can my UTI cause a rash? Does UTI cause itching? These are some questions asked by patients with urinary tract infection(UTI).
These are atypical queries as very few UTI patients present with such complaints. We are going to find answers to those questions in this article. Let’s discuss the skin rash first.
Does UTI cause a skin rash? To be simple, the answer is, ‘NO’. It is very unlikely that you will develop skin rash due to UTI.
But sometimes, you may have rash during an episode of urinary tract infection. What may be the causes? Let’s talk about the rash during urinary tract infection.
1. Drug reaction
The most common cause of rash during UTI is a drug reaction. As discussed below in the next section (itching and UTI), allergy to any drug may cause itching and rash.
But, the most common drug to cause rash during urinary tract infection is nitrofurantoin.
You probably know about this antibiotic. It is the most commonly used antibiotic for uncomplicated UTI. We even use it long term in recurrent urinary tract infection.
But, it has many side effects which may be found in some cases.
About 3 patients per 1000 cases develop pulmonary reaction which presents with cough, fever, respiratory distress, and erythematous rashes (normal rashes).
In the case of chronic use of nitrofurantoin, the reaction is less severe and develop after months of intake. However, don’t be afraid to use this effective drug.
The probability is only 0.3% and we hope that you will be from that 99.7 %. If you are unlucky enough to get this reaction, nothing to worry. Just stop the nitrofurantoin and contact your doctor.
2. Skin diseases
You may have concomitant skin diseases during urinary tract infection and you may confuse it with symptoms of UTI. There may be contact dermatitis, ringworm, urticaria, etc.
So, if you develop a rash during UTI, contact your doctor for the right diagnosis and treatment. the presence of a UTI could worsen the skin disease
3. Diaper rash and UTI
It is a common scenario in young children. But if a dependent adult person uses diaper, he may also develop a diaper rash.
We usually keep our babies in diapers to avoid the burden of frequent cloth changing.
But, if the diaper is used for a long time the urinary toxic products get a chance to cause local irritations leading to a rash. And the fecal bacteria also get time to travel to the urinary tract.
So the diaper is a risk factor for developing UTI. Now the point is, during an episode of UTI, your baby urinates more frequently.
If the diaper is not changed frequently, there is more chance of getting a diaper rash. So change your baby’s diaper more frequently than normal during a UTI. And if a rash develops, keep the area clean and dry.
Zinc oxide paste can be used in severe cases. if you are going to use zinc oxide cream apply a thin layer of the cream on the diaper area after you have cleaned and dried the area completely.
you can use this zinc oxide cream available on amazon (net weight 16 oz or 454 g), you can use it also as a moisturizer generally.
in some cases, you may also need to use antibiotics or steroids creams or ointments in which case the doctor should be prescribing them to you
4. Urosepsis
It is a life-threatening complication of urinary tract infection. It means sepsis resulting from a UTI.
sepsis is when bacteria reach the blood circulation, in the case of urosepsis, the bacteria reach the blood coming from the urinary tract.
Urosepsis is different from kidney infection or nephritis. Urinary tract infection usually remains constrained within the bladder, ureter, and kidney.
But in rare and complicated cases, it may spread to your blood. And a widespread immune reaction starts in the body. And you may suffer from fever or low temperature, hypotension, palpitations, fatigue, nausea, skin rash, etc.
It may even lead to septic shock. However, it is a serious condition.
And if you really develop sepsis, you will not get time to think about your rash or UTI.
You will have to get hospitalized for proper management. So, don’t always think that you are going to develop urosepsis. It is a very rare condition.
We just discussed it to inform you that UTI doesn’t cause rashes unless it progresses to urosepsis.
Now, what about itching during UTI? Is itching a symptom of UTI?
Just like the previous one, the answer is ‘NO’. Itching is not a symptom of urinary tract infection.
You know that UTI is caused by an infection of the urinary tract by any organism.
It is mostly bacterial but may be a viral or fungal infection too. And these infections cause many other symptoms but not itching. But, you may experience itching during UTI.
Why does this happen? Let’s see:
1. Allergy to any of the drugs being used to treat your UTI condition
If you are experiencing itching all over the body, the most common cause is an allergic reaction.
There are different kinds of medications available in the market which are used in treating urinary tract infection. And any of these drugs may be allergic for you.
Actually, any medicine or the excipients used in the drug may be allergic. And you will never know before taking the drug whether it will cause allergy or not.
The sensitization may occur after first exposure or multiple exposures.
Re-exposure to a drug after sensitization triggers allergic reactions like itching and rash.
A severe drug allergy may be life-threatening resulting from widespread immune reactions. But in mild cases, you will get only itching and skin rash.
but there are some medications that are known to cause allergies more than others.
Among antibiotics used to treat UTI, penicillin and its derivatives like amoxicillin, ampicillin, etc. are the most common to cause allergy.
Cephalosporin derivatives like cefuroxime, ceftriaxone, cephalexin, etc are also used in UTI.
If you are allergic to penicillin, you may have hypersensitivity to the cephalosporin group, too. It is found that 10% of the patients who are allergic to penicillin have cross-sensitivity to cephalosporin.
Sulfa group of antibiotics like cotrimoxazole is another common drug found allergic.
The pulmonary reaction of nitrofurantoin (which causes rashes on the skin) is different from drug allergy and not itchy. But if you are allergic to nitrofurantoin, it may itch.
You might have taken NSAID(Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) group of painkillers to reduce abdominal pain of UTI.
If you have an allergy to NSAIDs, you may experience itching after taking naproxen or ibuprofen.
If you suspect that you are having an allergy to any drug, just stop that medication immediately. And talk to your doctor as soon as possible.
You may need intensive treatment in severe drug reaction. In mild cases, the cessation of the drug will be enough.
2. Getting wet with urine
This is found in children and in elderly people. It is difficult for them to control urination. And during a UTI, it becomes more difficult for them due to bladder irritations and frequency of urination.
So, they may fail to control their reflexes and make their body and clothes wet.
The children may wet the whole body. And in the adults, few drops of urine may fall before going to the washroom.
Enlarged prostate in older males makes the situation worse. The repeated falling of urine drops makes the legs and clothes wet gradually. And the ammonia and other waste products present in the urine may cause itching in the legs.
So, keep your children clean and dry. And in the case of the dependent adults, help them to stay clean.
Wash the wet area with clean water and wipe it with a dry towel. The problem will be solved.
3. Vaginal itching and UTI
If you are suffering from vaginal itching with UTI, please recheck your diagnosis.
You are probably assuming your frequency, urgency, burning sensations as symptoms of urinary tract infections. Yes, those are common symptoms of UTI, but not the confirmation of UTI.
There are some diseases that may mimic a urinary tract infection.
Trichomoniasis is one of those.
It is caused by a protozoan named Trichomonas vaginalis. And it may present with UTI like symptoms along with vaginal itching. It may even attack your sexual partner causing dysuria.
Vulvovaginitis is another cause which presents with vaginal itching and may mimic UTI.
So, keep in mind that, vaginal itching is not a direct sign of urinary tract infection and usually indicates another disease.
And yes, these diseases may coincide with urinary tract infection. in fact, these diseases can aggravate an already existing UTI, and in addition to that, they can be a cause for UTI and for the UTI to keep coming back.
this is due to their effect on weakening the immune system. for more about this subject please visit why do I keep getting a UTI article.
In such cases, you will need treatment for both. For UTI you will require antibiotics. And for the other causes, you may need antifungal, antiprotozoal, or other drugs depending on the cause.
And if it is an STD (sexually transmitted disease) like trichomoniasis, your partner needs to be treated too.
4. Coincidence with skin diseases Your itching during UTI may be a result of other diseases.
You may have scabies, dermatophytosis, fungal infections, etc at the same time with UTI. Don’t assume it as a result of your urinary tract infection. Go to your doctor and get treated.
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So, these are some causes and management of skin rash and itching during urinary tract infection.
From this article just take 3 home messages.
A. Itching and rash are not directly related to UTI.
B. If itching or rash develops during UTI, you have to look for the presence of drug reactions or other diseases.
C. To confirm the diagnosis, visit your doctor as early as possible.
That’s the end of the article. I hope you got some idea about the relationship of UTI with itching and rash. Thanks for reading with patience.
Have a nice day.
you can check out my website KNOW & TREAT UTI for more information about UTI.