If urethritis is left untreated, it may spread up the male urinary tract to the prostate gland, where it may cause an inflammation called prostatitis. Prostatitis may also start by itself from the same sorts of infections that cause urethritis. If prostatitis goes untreated, it may spread up to the bladder and kidneys, causing infections there. In bladder infections, a bacteria attacks the inner lining of the bladder, especially when there is any slowdown or obstruction of urine flowing out from the bladder. Sometimes this obstruction or slowdown in urine emptying from the bladder is caused by an enlarged prostate.
Diabetics are particularly prone to developing bladder infections.
It may also be necessary to schedule a follow-up urine test to check for any remaining infection. The discomfort from a urinary tract infection should begin to go away within a day after antibiotic treatment is begun, and will disappear within several days. Drinking plenty of fluids up to three quarts per day should help speed recovery. In most cases, an infection in the lower urinary tract can be Treated and causes no permanent damage if treatment is begun early. A kidney infection is more serious, and without proper treatment, can result in permanent kidney damage and severe complications.