Alcohol can have a major impact on the body, including the health of its urinary tract. Besides damaging the liver over time, alcohol affects the body’s ability to produce white blood cells. This, in turn, reduces the body’s ability to fight off infections, including urinary tract infections.
So, while alcohol doesn’t directly cause a urinary tract infection, it can certainly lower the body’s defense systems and indirectly cause one. This article takes a closer look at what a urinary tract infection is and alcohol’s role in getting one.
Table of Contents
What Is a UTI?
A urinary tract infection (UTI) is an infection that affects your urinary system, including the kidneys, bladder, urethra, and ureters. Most UTIs are caused by Escherichia coli (E. coli) bacteria, which enter your urinary system through the urethra and start to multiply. These bacterial infections can affect any part of the urinary system, but most commonly cause cystitis, which affects the lower urinary tract—specifically the bladder and urethra.
The symptoms of a UTI typically include a burning sensation during urination, frequent urges to urinate, and cloudy or strong-smelling urine. If left untreated, the infection can spread to the kidneys, which poses a more serious health risk. A typical course of antibiotics is prescribed to treat UTIs, helping to eliminate the bacteria and reduce the risk of UTIs developing in the future.
Although Escherichia coli is the most common cause, other bacterial infections can also increase the risk of UTIs. It’s important to seek medical attention if you suspect a UTI to prevent complications.
Common Causes of UTIs
Roughly 90% of UTIs are caused by E.coli from the lower intestines. However, people can also pick up bacteria on their fingers and spread it to their urinary system when they go to the bathroom or during sex.
Women are more likely to have a UTI infection than men due to their anatomy. In women, their anus is close to their urethra opening, which makes it more likely for bacteria to reach the urethra. An infection can occur if feces on toilet paper accidentally enters the urethra or if you wipe yourself from back to front after using the toilet.
Common Symptoms of UTIs
There are different types of UTIs, and your symptoms will depend on what part of your urinary system has been affected.
- Bladder: If the infection is in your bladder, you will experience painful and frequent urination, blood in your urine, and lower belly pain or discomfort.
- Urethra: If the infection is in your urethra, you will experience burning when you urinate and discharge.
- Kidneys: If the infection has spread to your kidneys, you will experience back or side pain, high chills, nausea, and vomiting.
Other symptoms include strong-smelling urine, urine that has a cloudy color, and a desire to always urinate.
How Alcohol Can Indirectly Contribute to UTIs
Although there isn’t a direct relation between alcohol and UTIs, alcohol can indirectly contribute to UTIs in various ways.
Dehydration
Alcohol can indirectly cause UTIs by dehydrating the body. When your body is dehydrated, it’s unable to flush out bacteria effectively, leading to a bacteria buildup in your system. To reduce the risk of catching a urinary tract infection, it’s important to stay hydrated while consuming alcohol. If you don’t drink fluids, such as water, while consuming alcohol, try to remember to do so afterward.
Immune System Suppression
Consuming large amounts of alcohol frequently can impair your immune system. How? Alcohol impairs the body’s ability to produce white blood cells, which the body needs to fight off infections. With fewer white blood cells, the body can’t effectively fight off diseases, let alone urinary tract infections. Heavy drinkers will find that with time, their bodies have a weakened immune system and aren’t able to fend off any infection properly.
Practicing Poor Hygiene
Drinking heavily can impair your judgment, resulting in lapses in personal care, such as not wiping yourself well after using the bathroom or neglecting proper hygiene during sex. Poor hygiene may also include forgetting to wash your hands after the bathroom and wiping yourself back to front instead of front to back after using the toilet.
Behavior Changes
Lastly, behavioral changes from drinking too much alcohol can result in delayed urination. By delaying when you urinate, you’re allowing bacteria to build up in your urinary system. Although holding in your pee from time to time shouldn’t be problematic in a healthy adult, doing this constantly can lead to problems.
Another behavioral change is reducing the amount of fluids your body takes in, especially during the times you’re suffering from alcohol withdrawal symptoms. Most people feel rather sick during these times and prefer not to eat or drink anything, including water. As mentioned above, however, a dehydrated body won’t allow your body to flush out the bacteria in its urinary tract system.
Does Alcohol Directly Cause UTIs?
Alcohol doesn’t directly cause UTIs, but it may increase the body’s chances of getting it by contributing to the following risk factors.
- Dehydration: The body can’t effectively flush out bacteria when it doesn’t produce enough urine.
- Poor hygiene: Careless hygiene habits can occur when using the bathroom or during sexual activity.
- Weakened immune system: Consuming large quantities of alcohol weakens the immune system, preventing the body from effectively fighting off infections.
In addition to the above risk factors, alcohol can also worsen your symptoms as your body’s weakened immune system can’t effectively fight infections off. Moreover, alcohol produces concentrated urine, and this concentrated urine can irritate your bladder’s lining. If you have a urinary tract infection in your bladder, this could undoubtedly worsen your pain.
Preventing UTIs While Drinking
There are quite a few ways to prevent UTIs while drinking.
Stay Hydrated
Since alcohol acts as a diuretic, it dehydrates your body, making it crucial to drink plenty of water both while you’re drinking and afterward. Staying hydrated helps flush out toxins and bacteria that can build up in your urinary tract system, reducing the risk of bladder irritation and urinary issues. Increased fluid intake can also help alleviate the burning sensation that sometimes accompanies bladder discomfort due to acidity levels in the body.
In addition to water, it’s a good idea to drink electrolyte-rich beverages, like Gatorade, to replace the potassium and salt that your body loses when consuming alcohol. Maintaining proper hydration is essential for minimizing the negative effects of alcohol on your system.
Practice Good Hygiene
When you’re drunk, it may be difficult to practice good hygiene. However, it’s important to wipe yourself from front to back when using the bathroom (especially for women) and to wash your hands after using the bathroom. You should also wash your hands and clean yourself after sexual activity.
Don’t Hold Your Pee In
If you’re drinking heavily with friends or alone, you may put off going to the bathroom to pee. However, this is a bad idea. The minute you feel the urge to pee, excuse yourself to go to the bathroom. Holding large amounts of urine in your bladder weakens the bladder over time, too.
Stay Away From Irritants
Heavy drinking can irritate your bladder. But if you’re drinking heavily, don’t add additional irritants like spicy foods and caffeine. Try to limit the irritants you put in your body.
Alcohol Addiction Treatment at Allure Detox
Heavy alcohol consumption does significant harm to your body, especially your liver and brain. The impact of alcohol extends beyond physical damage; it can weaken your immune system, dehydrate your body, and impair your judgment, all of which can indirectly lead to conditions like UTIs. While alcohol doesn’t directly cause UTIs, the relationship between alcohol and your overall health plays a significant role in increasing the risks.
If you or a loved one is struggling with alcohol abuse, it’s important to seek medical advice and explore treatment options immediately. At Allure Detox, we offer medically supervised detox programs for both inpatient and outpatient care, ensuring you can safely detox under the guidance of experienced professionals. Our goal is to ensure your safety as you begin your addiction recovery journey.
Alcohol dependence is one of the hardest dependencies to overcome, as the effects of alcohol on the body and mind are profound. That’s why our team at Allure Detox creates a personalized treatment plan to guide you every step of the way—from detox to therapy.
Whether you’re dealing with moderate alcohol consumption or excessive alcohol consumption, we’re here to help. If alcohol intake is affecting your life, give us a call to discuss our treatment options and start your journey toward recovery today.
Published on: 2024-10-22
Updated on: 2024-10-22
