Omaha, NE--It's a common infection behind more than eight million doctor visits a year.  One in five women wrestle with bladder infections. 

Now research is looking at whether there's a connection between your shoes and the infection.

Women will tell you high-heeled shoes are a fashion statement that can hurt your feet.  But the connection to urinary tract infections can seem far-fetched.

But some urologists are suggesting that those heel heights could be tilting your pelvis and bladder.  And in the long run, it could stop your bladder from emptying completely.

Doctor Rebecca McCrery says that could set the scenario for problems.  "And definitely if you don't empty your bladder completely then you're set up for incontinence or recurrent infection."

While Dr. McCrery says there's still a lot unknown about how and why urinary tract infections or UTIs affect women in such large numbers, she says this theory still needs a closer look.  

McCrery says it's not something every woman needs to worry about.  For some, though, she says it may be worth a try.  "Someone who wears stilettos every day and gets UTIs, I think it's reasonable to stop wearing them and see if it improves."

Reported by Carol Wang, cwang@action3news.com