Can a urinary tract infection cause nausea and vomiting?

If you’ve ever experienced the unpleasant sensation of needing to pee every five minutes, accompanied by that burning feeling and lower abdominal pain, then congrats – you may be experiencing a Urinary Tract Infection (UTI)! But wait…what’s that? Are you also feeling queasy or throwing up? Is it possible that your UTI is making your stomach churn like butter in the blender? Read on to find out!

Understanding Urinary Tract Infections

Before we jump into whether or not UTIs can cause nausea and vomiting (spoiler alert: they totally can!), let’s take a quick look at what causes these pesky infections. A UTI occurs when bacteria make their way into the urinary tract, which includes the bladder, urethra, kidneys, and even sometimes the tubes connecting them. Common symptoms include:

  • Painful urination
  • Frequent urges to pee
  • Cloudy or unusual-smelling urine
  • Pressure or tenderness in the lower abdomen.

The most common culprit behind UTIs is Escherichia coli (E. coli) bacteria from poop (!!!), but other types of bacteria can also lead to this unfortunate situation.

How Do Nausea And Vomiting Fit Into The Picture?

Alrighty then – back to our original question: Can a urinary tract infection cause nausea and vomiting? Unfortunately for those who hate barfing as if spring break never ended (who doesn’t?!), it turns out that yes (gulp) – it definitely can.

When bacteria infect any part of your body (cue warzone music), your immune system launches an attack against the invaders(insert images of tanks exploding here). This response often results in inflammation(big word alert!), which affects not only where the bugs are causing trouble(borderlines areas marked red with tiny warning symbols in the body map), but also other nearby tissues which may have to do with food digestion, like your stomach lining. This can lead to uncomfortable GI symptoms(fancy acronym for gastrointestinal), such as nausea or vomiting. If you’ve ever had food poisoning, then you know that those same inflammatory pathways can cause similar issues.

It’s worth noting that other factors could be at play when it’s not obvious if a UTI is causing those gastric woes. For example, some antibiotics used to treat UTIs are known to cause nausea (it’s okay science – we know you are trying hard!). Additionally, certain types of kidney infections caused by the same bacteria that cause UTIs often come hand-in-hand with fevers and waves of vomiting (what a great combo, eh?). So what should you do if all roads still point towards Rome-your urinary tract-?

When To See A Doctor

As much as we want the universal solution to any problem being rest (Lazy town music starts playing) – seeing a doctor is typically the best option when dealing with a possible Urinary Tract Infection + Nausea/Vomiting combination. This helps ensure proper diagnosis and treatment without unnecessary delay or suffering(who has time for improper diagnoses?!). Depending on factors such as age/current health condition/medical history/habits/mood swings(you never know..) they might recommend:

  • Blood tests/checking urine
  • Prescribing an antibiotic to combat both problems
  • Anti-nausea/vomiting medication
  • Inquiry about previous sexual activity (cue awkward pause)

The Bottom Line:

To sum up this party pooper of an article (wink wink nudge nudge), it IS possible that having a urinary tract infection causes nausea and vomiting because inflammation from attacked invaders triggers malaise in every neighborhood tissue they pass through along their path(body drama huh?). However there could be other factors at play as well, and the only way to get a proper diagnosis is to speak with a medical professional. Till then remember-just because you’re feeling pissed off doesn’t mean you have to feel nauseous too!

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