Male urinary problems, cystoscopy and hematospermia

This page, like the rest of our website, is provided for your information and is not meant to be a substitute for medical advice from a qualified professional. See your doctor for that.

Although most of this website is devoted to dealing with healthy bladders in women, problems can be just as severe in men, and sometimes just as difficult to improve.

And a healthy bladder has the additional complication in men in that there can be some prostate involvement - so a bladder infection in men can be the result of cross-infection from the prostate gland, and the prostate can become infected as a result of cross-infection from the urine. The two related infections can result in continual re-infection.

First, if you have not already done so, see your doctor as a matter of urgency. If you have a urinary tract infection or cystitis symptoms, you need to find out what is going on. There could be some prostate involvement. Or you might have an STD of some kind. If you have any discharge, pain in the perineum area or any testicular or perineal swelling or discomfort, it's especially important to see your doctor.

Been there - done that

But if you've been thoroughly checked out, and perhaps already gone down the antibiotic route and it hasn't worked, then our experience with thousands of customers in the same situation has shown that D-Mannose will be a great support to bladder health.

Why didn't Antibiotics Work?

I'm Worried. Why didn't Antibiotics Work?

The usual course of events with urinary tract infections for men is similar to that of women - you somehow pick up an infection that rapidly develops resistance to antibiotics, or it can even be resistant right from the start. Antibiotics cause it to die down for a while, but it soon gets going again, and the symptoms return. You get more antibiotics, and the same thing happens again - and again. Your doctor sends you to a urologist, who proposes a cystoscopic examination.

Cystoscopic examination

My urologist has recommended a cystoscopic examination. Is it worth going ahead?

It may well be necessary, and essential for you to have the procedure done. Be aware of some points:

• A cystoscopic examination is just that - an examination, rather than treatment. It's amazing how many people have said to us - "I had a cystoscopy done, but it didn't work."
• Investigation with a cystoscope can exasperate simple urinary tract infections, occasionally causing urethral damage or further infections.
• It's hard to sterilise the equipment, and even after coming out of the 'sterilising' fluid, if there is any mucous left from a previous patient, the equipment is unlikely to be sterile. There are now disposable sheaths available, so worth asking.

It's worth ensuring that the procedure is necessary and are being performed as a result of repeat infections. Rather than as a result of something found by a Magnetic Resonance Imaging scan (MRI) or X-Ray, like a lump or diverticulum, it's much less common for the examination to add anything useful. Your surgeon will be the one to answer this.

There are other questions to ask him or her. Could you have a scan instead? Could you pay to have your urine properly checked out at a private lab to look for bacteria that might not have been found before? What is the difference between the prognosis if you do and if you don't have the procedure done? Ask, and you may be told. Focus on getting specific information to help you make informed decisions.

Hematospermia - Blood in the Seminal Fluid

It may frighten you, but most of the time the presence of blood is not something to be alarmed about, although it is worth getting yourself a thorough check-up from a competent and caring doctor.

Most commonly, blood in the seminal fluid results from inflammation or infection of the urethra, prostate and seminal vesicles.

The cause, despite any investigation, might never actually be found - male reproductive fluid originates from multiple organs, including the testicles, seminal vesicles, epididymis, vas deferens, and prostate. Most of the fluid comes from the prostate and seminal vesicles, and therefore these are likely to be involved. The blood is most likely to be the result of a simple infection - usually E.coli - the cause of about 90 - 95% of hematospermia (blood in male reproductive fluid).

Visit your doctor for a check-up.

White blood cells also flock to the site of infection, and this can cause painful swelling. And they don't have a route out unless you get rid of them.

Critical symptoms

If the infection is located in your prostate, and it's in an advanced stage, your prostate might swell up so much that you can't urinate easily, or even at all. It's critical to get immediate medical attention if this happens. You are likely to need catheterisation and strong antibiotics.

UTIs and Cystitis

The symptoms of a simple infection can be all or some of the following:

• rapid onset bladder pain (lower abdominal pain that is relieved when you urinate)
  smelly or cloudy urine
• painful or uncomfortable urination
• difficulty urinating
• urinary urgency and frequency