A urinary tract infection is a bacterial infection of the bladder that causes frequent, urgent and painful urination. Though this type of infection is more common in women, men can also develop urinary tract infections. The causes of urinary tract infection in men are diverse and most commonly affect men over the age of 50, according to the Milton S. Hershey Medical Center.
Bacterial Prostate Infection
The most common cause of a urinary tract infection in men is a bacterial prostate infection, the Merck Manuals Online Medical Library reports. The prostate is a small gland that sits beneath a man's bladder and surrounds the urethra, the thin tube that transports urine from the bladder out of a man's body. Bacteria within the prostate can also infect the bladder, leading to urinary tract infection. Additionally, an inflamed prostate gland can irritate the bladder, which can exacerbate bladder infection symptoms. Men who develop a urinary tract infection due to a bacterial prostate infection may require several weeks of antibiotic treatment to resolve this infection.
Kidney Stones
Kidney stones are small, solid masses of crystallized components from the urine. A kidney stone that develops within the urinary tract can interfere with the normal flow of urine out of a man's body. Stagnant urine in the bladder can lead to bladder irritation and make it more susceptible to infection, PDRHealth reports. Antibiotic treatment typically resolves urinary tract infection caused by kidney stones. Recurrent urinary tract infections caused by a kidney stone stuck in the urinary tract may not resolve until the kidney stone is removed.
Sexually Transmitted Diseases or Sexual Intercourse
Certain types of bacteria, such as chlamydia and mycoplasma, can cause urinary tract infections in men, the National Kidney and Urologic Diseases Information Clearinghouse reports. These bacteria can be transmitted through sexual intercourse with an infected partner. Certain types of sexual intercourse, such as anal sex, can also cause urinary tract infections in men. Bacteria from the rectum of an intimate partner can travel up through a man's urethra into his bladder.
Catheter Placement
A catheter is a narrow tube inserted through the urethra and into the bladder to help drain excess fluid waste from the body. A bladder catheter may be placed following surgery to aid in urination, until a man is healthy enough to move about normally or voluntarily urinate. During catheter placement, a medical professional may accidentally contaminate the catheter tube. If this occurs, bacteria on the catheter can infect a man's bladder, causing urinary tract infection, the NKUDIC reports.
