Causes of Pain When Urinating

The pain and burning caused when urinating is known as dysuria. It may mean that you have a urinary infection and can have many different causes. It may also cause you to urinate more frequently.

Pain during urination is very common in women who are sexually active. It can also affect you more often if you have diabetes, pregnant women or bladder problems.

Men tend to get less urinary tract infections. When they do, it can be caused by urethritis or illnesses related to the prostate.

The symptoms of pain when urinating

The type of pain felt during urination is normally different for men and women. However both may experience stinging or burning during and after urination,too.

If the pain begins when you first start urinating, you may have a urinary tract infection. Pain when you finish urinating can indicate a serious bladder or prostate problem.

The pain may be caused by a urinary tract infection or another issue. However, in some cases it is external and caused by inflammation of the skin.

The causes of pain when urinating

The most common cause of dysuria or pain during urination is an infection in the bladder, kidneys or urethra. Acute cystitis is the most common infection and is a bladder or kidney infection. It can also be caused by a sexually transmitted disease.

Other causes

• Trauma. This could be caused by sexual contact or other irritation.
• Anatomical deformities or obstructions.
• Lesions. This may be a lesion outside of your genital area.
• External irritation. This could be caused by using an irritating product.
• Hormonal effects.
• Neurological diseases.
• Cancer of the kidney, bladder or vagina.
• A condition affecting the immune system.
• Kidney stones.
• A sexually transmitted disease.
• Some medications can cause a side effect of bladder irritation.
• A kidney, vaginal, or yeast infection.

Detecting a cause

Your doctor will review your medical history and ask how frequently you urinate and other symptoms.

If you suffer from pain during urination, you may have to undergo an abdominal examination. Women may also need a gynaecological examination.

Your doctor will most likely require a urine sample that will be sent to a laboratory to be examined. It will be determined if there is blood present in the sample and to see if bacteria is present. The tests will show whether there is a bacterial infection in the bladder or not, and the type of bacteria causing the infection if there is one.

Treatment for dysuria

The most common treatment for dysuria is antibiotics. However, it is important to know the causes of the infection. You may be recommended to drink a lot of water, so you can reduce the discomfort caused by urinating.