Urinary Tract Infection in Men Birmingham
What is Urinary Tract Infection?
Your urinary system consists of kidneys, ureters, bladder and urethra. Kidneys produce urine which is then passed down the ureters into the bladder. The bladder stores the urine for a few hours before we empty it through the urethra which is the water pipe. UTI or urinary tract infection occurs when bacteria enters this system, either through the urethra into the bladder or via the blood directly into the kidneys
Cystitis or Bladder Infection
When bacteria enter the bladder through the water pipe they can lead to the infection and inflammation of the bladder called cystitis. These infections are caused by bacteria from the bowel usually by spreading from the skin around the back passage to the urethra and then into the bladder.
In men the causes of bladder infections are:
- Incomplete emptying of the bladder caused by prostatic enlargement, mostly in men over 50
- Urethral stricture which is narrowing of the water pipe
- Neurological conditions leading to weakness of the bladder muscle and thus poor emptying of the bladder can also lead to infections
- Presence of bladder stone which can cause painful voiding along with infection or blood in the urine.
- Urethral catheter can also lead to recurrent UTI