Is My COPD Causing Urinary Tract Infections? What to Know When You’ve Got to Go

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) can be painful, irritating, and uncomfortable. Here’s what to expect and how I avoid them.

I’ve had more than my share of urinary tract infections (UTIs). Some of these have been cured quickly, and others have lingered, even leading to more serious problems. One thing they all had in common was that UTIs are always extremely uncomfortable.

The cause is not entirely clear, but one study published in 2020 suggests that UTIs might be more common in men with COPD and that the chance of getting them increases more over time.

It’s just one more issue our lung disease gives us to deal with.

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What exactly is a UTI?

UTIs are common. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the infection happens when bacteria (from the skin or rectum) enter the urethra and infect the urinary tract. In some cases, the infection can affect the kidneys.

The anatomy of the urinary tract is different in men and women. Both genders have kidneys, a bladder, and a urethra.

But a review article published in 2022 suggests the urethra is shorter in women and located closer to the rectum, making it more likely for them to develop infections in that area. On the other hand, men have prostates, and a UTI can cause the prostate to become inflamed or enlarged.

What does a UTI feel like?

I can describe a urinary tract infection in two words: uncomfortable and painful.

It goes back and forth with a horrible urge to constantly go — and sometimes not be able to go more than a few drops — and a burning sensation during and after you urinate. Basically, I want to sit on the toilet with a heating pad on my pelvis.

The CDC cites other UTI symptoms, including difficulty controlling when you urinate (incontinence), cloudy or foul-smelling urine, pain in the stomach area or lower back, and in some cases, tiny amounts of blood in the urine. It’s worth noting that you should go to the emergency department immediately if you ever see large amounts of blood in your urine.

You can also feel generally ill from a UTI. You may feel more tired than usual or have a fever. A high fever and chills may mean that the infection has spread through your urinary tract.

UTI diagnosis and treatment

It’s important to note that diagnosing a UTI is easy. In my experience, you’ll be asked to pee in a cup in a doctor’s office or laboratory (where you go to get bloodwork).

They’ll be able to see quickly if you have an infection. If you do, the sample is screened to figure out the type of bacteria you have and what antibiotics will work best to cure it.

It takes a few days to get the results from a urinary culture. If you have symptoms, especially if there is a fever, a doctor will usually take a chance that you have one of the more common infections and go ahead and prescribe an antibiotic to treat it. This way, you can get started on feeling better sooner.

UTI complications

It is very important to let your doctor know if you do not feel better after a few days on antibiotics.

If the infection doesn’t improve, it can spread to the kidney or prostate and become more serious. The National Library of Medicine defines this as a complicated UTI. Your fever could get higher, and if the infection travels to your bloodstream it can cause more serious issues.

Any serious infection can stress your system and flare up (exacerbate) COPD. As your body works harder to fight an infection, it can lower your blood pressure and make breathing more difficult.

UTIs can also be chronic, meaning they are either not cured without long-term treatment or are cured but keep coming back. That can be especially difficult to deal with for people like us with COPD, as it becomes another long-term illness that affects your life.

How I avoid UTIs

I’m sure you’ve heard that cranberry juice helps with UTIs. Is it true? That’s a good question. There’s been a lot of research, but no definitive answer other than it may stop some bacteria from staying in your bladder.

I happen to feel it does help me some, so I take cranberry pills or drink cranberry juice if I don’t have the pills. When I have a UTI, I also increase my usual 60 ounces of water a day to try to keep fluids going through my urinary tract. I don’t believe that this is going to cure me, but it certainly seems to make sense that it will help.

Pineapple, which I often have for its benefits for the lungs and digestive system, may also help alleviate some UTI symptoms. Bromelain, found in pineapple, is said to have anti-inflammatory properties that can lessen pain from UTIs.

I also follow my doctor’s advice to wipe from front to back when I go to the bathroom and to wear breathable underwear, usually cotton.

The bottom line

UTIs may be more common for those of us with COPD, but we can do things to help prevent them — recognize the symptoms when UTIs begin and get treatment as soon as we can to avoid complications.