What every man needs to know about Urinary tract infections(UTI)

What comes into your mind whenever you hear the term Urinary tract infection (UTI)? If you are like most people, then you think about it as a condition that affects women. To some extent, you are right because UTIs affect women.

1. UTIs are not just a women’s problem

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The first thing you need to know is that UTIs are not exclusively a women’s problem. Yes, they are more common among women but men get them too. Women have a shorter urethra making it easier for bacteria to reach the urinary tract system. But since men have a longer urethra, the bacteria take time to reach their urinary tract. As a man, don’t count yourself too lucky since these annoying bacteria could also strike your way.

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2. You can get UTIs from your partner

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Typically, UTIs are not categorized as sexually transmitted diseases. Even so, as Medical News Today reports, it is possible to get a UTI from a woman who already has the infection. If your woman has been complaining of a burning sensation when peeing, don’t make a mistake of ignoring the condoms.

3. They are more complicated in men

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And in case you thought that they are just like a normal cold, you are wrong. UTIs in men tend to be more complicated as they are likely to spread to the upper tract and the kidneys. In some severe cases, the treatment of UTI in men may involve surgery. If you experience fever, back pains, nausea, vomiting and chills among the normal UTI signs, it’s a sign that the infection might have reached the kidneys.

4. Certain things put you at risk

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Being uncircumcised not only puts you at the risk of HIV and genital warts but also UTIs. Other factors that increase the risk of UTIs in men include diabetes, enlarged prostate, kidney stones and health conditions that suppress your immunity.

5. How to protect yourself

Since you can also get UTIs like women, it means that you should take precautionary measures to protect yourself. The precautionary measures include drinking lots of water, emptying your bladder often, proper hygiene and urinating after sex to get rid of any bacteria that you might have gotten from your partner during sex.