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Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are a common problem, especially for women. In fact, about 10% of women experience a UTI each year. This makes it one of the most common outpatient infections in the United States.
It’s no secret that UTIs can mess with urination, making it uncomfortable and even painful at times. But can a UTI affect your period? Let’s find out.
Key takeaways
- UTIs themselves do not directly cause delayed periods.
- However, the stress and hormonal imbalances associated with UTIs can affect your menstrual cycle.
- On the flip side, hormonal changes during your period may increase your risk of getting a UTI.
- The most common UTI symptoms include pain or burning sensation during urination, frequent urination, cloudy urine, fever, lower abdomen pain, and nausea and vomiting.
- causes of a delayed period include pregnancy, birth control, weight changes, lifestyle factors, and underlying conditions.
- If you have significant changes in your menstrual cycle for more than three cycles, talk to your doctor.
Can a UTI delay your period?
Let’s start with some basics of a urinary tract infection (UTI).
This kind of infection wreaks havoc on your urinary tract (which includes the kidneys, ureters, bladder, and urethra). It most often affects your lower urinary tract, which is your bladder and urethra. Because the opening of the urethra is located near your vagina, you might wonder if urinary tract infections could directly interfere with your menstrual cycle.
Here are the common UTI symptoms:
- Pain or burning sensation during urination
- Urinating frequently (even though your bladder may be empty)
- Urgency of urination
- Small urine volume
- Lower abdominal discomfort
- The feeling that you haven’t completely emptied your bladder
- Blood in your urine or cloudy urine
- Fever
- Nausea and vomiting
UTIs can definitely cause discomfort and disrupt your daily routine. But they do not directly affect your period.
However, UTIs can indirectly affect your cycle.
Even though UTIs don’t directly stop your period, they can still cause menstrual irregularities.
This is because infections such as UTIs can increase stress levels.
When you’re stressed, your body releases a hormone called cortisol. High levels of cortisol can interfere with the production of other hormones, such as progesterone. And progesterone is key to regulating your menstrual cycle.
Cortisol production can divert resources away from other hormones like progesterone. This is sometimes called the “pregnenolone steal.”
Increased stress can also affect the production of other important hormones like FSH (follicle-stimulating hormone) and LH (luteinizing hormone).
These hormones are essential for ovulation. Disruptions in their production can lead to menstrual irregularities.
But there’s good news! These irregular periods are usually temporary and will pass as your infection goes away.
Know more: Why Does My Period Date Change Every Month?
Is there a relationship between UTIs and your period?
We now know that urinary tract infections don’t directly affect or delay your period. But on the flip side, there might be a slightly increased risk of developing a UTI while you’re on your period.
Why? Because of estrogen.
Estrogen plays a key role in maintaining the health of your vaginal area. It helps to keep an acidic environment and promotes the growth of good or beneficial bacteria, such as Lactobacillus.
This prevents the growth of harmful bacteria in the urinary tract. During your period, estrogen levels are naturally low. This hormonal decline can create an environment that is more susceptible to bacterial overgrowth. This, in turn, increases the risk of a UTI.
Other common reasons for a delayed period
Are you having changes in your menstrual cycle? There are other factors that could be contributing to these changes.
Pregnancy
This is the most common cause of a missed period. If your period is delayed, take a pregnancy test to confirm.
Know more: When to Take a Pregnancy Test After Implantation
Birth control
Hormonal birth control methods, including pills, patches, and injections can cause changes in your menstrual cycle, especially during the first six months after starting or stopping birth control.
Know more: How Soon After Stopping Birth Control Can You Get Pregnant?
Weight changes
Significant weight loss or gain can mess with fat reserves, and consequently, your estrogen levels which can affect your menstrual cycle.
Lifestyle factors
Stress, lack of sleep, and excessive exercise can all impact your menstrual cycle.
Know more: Why Does My Period Date Change Every Month?
Underlying medical conditions
Conditions such as polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), endometriosis, fibroids, and thyroid disorders can also cause irregular or missed periods.
What can you do about a delayed period?
If you’re experiencing a delayed period, there are some things you can do to help.
- Monitor your symptoms: Pay close attention to any other symptoms you may be feeling. These can include unusual vaginal discharge, pelvic pain, or fever.
- Consider lifestyle changes: Focus on better health and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. This includes a balanced diet, regular exercise, and getting 7-9 hours of sleep per night.
- Track your cycles: Using a fertility monitor like Inito can help you track and confirm ovulation. This can help you identify your unique hormone patterns and understand whether you’re ovulating or not.
How to treat UTIs
Treating UTIs is fairly straightforward. Usually, your doctor will prescribe an antibiotic to help flush your urinary system. The type of antibiotic and the length of treatment depends on the severity of the UTI and the type of bacteria causing it.
Here are some quick things to remember when it comes to taking antibiotics.
- Complete the full course: Take all prescribed antibiotics per your doctor’s instructions. This is true even if you start to feel better before your antibiotics are done.
- Don’t share antibiotics: Though most UTI antibiotics are the same, never share antibiotics. They may not be effective for their different infection.
If you’re seeking treatment for a UTI, here are other things that can help:
- Take over-the-counter pain relievers.
- Stay hydrated with lots of water to help flush bacteria from your urinary tract.
- Drink cranberry juice.
- Limit drinks that can irritate the bladder. This includes caffeine, alcohol, and citrus juices.
When to talk to a doctor
Talk to your healthcare provider if you experience any of the following:
- A period lasting less than 21 or more than 35 days
- Bleeding for less than 2 days
- Unusually heavy or prolonged bleeding that lasts more than 8 days
- Periods with severe pain, cramps, nausea, and vomiting
- You think you may have a kidney infection. This happens when the UTI moves up to the kidneys.
- Concerns about your menstrual health
FAQs
Yes, blood in your urine is a symptom of a urinary tract infection. It’s usually due to inflammation in the urinary tract which can irritate the inner lining of the bladder and urethra. This can lead to the rupture of tiny blood vessels that then leak blood into the urine.
A yeast infection doesn’t directly delay your period. However, hormonal changes that can happen during your menstrual cycle may increase your chances of getting a yeast infection.
The hormonal changes can change the balance of bacteria and yeast in the vagina. The result? An environment more conducive to yeast overgrowth.
Know more: Can Yeast Infections Cause Infertility? The Truth
Generally speaking, antibiotics do not directly affect your period with the exception of rifampin. This antibiotic is used for treating tuberculosis and may cause cycle changes. It’s also been shown to interact with some birth control, making them less effective.
Know more: Can Antibiotics Make Your Period Late? Know the Truth
A UTI itself doesn’t directly stop your period. But, stress can affect your body’s delicate hormone balance. This is especially true when it comes to the hormones that regulate your cycle.
High stress can affect your body’s production of progesterone. It can also interfere with FSH and LH production. These reproductive hormones are key to ovulation and menstruation.
Also, fighting a UTI means your body goes into an immune system response. This can divert resources and energy away from other bodily functions, like regulating your menstrual cycle.
You may feel like you have a UTI on your period because the symptoms can sometimes overlap.
Both periods and UTIs can cause similar symptoms:
- Frequent urination
- Pelvic discomfort
- Changes in vaginal discharge
Hormonal fluctuations that happen throughout your cycle can also make you more susceptible to UTIs. Lower estrogen levels during this time can disrupt the balance of good bacteria in the vagina. This can increase the risk of UTIs.
Period sex itself doesn’t directly cause a UTI, but being sexually active can increase the risk. Here’s why:
- Sexual activity at any time (including menstruation) can introduce bacteria into the urethra.
- Vaginal pH changes during menstruation. This can create an environment more susceptible to bacterial growth.
For sexually active women, practice good hygiene before and after sex to help reduce the risk of UTIs. This includes urinating before and after intercourse.
It won’t make it worse, per se. But there could be a slight increase in the risk of developing a UTI during your period. This is due to estrogen declining and your vaginal pH levels changing.
