Painful urination is an unpleasant issue that can lower the quality of your life significantly. It often develops because of diseases that affect the bladder or surrounding organs. Most conditions causing painful urination are highly treatable, especially when diagnosed at the early stages.
Below are 6 possible causes why you may experience pain during urination.
1. Sexually transmitted disease
Sexually transmitted diseases are one of the possible causes of painful urination. STDs can get into your bladder and cause inflammation, resulting in painful urination. Other symptoms of STDs include vaginal itching, unusual discharges, unpleasant vaginal smell, and lesions on the genitals.
If you suspect you have an STD, it is important to consult the doctor and get STD testing. Untreated vaginal infections can contribute to the development of health problems including infertility.
2. Ovarian cysts
An ovarian cyst is a fluid-filled sac that develops on the surface of the ovary. Most cysts don’t cause symptoms. But when the cyst becomes bigger it can produce symptoms like pelvic pain, feeling of fullness in the abdomen, bloating, unusual vaginal bleeding, and painful urination.
While some ovarian cysts may disappear without treatment, it is important to visit a doctor and get a diagnosis. If cysts cause symptoms that decrease the quality of your life, the doctor will prescribe you a treatment. Depending on the size and location of the cyst, the doctor can suggest medications or surgery.
3. Urinary tract infection
Urinary tract infection is the most common cause of painful urination. It occurs because of the buildup of bacteria in your urinary tract. Most infections affect the lower urinary tract, the bladder and the urethra. In addition to painful urination, you may experience other symptoms like the urge to urinate, cloudy or pink urine, strong-smelling urine, and pelvic pain. The treatment of urinary tract infections typically includes antibiotics.
If you suspect you have a urinary tract infection, it is crucial to visit the doctor for an examination. In some cases, urinary tract infection can be a result of other serious conditions including sexually transmitted diseases.
4. Interstitial cystitis
Interstitial cystitis is a chronic bladder condition also known as bladder pain syndrome. It causes a bladder irritation that has a long-lasting effect on your health. Unfortunately, there is no cure for interstitial cystitis. The condition comes in flares. Things like stress, menstruation, exercises, and prolonged sitting can trigger an interstitial cystitis flare. The symptoms of this condition include painful urination, pelvic pain, frequent urination, and pain during sex.
The treatment of interstitial cystitis requires a complex approach. Your doctor may suggest physical therapy to relieve pelvic pain associated with pelvic muscles tenderness and stiffness. Besides, you may need to take medications like NSAIDs, antidepressants, antihistamines, and pentosan polysulfate sodium. Additional therapies like TENS and sacral nerve stimulation can be helpful.
5. Prostate infection
Any short-term bacterial infection can result in serious prostate infection or even prostatitis. Prostatitis may also be caused by inflammation associated with other conditions like sexually transmitted diseases. Painful and difficult urination is often the main symptoms of prostate infection. Other symptoms include blood in the urine, cloudy urine, abdominal pain, painful ejaculation, and flu-like symptoms.
Untreated prostatitis can cause serious complications like bacterial infection of the blood, pus in the prostate, semen abnormalities, and infertility. For this reason, it is important to visit the doctor. The doctor can order urine, blood, and imaging tests to confirm the diagnosis. The treatment of the prostate usually includes antibiotics, alpha-blockers, and anti-inflammatory medications.
6. Kidney stones
Kidney stones are hard deposits of minerals and salts that form in your kidneys. Kidney stones can be caused by poor diet, excess body weight, some medical conditions, and medications. Kidney stones don’t cause symptoms until they start moving through your ureters. When the stones start moving, it can cause a lot of unpleasant symptoms like severe pain when urinating, pink urine, foul-smelling urine, nausea, and fever.
The treatment of kidney stones depends on the situation. Your doctor may prescribe you nothing more than to take pain medication and drink more water to help the kidney pass. In cases of complications (when the stone becomes lodged in the urinary tract), surgery may be required.
