Does Stress Cause UTI?

It is a well-known and thoroughly researched fact that stress negatively impacts many systems in the human body: the cardiovascular system, the gastrointestinal system, the nervous system, and more.

Stress can even lead to one developing addictions, such as smoking or vaping addictions, which are quite harmful.

But how does stress affect the urinary tract, if at all? Does stress cause UTI? The answer to this question is a bit more complex than a simple yes or no answer, and it requires some understanding of how stress and the immune system are linked.

This article will go over what an UTI is and what it’s caused by, how stress affects the immune system, and the connection between stress and developing an UTI.

UTI: What It Is, And Why It Is

An UTI, or urinary tract infection, is, as the name indicates, an infection of the body’s urinary tract. An urinary tract infection can affect any of the parts of the urinary system: the kidneys, the bladder, the ureters and urethra, but the most common part for an UTI to set in is the urethra.

Women are at an increased risk of developing UTI than men, but both men and women may develop it. UTIs are typically caused by a bacterial infection making its way into the urinary system.

An urinary tract infection is, if contained in the bladder or urethra, typically not very dangerous. If, however, the infection spreads to or starts out in the kidneys, it can have severe negative health implications, and may even lead to death.

Urinary tract infections are most often treated with prescription medicine, namely antibiotics, in order to eliminate the bacteria causing the infection from the body. Anti-inflammatory medicine may also be prescribed, when it is deemed necessary by medical professionals.

UTIs may be symptomatic or asymptomatic, depending on a very broad range of factors. If symptoms do appear, they typically consist of:

• Experiencing a burning sensation when urinating, either occasionally or every time when doing so.

• Frequent urination which only passes somewhat small amounts of urine.

• A persistent, strong urge to urinate, which may not go away even when no urine needs to be passed from the body.

• Strongly scented urine. The type of smell that the urine has may vary, depending on a vast amount of different factors.

• Blood present in the urine, resulting from tissue inflammation and damage along the urinary tract.

• In women, pelvic pain in the center of the pelvis and in close proximity to the pubic bone’s location.

• A cloudy visual aspect of the passed urine.

Now that we’ve gained a level of understanding of what a UTI is, let’s discuss the link between the immune system and stress.

The Immune System And Stress

Stress affects the immune system in ways which hinder this system’s ability to protect the body from infection, ailments, and general sickness.

The immune system is responsible for maintaining biological security inside of your body. It does so by sending its leukocytes, the body’s natural killer cells, to seek, identify and eliminate threats such as harmful bacteria, viruses and cancer cells, for example.

During stress, the body’s fight or flight natural response gets triggered, which prompts the body to release stress hormones, including the stress hormone known as cortisol. An elevated level of cortisol present in the blood, especially for long durations of time, can and often does lead to a decrease in the number of leukocytes present in your body.

This decrease in the number of leukocytes in the body leaves the immune system with less resources, thus reducing its ability to protect the body from threats.

Chronic stress is particularly dangerous in this regard, as it means that cortisol is consistently being released into the body, meaning the immune system is permanently functioning at a reduced capacity. This can have very negative, potentially deadly implications.

Heightened stress levels and stress hormone levels in the bloodstream also reduce the efficiency of the body’s anti-inflammatory response, further increasing the risk of complications when facing infections.

Inflammation of tissue may, in some cases, prove beneficial to the infections, allowing the harmful bacteria an easier time wreaking havoc on the body, and maybe even aiding it multiply itself more easily.

Now, does stress cause UTI? Let’s finally answer the question.

Does Stress Cause UTI?

Stress, by itself, chronic or otherwise, is not a biological, living organism, and as such possesses no ability to cause an infection in any parts of the body whatsoever. The answer then is that no, stress cannot cause an urinary tract infection.

Stress does, however, greatly hinder your immune system when it comes to protecting the body from bacteria and other threats. Due to this, bacteria may have a much easier time entering your body and causing infections, due to the reduced efficiency and resources of the immune system.

So stress does, albeit indirectly, lead to an increased risk of developing urinary tract infection. Stress also increases the risk of various other types of illnesses, both as a result of its effect on the immune system, as well as its harmful effect on the other systems in the body.

During the fight or flight response, which stress triggers, blood is also diverted from organs and areas your body deems less vital, and this includes the urinary system. With less oxygen and nutrients being delivered to the urinary system through blood flow, this leaves it more susceptible to damage from the infection.

Conclusion

Does stress cause UTI? The simple answer is yes and no. The more complex answer is that stress negatively impacts the body’s immune system, making it less capable of defending the body from threats, resulting in bacteria having an easier time entering the body and settling in, causing infections, including urinary tract infections.

Urinary tract infections, when the patient is also experiencing chronic stress, will also be more likely to cause lasting damage, due to a reduced supply of oxygen and nutrients to the urinary system, making its efforts to repair its tissue damage slower to progress.

This is yet another reason why managing your stress levels is very important, as low stress levels promote a strong immune system, and in turn, a healthier life.

I wish you a calm and peaceful day, take care.