Development of an overly sensitive bladder, which causes frequent urination, could occur as a result of having multiple urinary-tract infections (UTIs), Pennsylvania researchers have concluded.
A recent study found women who have had bouts with UTI are more likely to develop the over sensitivity than women who have not had recurring infections.
Lead researcher Dr. Lily Arya, of the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, said the findings point to the importance of dealing with and treating UTIs immediately.
“If they are having repeated attacks of bladder infection, which is more than three a year, they probably need to be seen by a specialist,” Arya said. “They should be treating them ASAP and not be casual about doing that.”
The study was published in the British Journal of Urology International. It involved 102 female participants who kept bathroom diaries. Researchers learned that women with UTIs urinated 12 times a day, compared to seven times for noninfected women.
While the reasons for the oversensitivity are unknown, the theory is it might be connected to the bladder’s nerves, as they suffer impacts from infections.
“I think the one thing to know for certain is that if you have symptoms of urgency or frequency…it’s very important to get a urine culture to find out if you have an infection or not,” said Dr. Kenneth Peters, of Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine.