Painful urination is a symptom that accompanies conditions that impact your bladder or surrounding areas of your body. It is a condition that is also called dysuria. This symptom can happen because of a number of causes, although a significant number of them can be treated.
Anybody with this condition should ensure that they speak to their healthcare provider about any further complications. Complications that are linked with painful urination would help your healthcare provider provide you with the right treatment after making a diagnosis.
Painful urination could be a warning sign of an underlying condition, which can be easily treated. These are some of the factors that cause you to feel pain while urinating and also further complications that accompany them.
Urinary tract infection
When an area in your urinary tract has an excessive buildup of bacteria, you have a urinary tract infection. The urinary tract consists of the kidneys, ureters, urethra, and bladder. Its job is to pass urine out of your body.
If you have a urinary tract infection, you may notice additional symptoms. These symptoms include;
- A frequent urge to urinate
- Fever
- Urine that is cloudy or has traces of blood
- Urine that has a foul smell
- Having pains in your back or sides
Sexually transmitted infection
Research has shown that people that have sexually transmitted diseases like herpes, chlamydia, and gonorrhea could impact areas in your urinary tracts. This would result in painful urination.
The further symptoms you experience may differ depending on the sexually transmitted infection. For instance, herpes could cause you to develop lesions that look like blisters on your genitals.
Prostate infection
Prostate infection is an infection that occurs when there is a bacterial infection, even for a short period. It can also result in prostatitis, which can be caused by severe inflammation from a condition like an STI. This would lead to pain when urinating.
These are the further symptoms that may accompany a prostate infection;
- Problems with urination
- You may notice pains in your penis, bladder, and testicles
- Pains while ejaculating
- Problems with ejaculation
- A frequent urge to urinate
Kidney stones
Kidney stones are one of the major factors of a painful urination. They form when there is a buildup of substances like uric acid or calcium.
There are times where these stones would stick themselves to the surrounding pathway that allows urine to enter the bladder, which would lead to pains while urinating.
These are some of the other symptoms that accompany kidney stones;
- You could experience pains in your back and sides
- Urine that is brown, pink or cloudy
- Vomiting and nausea
- Having pains that have intensity changes
- Chills and fever
- Frequently passing little amounts of urine
Interstitial cystitis
Interstitial cystitis is also called bladder pain syndrome, and it is a condition that could cause your bladder to be severely irritated. It can last for up to five weeks.
These are some of the other symptoms that accompany interstitial cystitis;
- Experiencing pain during sexual intercourse
- Having pains in your scrotum
- Frequently passing little amounts of urine
- Experiencing an unusual pressure in your bladder area
Chemical sensitivity
There are some bodily tissues that can be irritated by chemicals like fragrances because they are applied to the external part of your body.
You might notice this irritation more when you are urinating, and you might also experience pain. Some of the products which are responsible for this condition are scented toilet paper, soaps, and douches.
These are some of the other symptoms that could occur in people that are sensitive to these chemicals;
- Redness
- Swelling
- Itching
Medication
There are certain medications that could lead to irritation or inflammation of your bladder tissues, even the ones that your healthcare provider prescribes for bladder cancer. Most times, it would lead to painful urination.
If you just recently began taking a medication and you are experiencing painful urination, it would be best that you speak to your healthcare provider and ask whether or not it is a side effect. Ensure that you first speak to your healthcare provider before stopping to take the medication.
The further symptoms you may notice may differ depending on the medication you are taking.
Bladder cancer
When the healthy cells in your bladder start becoming cancerous, you are said to have bladder cancer. Early signs of bladder cancer do not include painful urination. Rather, you are more likely to have traces of blood in your urine.
These are some of the other symptoms that accompany bladder cancer;
- a frequent urge to urinate
- problems with urinating
- pains in your lower back
- loss of weight and appetite
- a general sense of fatigue
- pains in your bones
- swelling of your foot
Differences of painful urination in females and males
Anybody can have painful urination, which could be caused by anatomy-dependent factors. For instance, men usually have longer urethras than females. This means that the bacteria would need more time to reach the bladder, which is why men are less susceptible to having UTIs.
You can also talk to your healthcare provider about the risk factors of painful urination due to medical history and also your sex life.
When to visit your doctor
It is not abnormal to experience occasional pain while urinating. However, you should see your healthcare provider as soon as possible if you are having consistent pains in addition to noticing these additional symptoms;
- having traces of blood in your urine that seem red, pink, or brown
- having pains in your back or sides
- having long-lasting pains, usually up to a day
- having an abnormal discharge from your penis
- fever
If you have a fever with a temperature above 103°F, you should see your doctor immediately. If your doctor is not available, then seek help from an emergency room.
It is important to note that you should never ignore painful urination as your healthcare provider will ensure that you get the best treatment to help lessen the pain.
Treatment for painful urination
Depending on what the cause of your painful urination is, there are a lot of treatment options available. These options are;
- If you have a urinary tract infection, you will be given antibiotics. There are some severe urinary tract infections that impact your kidneys. The use of intravenous antibiotics will be needed in situations like this.
- If you have prostatitis, you can also use antibiotics to treat it. If you have severe bacterial prostatitis, you may need to take these antibiotics for about twelve weeks continually. Additional treatment options for prostatitis are hot baths, medications known as alpha-blockers that help to soothe the muscles surrounding your prostate, prostatic massage, and OTC anti-inflammatories.
- Ensure that you do not use abrasive soaps and similar products around your genitals, as this is known to cause irritation of the genitals. If the cause of your symptoms is irritation due to chemical use, then you will notice that your symptoms will rapidly resolve.
Painful urination can be treated easily at home by taking ibuprofen as it is an over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medication.
Your healthcare provider will most likely recommend that you increase your intake of fluids as this would help in the dilution of urine and make it easier to pass.
.You would experience the best results if you have a lot of rest and take your medication as prescribed by your healthcare provider.
How to prevent painful urination
If you want to get rid of your symptoms, then you need to make a couple of tweaks to how you live your life. You need to ensure that you avoid fragranced toiletries and laundry detergents, as this would make you less susceptible to experiencing irritation.
If you must have sexual intercourse, ensure that you make use of condoms as this would reduce your risk of contracting a sexually transmitted infection. Tweak your diet plan so that drinks and foods that could lead to bladder irritation are eliminated.
Research has shown that there are some drinks and foods that have a higher chance of irritating your bladder. Some of these drinks and foods are tomato products, spicy foods, caffeine, alcohol, artificial sweeteners, and citric juices and fruits.
It is also recommended that you steer clear of foods that are highly acidic as this gives your bladder the time it needs to heal. Studies have shown that people experiencing painful urination respond better to treatment if they follow a bland diet plan.
You can also eat a lot of foods that are rich in vitamin C as having high levels of vitamin C in the body would make your urine acidic, which would help to prevent the bacteria growth in the urinary tract. But, avoid foods rich in acid if you currently have a urinary tract infection.
Conclusion
Experiencing pain while urinating is a general symptom that can be caused by a lot of factors. Most of these factors are often linked to infections caused by bacteria.
If you experience painful urination, it would be best that you visit your healthcare provider as soon as possible so that they can determine the underlying cause and stop it from getting the time it needs to advance and lead to further complications.
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