Dorothy FarrarBladder infection in men
Bladder infections are rare in men due to the longer urethra. If symptoms are noticed, a doctor must be consulted immediately, who will carry out a urine test. The treatment of cystitis is antibiotics. In order to avoid life-threatening complications, medical therapy is absolutely necessary.
What is bladder infection (cystitis)?
The urinary bladder is part of the urinary tract and is used to temporarily store urine. It makes it possible to voluntarily urinate at certain times. The inflammation of this urinary bladder is called cystitis or cystis. Although this disease mainly affects women and children due to anatomical differences, this type of inflammation also occasionally occurs in men.
A bladder infection usually manifests itself as frequent urination with a small amount of urine as well as burning and/or pain when urinating. It can also lead to abdominal pain, blood in the urine, urge incontinence and bladder cramps. In men, cystitis occurs more frequently with advanced age and is often associated with a benign enlargement of the prostate.
causes
Bladder inflammation is mostly caused by bacteria . Infections caused by fungi or viruses are also possible. In addition, chemical and mechanical irritation of the bladder can lead to inflammation of the bladder.In most cases, it is an ascending infection caused by intestinal bacteria. In 70 to 95 percent of cases, the bacterium E. coli is identified as the cause of the bladder infection. This makes up a significant part of the natural intestinal colonization of humans. If hygiene is neglected, the bacterium can get into the urethra via the external genital organs when you go to the toilet and from there ascend to the bladder.
Because men’s urethras are much longer than women’s, men are significantly less susceptible to bladder infections, which is a typically female disease. Children are affected quite frequently, regardless of gender, which is because their urethra is also quite short. In this case, the pathogens only have to travel a short distance.
Men of advanced age often become ill in connection with a benign prostate enlargement. This is due to the fact that the enlarged prostate narrows the urethra, which ultimately leads to a disruption in the outflow of urine with residual urine formation.
symptoms and course
- bladder emptying disorders
As a rule, a bacterial bladder infection in men can be treated quickly and effectively with antibiotic therapy. The acute symptoms usually subside after 1-2 days. It should be noted that the medication should not be discontinued prematurely, as this can lead to a recurrence of the infection. Rarely, but possible, a bladder infection can also take a chronic course in men.
When to the doctor?
Women can often treat uncomplicated inflammation of the bladder on their own. This does not apply to men. If a man suffers from a bladder infection, he should definitely consult a doctor. In men, every inflammation of the bladder is considered to be a complicated case, which necessitates a doctor’s visit.
As soon as the first symptoms are noticed, the family doctor should be consulted. By visiting the doctor at the first sign of the disease, the course can be significantly alleviated – the patients save themselves the quite painful experience of a fully developed cystitis. If you notice a frequent urge to urinate, a small amount of urine, burning or pain when urinating, blood in the urine or other symptoms when urinating, it is time for the man to consult a doctor.
Diagnose
The diagnosis of a bladder infection is quite easy to make in practice. Based on the anamnesis, it can be determined relatively quickly whether it is a bladder infection. The doctor first asks about the existing problems. He will then ask the patient whether they feel generally weak or whether they have a fever. A bladder infection is never accompanied by a fever. If the typical symptoms occur together with fever, involvement of the kidneys is likely.
The doctor will also test your bladder and kidneys with your hands. The sensation of pain can usually be used to determine which organs are affected. However, the most important diagnostic tool is the urine test . The patient has to fill a cup with urine. The urine is then examined for certain ingredients using a test stick. Blood, protein, leukocytes and other substances in the urine indicate an inflammation of the bladder. Another tool that may be used is ultrasound . This can be used to examine both the bladder and the kidneys.
complications
Inflammation of the renal pelvis is a dreaded complication. Inflammation of the renal pelvis occurs when the pathogens rise up the ureter. If the cystitis is not treated or not treated appropriately, the pathogens can travel from the bladder via the ureter to the renal pelvis and kidneys. There they also lead to inflammation, which in the worst case can lead to sepsis. This urosepsis, which occurs in the maximum form of inflammation of the renal pelvis, is life-threatening.
In men, the epididymis can also become infected. In this case, the pathogens rise via the vas deferens to the epididymis, where they lead to an inflammation that is very painful and usually leads to a massive enlargement of the epididymis. Further complications can result from epididymitis .
treatment and therapy
Bladder infections in men must always be treated by a doctor. While women can also be treated with herbal preparations or a single dose of antibiotics , men should always have long-term antibiotic therapy. Depending on the drug chosen, the treatment lasts between three and ten days. In individual cases, longer treatment may also be possible.In practice, the treatment of cystitis in men is usually calculated. This means that no pathogen detection is carried out, as there is a high probability that E. coli is the trigger of the inflammation. In this case, without proof of the pathogen, the doctor selects an antibiotic that is highly likely to be effective.
In addition to drug therapy, it is highly recommended to drink plenty of water and rest. In addition, mustard oils from nasturtium and horseradish and cranberry capsules are considered to be naturally effective remedies for cystitis.
outlook and prognosis
If there are no complications, the symptoms disappear after just a few days. Although a bladder infection is quite rare in men, it can still be treated well if a doctor is consulted at an early stage. The antibiotic treatment must be continued to the end, even if the symptoms disappear quickly. Failure to do so will encourage resistance and increase the likelihood that the infection will return quickly.
prevention
The best way to prevent this is by following certain hygiene rules. This applies in particular to going to the toilet and having sexual contact. In any case, it should be avoided that intestinal bacteria come close to the entrance to the urethra. Anyone who wants to prevent this should pay attention to their anal hygiene, empty their bladder after sexual practices that increase the risk of introducing intestinal germs and generally pay attention to hygiene in the intimate area.
Hello and welcome to my Health Guide & Encyclopedia! My name is Dorothy Farrar, and I'm the founder and main author of this platform.
My passion for health and wellness started at a young age when I became interested in the connection between the food we eat and the way we feel. This fascination led me to study nutrition and dietetics in college, where I learned about the importance of a balanced diet and the impact of various nutrients on the body.