Each year nationwide more than 3 million cases of urinary tract infections are diagnosed, mostly in women. In fact, health experts say they can be dangerous for men.

Dr. Alejandro Miranda-Sousa, a urologist on staff at Lee Memorial Health System, says on average he sees two to three patients a day with a urinary tract infection, also known as a UTI. “A female having an infection once a year or once every five years is not unheard of.”

A UTI is a presence of bacteria in the urine. Women have a shorter urethra than men, shortening the distance the bacteria must travel to reach the bladder. “The most common is burning to urinate, frequency with urination, and usually patients will notice urine to be a little cloudy and have a strong smell,” said Dr. Miranda-Sousa.

Typically, an antibiotic will clear the infection. However, if the infection keeps coming back, health experts may try another medication or run a series of tests to find out if the problem is being caused by something else.

“There could be something anatomical. There’s a stone, there’s obstruction, something that is not letting the body clear the bacteria,” said Dr. Miranda-Sousa.

Other problems that could lead to a UTI are constipation, sex, and poor hygiene.

“The elder population will be much more at risk. One, because the barriers from outside have been debilitated,” said Dr. Miranda-Sousa.

But for men, a UTI is not common and can indicate a more serious problem. “Most of the time it’s prostate issues where the patient cannot empty the bladder completely. Stones are very common so we need to explore that,” said Dr. Miranda-Sousa.

Man or woman, if a patient suspects they have a UTI it’s important they visit their physician.


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Lee Memorial Health System in Fort Myers, FL is the largest network of medical care facilities in Southwest Florida and is highly respected for its expertise, innovation and quality of care. For nearly a century, we’ve been providing our community with everything from primary care treatment to highly specialized care services and robotic assisted surgeries.

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