Most UTIs in men (80%) are caused by the bacterium Escherichia coli (E. coli), which is naturally present in your body. The bacterium gets into the urinary tract through the urethra.

BPH: a Factor in UTIs for Older Men

Prostate sits right under the bladder.

UTIs in men are more common with older age. One reason is that older men are more likely to develop non-cancerous enlargement of their prostate gland, called benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). The prostate wraps around the neck of the bladder, where the urethra connects to the bladder.

Enlargement of the prostate gland can choke off the bladder neck, making it harder for urine to flow freely. If the bladder doesn’t empty completely, bacteria that are normally flushed out with the urine might begin to cause an infection.

Other causes of UTI in men include:

• Urologic surgery
• Incomplete emptying of the bladder
• Certain medications can weaken the bladder muscle and result in incomplete bladder emptying
• Kidney stones
• Diabetes
• Abnormal narrowing of the urethra (urethral stricture)
• Having a recent urinary tract procedure involving instrumentation, such as insertion of a tube to drain your bladder (catheterization) or a small camera to examine your bladder and urethra (cystoscopy)

Symptoms of lower UTI include:

• Painful burning sensation when voiding
• Strong desire to urinate; you may be unable to control your urine, which may lead to leakage or incontinence
• Frequency of urination (usually small amounts) day and night
• Urine becomes cloudy or bloody
• Foul odor to the urine
• Lower abdominal pain
• Fever
• Severe obstructive symptoms, such as a dribbling stream, a sensation that the bladder is not empty, waiting a long time to initiate voiding, and a weak stream

Getting the Correct Diagnosis Is Key

Men often have trouble explaining what may be the cause of their symptoms to doctors, and sometimes a UTI is not the problem. For example, after surgery to remove the prostate, one side-effect might be urinary incontinence, which also signals a UTI. This is why it’s important to start with a urine test to determine whether bacteria are present in the urinary tract.

Urine test strips are now available for sale online, so this test can be conducted at home quickly and easily before talking to the doctor.

Antibiotics Are No Longer A Reliable Treatment

If a UTI is diagnosed, the treatment plan usually includes antibiotics, but these medications are proving less and less effective. This is because we are in the midst of a growing “antibiotics resistance” crisis. The bacteria which cause UTI’s have learned how to hide and mutate, so that once the medicine is gone from our urinary tract, they begin to thrive and grow again.

What makes this situation worse for older men is that many cannot even take antibiotics because their weakened systems cannot tolerate the significant side effects. Because of this, doctors have recently been prohibited from prescribing long-term antibiotic treatments for chronic UTI symptoms.

So, what treatments are available for men over 65 who are suffering from UTI symptoms?

Treatment Tip

D-Mannose powder dissolves in water to deliver fast symptom relief.

Fortunately, there is a safe and effective alternative. A natural supplement known as D-Mannose is now widely recognized by doctors as a suitable alternative for older patients.

According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) website: A clinical trial was conducted which compared D-Mannose to the antibiotic Nitrofurantoin for effectiveness. D-Mannose had the lowest percentage of recurrence, and significantly lowered the risk of side effects compared to the antibiotic.

Sold under the brand name Goodbye UTI, this 100% pure D-Mannose powder provides fast relief for an active E-Coli UTI and, if taken daily, will protect the urinary tract against recurring infections. Formulated under the strict supervision of a Doctor of Pharmacy in GA, Caregivers can trust the quality and safety of this product.