By Heidi Borst, Sep 17, 2024
Can stress cause a UTI? Stress doesn’t directly cause UTIs, says Kecia Gaither, MD, a board-certified OB-GYN maternal-medicine physician and Director of Perinatal Services/Maternal-Fetal Medicine at NYC Health + Hospitals/Lincoln in the Bronx. However, she says that it can trigger abnormally elevated levels of cortisol, which has a significant impact on immune function. During periods of high stress, the nervous system releases cortisol, an adrenal hormone that regulates the body’s fight-or-flight response. While cortisol can be advantageous in the short term by providing you with extra energy, prolonged exposure to elevated cortisol levels from chronic stress can impair the immune response, leaving the body more vulnerable to viral and bacterial infections.
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