Muhammad Ali was admitted to the hospital Thursday for a urinary tract infection. A day later, that hospital stay has ended.
The former heavyweight boxing champion was hospitalized back in December for what doctors first thought was a mild case of pneumonia, reports the Associated Press (AP). It turned out he had a severe urinary tract infection.
Ali’s recent hospital stay was for continued treatment of that infection, said Bob Gunnel, the Ali family spokesperson.
Gunnel told the AP that Ali is back at one of his homes — and just one day before celebrating his 73rd birthday.
“He’s home and resting and glad to be out of the hospital,” Gunnel said.
Urinary tract infections, or UTIs, are infections of any part of the urinary system. That includes the kidneys, ureters, bladder and urethra.
UTIs don’t always cause symptoms, but when they do, those symptoms can include a strong urge to urinate, a burning feeling when urinating, pelvic pain in women and rectal pain in men. Other signs of UTI have to do with smell and color — urine may look red, pink or cola-colored (a sign of blood in the urine). It also could appear cloudy or have a strong smell.
According to the Mayo Clinic, UTIs can sometimes be overlooked or mistaken for other conditions in older adults.
Ali’s hospitalization for a UTI last month lasted more than two weeks.
Ali, who is also known for supporting humanitarian causes, was diagnosed in 1984 with Parkinson’s disease, a progressive nervous system disease that affects movement.
