Causes Of A Urinary Tract Infection

Use Of A Catheter

The use of a catheter is the most common cause of a urinary tract infection for men. A catheter is a tube used to assist in emptying the bladder when an individual has difficulty doing so due to health conditions such as an enlarged prostate. Unfortunately, bacteria can be transferred to the urinary tract and directly into the bladder by traveling along the catheter. Catheter use is safe when basic precautions are taken. The catheter should always be kept in its sterile container when not in use. Whoever is inserting the tube must wash their hands before the insertion as well as after. The skin around the insertion point should be sterilized with alcohol before the procedure. Catheterization should not be used as a convenience, but only when it is truly necessary.

Heavy Antibiotic Use

The most common way to deal with a urinary tract infection is through the prescription of antibiotics. However, there is a danger of worse infections with heavy antibiotic use. Antibiotics will not necessarily cause a UTI, but heavy use increases the likelihood bacteria will become resistant to antibiotics. For this reason, many doctors do not immediately prescribe antibiotics when bacteria are found in a urine sample. Bacteria may live in the urinary tract without causing problems. Instead, they will often wait to see if there is a positive test for bacteria along with symptoms of a UTI before administering any antibiotics. They will also minimize the course of antibiotics and use the lowest effective dosage as much as possible to avoid potential resistance.