Can You Swim With a Urinary Tract Infection?

If you have a urinary tract infection (UTI), you may wonder if you have to cancel beach day. Or can you swim with a UTI?

Before throwing in the towel, you might want to see what urologist Emily Slopnick, MD, has to say on the subject.

Is it safe to swim with a UTI?

If you’ve been diagnosed with a UTI and are on antibiotics, it is safe to swim, if you feel well enough.

“There isn’t any data to suggest that swimming — in a lake, pool, hot tub or anywhere else — could worsen an existing UTI,” Dr. Slopnick says. “And bladder infections, the most common kind of UTI, aren’t contagious. So, you aren’t risking other people’s health by getting in the water.”

But of course, UTIs can leave you feeling pretty miserable. So, the real question is: Do you want to go swimming right now? If the answer’s yes, then Dr. Slopnick says, “Go for it.”

How swimming might affect a UTI

Strictly speaking, swimming doesn’t affect active UTIs in any way, but it may cause your symptoms to flare. Here’s what you need to know.

Chlorine

Chlorine and other pool chemicals don’t cause UTIs or make them worse. But they can irritate already-sensitive skin, making your symptoms more noticeable.

“If you’ve heard stories of people getting UTIs from a swimming pool, they may have been sick before they went swimming.” Dr. Slopnick clarifies. “Swimming just made the symptoms more obvious.”

Wet swimsuits

Like swimming and wearing tight clothes, lounging in a wet swimsuit doesn’t directly cause UTIs. But the warm, damp environment your suit creates could make an existing infection feel worse.

“Even if you don’t have a UTI, sitting around in a wet, tight swimsuit can cause discomfort,” Dr. Slopnick says. “If you already have a UTI, it could really feel awful.”

Friction and pressure

Swimming may be a low-impact activity, but there’s plenty of friction and pressure involved — both of which can cause added discomfort when you’re grappling with a UTI.

There are two basic reasons the act of swimming can make your symptoms flare up:

• Your tight swimsuit rubs against already-sensitive skin.
• Repetitive leg movements can cause chafing and irritation.

When you should avoid swimming with a UTI

A UTI isn’t a reason to skip swimming, but feeling sick is. Ditto if your symptoms suggest you have a serious infection.

“From a safety perspective, I wouldn’t recommend going swimming if you don’t feel well, regardless of what’s causing your symptoms,” Dr. Slopnick says.

She also recommends staying on dry land if there’s a chance you have more than a garden-variety bladder infection.

Hang up your swimsuit and hit up your healthcare provider (or an urgent care, if you can’t get an appointment) for the following symptoms:

• Fever or chills
• Pain in your lower back or flank
• Nausea and/or vomiting
• Blood in your pee (hematuria)

These symptoms could mean your UTI is affecting your kidneys. See a healthcare provider as soon as possible.

Can pools or lakes cause UTIs?

It’s easy to assume that swimming causes UTIs — after all, even clean-looking water isn’t sterile. But most UTIs happen when bacteria from your gastrointestinal tract enter your urinary tract. The call is coming from inside the house, so to speak.

“It’s possible to be exposed to bacteria in natural or poorly maintained water,” Dr. Slopnick notes. “But that kind of exposure’s more likely to cause irritation and discomfort than a true UTI.”

If you don’t actually have a bacterial infection, antibiotics won’t help. That’s why your provider may test your urine to confirm a UTI.

It’s also worth remembering that symptoms like burning, urgency and discomfort aren’t always caused by a UTI. Vaginal conditions like yeast infections, vulvovaginitis and bacterial vaginosis can be just as irritating, and are more likely to be triggered by water exposure.

Prevent UTIs when swimming

If you’re prone to UTIs, there are things you can do to reduce your risk and avoid irritation while swimming. Dr. Slopnick recommends that you:

• Stay hydrated. Drinking enough water dilutes your urine and helps you pee more often, which flushes bacteria out of your urinary tract.
• Don’t hold your pee. When you do take a whiz, try to empty your bladder completely. Ideally, you want to pee at least six or seven times a day.
• Change quickly. “Change into clean, dry clothes as soon as you can,” Dr. Slopnick advises. “Lightweight, breathable fabrics are your best bet.”
• Rinse off before and after swimming. If you’re sensitive to chlorine and other pool chemicals, rinsing off before and after a dip can help prevent irritation.
• Be mindful of water quality. It’s rare for a contaminated water source to cause UTIs, but you should still avoid swimming in water that looks poorly maintained or smells off.

One more hot tip: If you think you might have a UTI, get it checked out fast. The sooner you know what you’re dealing with, the sooner you can get treatment and feel better. It’s your ticket back to smooth sailing.