Can a UTI Lead to Urinary Incontinence?

Any infection at affects the bladder and goes untreated can lead to incontinence, making incontinence a possible side effect of a urinary tract infection (UTI). A UTI is just a bacterial infection taking place somewhere within the urinary tract, in the kidneys, ureters, bladder, or urethra. If the infection reaches the bladder, incontinence can occur due to swelling or irritation affecting the bladder. Most people who suffer from UTI’s will experience an increase in frequency of feeling the need to urinate, which can lead to an involuntary loss of urine.

The most common type of incontinence to be associated with a urinary tract infection is urge urinary incontinence. There are many different factors that could lead to urge urinary incontinence including different infections, disorders, pelvic surgery, diabetes, and more. Basically, urge urinary incontinence occurs due to the bladder believing that it is full before it actually is. When a UTI makes its way to the bladder, causing it to become inflamed, that inflammation can cause swelling and irritation, making the bladder feel the need to contract more than normal. The natural process once the bladder muscles contract is for the urethral sphincter muscle to relax, allowing for urine to be released from the body.

Some early indicators that you are suffering from urge urinary incontinence include feeling the need to urinate more frequently than usual (8 or more times in one day is considered abnormal) without an increase in beverage consumption. Urination frequency can be increased at night as well, with it being more than usual if it is more than twice per night. Another common symptom is if you experience some urine leaking involuntarily, either before you’ve been able to make it to the bathroom or right after you have urinated. You may experience an increased in feeling the need to urinate, without much urine coming out each time you try to urinate, with just a general loss of control over when and how much you are urinating. Some people will also experience feeling the need to urinate, and then struggling or straining to urinate once they are actively trying in the bathroom. There are other associated symptoms, so even if your symptoms are not listed here, it is still recommended that you seek medical attention to have the problem treated. Urinary tract infections left untreated can quickly worsen and eventually affect the kidneys, making the condition more severe.

More often than not, urinary incontinence caused by a urinary tract infection will be reversed once the UTI has been treated. If the incontinence persists even once you have taken all of the required antibiotics and the UTI has cleared up, the incontinence may have developed from a different cause. Typically, any incontinence that is triggered by a UTI is considered temporary since it is due to a reaction occurring in the bladder that should dissipate once the infection is completely treated. There are ways to treat incontinence or to prevent any urinary leakage from occurring in the future, so if your urinary incontinence persists once your UTI has cleared up, visit a medical professional to see what treatments might be recommended based on your symptoms and medical history.

Call us for more information about UTIs and how we can help. We serve patients from Smithfield NC, Selma NC, Clayton NC, Princeton NC, Whitley Heights NC, Four Oaks NC, Pine Level NC, Kenly NC, and surrounding areas.