Experiencing UTI Symptoms Before Your Period?

Have you been feeling worried as to why you get UTI symptoms before your period? Does your urinary health take a hit around the time of periods leaving you unsure if there is a connection between your symptoms and your periods? You may also be wondering if having UTI can cause changes in the pattern of your menstrual cycle or can UTI make your periods late. Questions like these may shake your brain as to what is happening and why.

Worry no more! We explain your urinary health and the scientific facts about whether or not there is a connection between UTI symptoms and your periods. We will break down our talk into 2 main areas; urinary system and infections, and reproductive symptoms and physiology of your menstrual periods.^[1][2][3]

Urinary System and Infections

Our Urinary system or tract comprises the left and right kidneys with their respective ureters, urinary bladder, and urethra, the external opening through which you pass urine. The urethra can also be seen as a gateway to introducing infections or germs that can cause infections commonly known as UTIs.

How do you get Urinary Tract Infections?

According to the anatomical distribution, you can either have upper urinary tract infections or lower urinary tract infections. They are commonly called ascending infections as the germs from the skin or rectum gain access to the urinary tract through an external opening; the urethra. Depending upon the extent of exposure to bacteria or germs, you can either get urethritis; an infection of the urethra, cystitis; an infection of the bladder, or pyelonephritis; an infection of the kidneys which is the most severe form of infection.

How Common are Urinary Tract Infections?

Urinary tract infections continue to bear a high incidence of lifetime risk in women where approximately 55% of women will have at least one episode of UTI in their lifetime. In fact, it is one of the most common complaints of women around the world visiting doctors’ offices. Such infections are mostly caused by some bacteria that manage to invade the natural defense systems of our bodies. Once that defense is broken, bacteria get a chance to multiply and cause the infection to spread outwards to inwards (Urethra to kidneys). According to research, about 95% of UTIs occur as a result of infection starting from the urethra. In the rest of the 5% cases, UTIs occur as a result of blood-borne bacterial infection.^[4][5]

Can you get UTI from your Period?

You can get UTI from your period as a consequence of the hormonal changes that occur in our body during the menstrual cycle. The hormones released during the process cause fluctuations in our vaginal pH which further increases our susceptibility to germs and bacteria. Additionally, during the shedding of the uterus lining some tissue may be left behind in your urinary tract which can create a breeding ground for bacteria leading to UTI.

Can a UTI affect your period?

Having a UTI may not cause your period to be delayed or make it come earlier if you have a regular menstrual cycle. It is possible that the symptoms of the UTI like a burning sensation while urinating, fever, etc., can affect your general health and can lead to skipping your periods but cannot directly cause them. In some instances, if you have a UTI that is left untreated for a long time, the infection can spread to the reproductive organs and affect your period. In such cases, it is recommended to seek medical attention as soon as possible to avoid more severe problems.

Bladder Infections and Periods

Having a bladder infection can also cause changes in your period. When you have a bladder infection, it may be painful to urinate and there could be an increase in the amount of urine that is produced. This can cause increased pressure on the uterus which then impacts the menstrual cycle by causing cramps or irregular periods. Additionally, if the bladder infection is severe, it can also lead to hormonal imbalances that may cause changes in your period. If you are experiencing any symptoms of a bladder infection alongside irregular periods, then it is recommended that you visit a doctor for a diagnosis and treatment.

Types of UTIs

There are two types of Urinary tract infections; that is Uncomplicated and Complicated.

Uncomplicated Urinary Tract Infections

We can consider a UTI to be uncomplicated when bladder or kidney infection is present with:

• This occurs in women in the age group that still have menstrual periods
• In women who have no anatomical variation of the urinary tract
• In women who are not pregnant
• In women who have no un-controlled co-morbid conditions

These UTIs are usually easy to treat with or without antibiotics depending upon the severity of the infection.

Complicated Urinary Tract Infections

Any UTI that does not fulfil the criteria for uncomplicated UTI is relatively harder to treat and is called a complicated UTI. A UTI is considered complicated if:

• It occurs in pregnant women or children
• There is anatomical variation or abnormality causing urine flow obstruction
• There is an uncontrolled medical conditions such as poorly controlled diabetes, chronic kidney disease
• In the case of recent surgery on the urinary tract

Acute Urethral Syndrome

There is a third variety called Acute Urethral Syndrome that causes the frequency of urination and pain while voiding however, it does not reflect as a full-blown infection on the urine culture results. The causes can be non-infectious such as tightening of the urethral opening, dryness of urethral walls due to post-menopausal state in women or localized trauma.

Risk Factors for developing UTI

The main risk factors for developing UTI in women include:

• Sexual intercourse
• Diaphragm or spermicide product use
• Recent antibiotic use
• New sex partner during the last year
• Personal history of repeated UTIs
• The first episode of UTI occurs at an early age
• Positive history of UTIs in the first-degree female relatives

Is cloudy urine a symptom of UTI?

Cloudy urine is one of the common symptoms of UTI. Cloudy urine may also be accompanied by a strong smell and can be caused by an infection or the presence of white blood cells in the urine sample due to inflammation in the urinary tract. Other causes include kidney stones, dehydration, etc.

UTI Like Symptoms

UTI can present with signs and symptoms that are milder in nature or can present as full-blown sepsis in severe cases. Common symptoms that may mean you might have UTI are:

• Dysuria; pain while urinating
• Frequency; an urge to urinate frequently
• Burning micturition; burning sensation while voiding small amounts of urine
• Nocturia; waking up at night to pass urine
• Pain in the lower mid-abdomen
• Lower back pain or flank pain
• Low to high-grade fever, chills
• Nausea and vomiting

^[6][7]

Reproductive Systems and Menstrual Periods

The female reproductive system consists of two ovaries located on each side of the pelvis, Uterus, and vagina the opening of which lies close to the urethral opening. Each month, women go through a cycle of hormonal changes that prepare the ovaries and uterus for a possible pregnancy. If pregnancy does not occur, the lining of the uterus sheds off so it can rejuvenate and prepare itself to enter into the next cycle. This shredded lining includes blood vessels that result in bleeding during periods.

In order to understand your urinary and reproductive health and their relation with each other, let us talk about the basic anatomy of the female pelvis.

Figure 1: Female Anatomy [1]

As you can see, there is close proximity between the vaginal opening; the outlet for blood from periods and the urethral opening; the outlet for urine. Some researchers identify this distance to be around 1 cm. Even though both these openings are lying next to each other, there is no connection between both systems internally. Hence, having a urinary tract infection will have NO role in causing adverse changes to the menstrual cycle.

Relationship Between UTI and Reproductive Health

Considering the close anatomical proximity of the two systems, it is inevitable for someone to have one system affected by the other, however, it has never been reported to affect negatively. It simply means that having UTI is not caused by hormonal changes in the body however; some women might experience UTI symptoms before, during or around their periods.^[8]

• Author
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Dr. Khadija Haris, MBBS

Medically Reviewed

Internationally trained physician from Pakistan with a decade of primary-care and emergency experience across South Asia and Canada. She serves Indigenous communities in Northern Manitoba as a Clinical Assistant and founded a free rural clinic in Punjab based on Canadian values of universal access. Dr Haris focuses on innovative models that expand care for underserved populations and writes on global health equity and culturally safe practice.