethra, travel up to the bladder and in extreme cases up into the kidney.
The following examples are categorised dependent on how much of the urinary tract is infected:
- Urethritis: bacterial infection of the urethra
- Cystitis: infection of the bladder
- Pyelonephritis: bacterial infection of the kidney
A kidney infection can be extremely serious and extremely painful. You can see our article on kidney pain here which covers some of the symptoms of kidney infection.
UTI symptoms in men
As as already mentioned the main physical symptoms of UTI are:
- feeling the need to urinate more
- pain when urinating
- pain in the abdomen or lower back
UTI can also be detected via the presence of leukocytes and/or nitrites in the urine.
Detecting UTI symptoms in men with a urine strip
The presence of leukocytes, nitrites and/or blood may be an indication of a UTI in men. The picture blow shows the important factors for a UTI in men urine test.
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- DSI Dus 10 parameter
- Acon Mission 10U
- Roche Combur 5
- All Test URS-10T
- Atlas Medical Urinary Tract Infection Test
Summary
UTI symptoms in men can be painful and if not treated can be dangerous. A home urine test can identify a possible UTI in men before the painful symptoms begin.
One Reply to “UTI Symptoms Men – how men can identify and manage their UTI”
That is a really great article! I used to think that men are somehow “immune” to UTI due to their “specific” physiology. I will definitely consider some regular monitoring now. Thanks for sharing!